Category Archives: Music

We want God! Reply

Music, Religion • Tags:

By Tom Quiner

I’m intrigued.

We performed “The Pope of the People, the John Paul II Musical” last night at Living History Farms. This is a show about a Catholic Pope. I’m intrigued by what happens after each performance. Protestants come up to me and tell me how much they loved the show.

Regular readers of Quiner’s Diner know that I was raised Protestant and converted to the Catholic Church thirty years ago. I have tremendous love and affection for my Protestant brothers and sisters despite some differences in our Christian beliefs.

As a convert, I appreciate the challenges Protestants have in coming to grips with these differences between our faiths. And yet I’m intrigued at the way Protestants appreciate my musical. (For the record, so do Catholics.)

I’d like to think it is because it tells a compelling story in an entertaining way. I’d like to think it’s because they like the songs and beloved characters in The Pope of the People like JPII himself and Lech Walesa.

All of those things may be at work. I hope they are.

There’s another element at work, though, the same one that inspired me to write this musical. It’s what happened on June 2nd, 1979. If you recall from my previous post, JPII said Mass before a million people in Victory Square in the heart of Warsaw, Poland. In the middle of Mass, the gathered faithful broke into a Polish folk song, “We Want God!” They interrupted his homily for 14 minutes.

They expressed so simply, yet powerfully, what is in the heart in all of us, whether we’re Catholic, Protestant, Jew, or Muslim: our thirst for God.

We want God.

[The Pope of the People continues its Fall Tour with its next performance this Sunday, October 9th, 3PM, at St. Boniface Catholic Church in Waukee, Iowa. Order tickets online:  www.thePopeofthePeople.com]

 

 

Des Moines Register writes about The Pope of the People Reply

Music, Religion

By Tom Quiner

Maxwell Schaeffer, as Pope John Paul II, and John Busbee, as Lech Walesa, celebrate the birth of freedom in Poland.

The premier of The Pope of the People, the John Paul II musical, is just two days away.  The Register’s art and entertainment reporter, Michael Morain, wrote a nice piece about the production in today’s Register. Check it out here.

I wrote and am producing the musical as part of the Centennial Celebration for the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines. Gina Gedler, one of Des Moines’ top theater talents, is directing the production. Maxwell Schaeffer, a radio host on KIOA radio, plays the part of Pope John Paul II.  John Busbee, a radio host on KFMG, plays the part of Lech Walesa; and Brad Church plays the role of the bad guy, the communist President of Poland.

The Pope makes the communist President of Poland (Brad Church) uneasy.

It is being performed in seven churches throughout Des Moines in the month of April beginning this Friday night at 8 PM at Sacred Heart Catholic Church.

Is The Pope of the People just for Catholics? Not at all. JPII was a historical figure who played a prominent role in the demise of communism in Easter Europe. Even more, Lech Walesa was a labor leader who agitated for human rights and eventually became President of Poland.

This is a story for everyone!

Advance ticket prices are $18, $22 at the door.

Advance ticket prices for students are $9, $10 at the door.

Children twelve and under are free when accompanied by an adult.

You can order tickets online at www.Midwestix.com.

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES:

April 1, 8PM, Sacred Heart Catholic Church

April 2, 7:30PM, St. Pius Catholic Church

April 3, 3PM, All Saints Catholic Church

April 8, 7:30PM, St. Mary of Nazareth Catholic Church

April 9, 7:30PM, St. Augustin Catholic Church

April 10, 6PM, Christ the King Catholic Church

April 17, 3PM, St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church

Get more details here:  www.thePopeofthePeople.com

The Pope of the People premiers next Friday Reply

Music • Tags: ,

The Pope of the People, the John Paul II Musical, premiers at 8 PM next Friday, April 1st, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in West Des Moines. Written by Tom Quiner, it dramatically presents the historic events of JPII’s first ten years as Pope.

You can find the complete performance schedule here.

You can purchase advance tickets online at www.thePopeofthePeople.com.

Ticket prices are $18 in advance; $22 at the door.

Student ticket prices are $9 in advance; $10 at the door.

Children twelve and under are free when accompanied by a parent.

Hear Tom Quiner interviewed on the radio tomorrow Reply

Music • Tags:

By Tom Quiner

I have the honor of being a guest on a Saturday morning radio show tomorrow called “Coffee, T, and Me” with Tony and Eileen Valdez. The show runs from 9 AM to 11 AM.  I will be on at about 10 AM.

We’ll be talking about my new musical, The Pope of the People, the John Paul II Musical. It is being performed in seven Catholic Churches in April as part of the Centennial Celebration for the Catholic Diocese of Des Moines.

For local readers of Quiner’s Diner, you can tune in to KWKY radio station at 1150 AM.

For out-of-towners, learn more at the official website:  www.thePopeofthePeople.com.