Imagine candlelit print shops, whisper networks, drums and fifes, and propaganda as sharp as a musket shot. Broadside brings the early Revolution to life through the people who weaponized words, especially Paul Revere, whose copper plates and broadsides fanned the flames long before his midnight ride. But revolutions don't survive on paper alone. Meet the Patriot Spy Ring: Dr. Joseph Warren, in Broadside, he forms an intelligence network with three formidable women—each grounded in historical truth and Revolutionary grit:
- Prudence Wright: who led an all-women militia and captured a Loyalist courier
- Mary Hartwell: who watched the British march to Concord and spread the alarm
- Abigail Adams: whose letters carried strategy sharper than bayonets
And in this musical retelling, their messages aren't just whispered, they’re stitched. Secret codes hidden in hems and seams. Needlework as espionage. Historically documented? Not fully. Historically plausible? Deliciously so. Women in this era used quilts and samplers for symbolism and subversion, Broadside simply lets them sharpen the needle.
Why It Matters:
As America prepares to celebrate 250 years of nationhood, Broadside reminds us: Revolutions start in taverns, kitchens, print shops, and sewing rooms. They begin with whispers, pressed ink, and everyday courage. They’re moved forward not only by generals, but by those who dared to imagine freedom first.
Eyes on Denver:
Our intelligence suggests Broadside will surface in the year of America’s quarter-millennial celebrations. We’ll continue surveillance (purely for patriotic artistic purposes, of course). Until then, keep your lanterns polished, your broadsides ready, and your stitching suspicious. A new Revolution is tuning up.
#BroadsideTheMusical #250YearsOfRebellion #PerformingArtsProjectIntel
