Coming This Week: Singing The Sound Of Progress

Progress Iowa will take the stage this week to sing the Sound of Progress.

The musical performance will include adapted versions of familiar songs heard in Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen, The Wiz and more. 

It opens with a version of the familiar song “Look Down” from Les Mis’. From there, the musical goes on to send a message about President Donald Trump using songs from other popular musicals such as Hamilton, Dear Evan Hansen and The Wiz.

“It shows that we need to fight back against President Trump and the right wing and get people off the bench,” Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinovic said of the musical. “It’s easy to think after the last Presidential election things are in a pretty dark place, but there’s always hope and always a need to stay involved and to vote and to participate.”

The play is written, directed and performed by local artists.

The show will be performed at The Stoner Theater in Des Moines August 8 at 7 p.m. and August 11 at 3 p.m.

Tickets are $32.50 and can be purchased by clicking here.

It’s the second time Progress Iowa will perform a musical production.

“Last year when Hamilton was coming to Des Moines and Governor Reynolds was running for election, this same group adapted several songs from Hamilton into a show we put on last year,” said Progress Iowa Executive Director Matt Sinvoic. “This year with the caucus we wanted to do that again and try to inspire people to take action with The Sound of Progress.”

Sinvoic said it’s Progress Iowa’s mission to try and communicate progressive issues in a creative or interesting way in order to try to get people to take action.

“We do things that are a little bit different or unique than what you might get out of a  political campaign,” Sinvoic said. “We’ve created a comic book to talk about anti-bullying and to hold ob VanderPlaats accountable a couple of years ago. And we just try to come up with ideas like that.”

To learn more about Progress Iowa and their mission, visit progressiowa.org.

by Paige Godden
Posted 8/5/19