Central Iowa will be alive with “The Sound of Music” this holiday season.

The popular Rodgers and Hammerstein musical will come to life at the Ingersoll Dinner Theater in Des Moines this weekend.

Audiences will hear all the classic songs from the show as they are performed by local professional actors and actresses.

The musical opens with Maria, a young woman who would rather spend her time singing than doing her chores at the Nonnberg Abbey.

Her love of music follows her to the home of Captain von Trapp, where she has been sent to serve as a governess to his seven motherless children.

Captain von Trapp has been ruling the household with a stern heart and an officer’s whistle. However, both he and the children find something special in Maria and in her music. In the meantime, Maria must decide if she will share her life and laughter with the family or return to her calling at the convent.

The happiness and music that have overtaken the von Trapps is soon interrupted by the reality of what is going on in the political arena.

Hitler and the Nazi party have moved into Austria and are quickly making their way across the country.

However, the captain will not ignore his prior convictions or support the Third Reich. The family is forced to make a daring escape over the Alps and into Switzerland using the vocal talents that have been exposed by Maria.

The play is based upon the true story of Baroness Maria Augusta von Trapp.

Many people who heard the group sing in concert halls across America from 1938 to 1945 never realized the situation the family was facing. Driven from their home and forced to become exiles, the von Trapps made a living out of their once joyous hobby.

D.J. Horrigan, director of the Ingersoll’s production of “The Sound of Music,” said the play has a much stronger message than the film version many people have enjoyed over the years.

Horrigan said while both productions contain a love story, the stage version also makes a political statement that isn’t as evident in the film.

“The decisions the characters make are based upon convictions, whether they be political or family oriented,” he said.

Kevin Spire, the voice and face behind Captain von Trapp, agreed.

Spire said while most people are familiar with “The Sound of Music,” the Ingersoll cast has tried to bring to life more of the story behind the musical.

“The whole show is really about people deciding what their convictions are and standing by them. Maria has a real pivotal role in that,” he said.

Horrigan also said audiences will enjoy songs in the musical that were cut from the film version. One of the highlights is a song that the Baroness, Max and the Captain sing about their political convictions. The song explores the effects that everything from money to the threat of the Nazi party have upon them and their actions.

“The audience is not seeing the movie. The movie’s a little more fluff. There’s always a different play structure,” Horrigan said of the differences between the two productions.

“The Sound of Music” is scheduled for Wednesday through Sunday from Nov. 13 to Jan. 18. Adult tickets for Saturday shows are $32.

Tickets to weekday and Sunday shows are $27. All tickets include a dinner and discounts are available for children, senior citizens and groups of 12 or more. More information is available by calling the Ingersoll Dinner Theater box office at (515) 274-4686.

“I think we have a great show put together. I hope people will come and enjoy it as much as we enjoy performing it,” Spire said.