George Washington’s Ring of Spies, a musical written and composed by Christy Stutzman, will premiere this year, just in time for America’s 250th anniversary, highlighting the legacy of certain relatively unsung American heroes.
Describing it as a “four-year passion project,” Stutzman, wife of Congressman Marlin Stutzman (R-IN), told Breitbart News Saturday it will debut this year as America celebrates its 250th anniversary.
“It’s coming out at a great time when people are really interested in our history, our founding, our roots, you know, where we come from, and so I was – as I was doing research on this story, I had picked up a little kid’s book at Mount Vernon one time for my boys, because I’m always trying to interest them in history, and of course, anything having to do with spies is always intriguing,” she said, explaining that her kids loved the book and the mini series.
“I’m an amateur historian, and so I really kind of geeked out about finding out more about these people, because they haven’t been in our history books, and the more I found out about them, the more amazed I was at the story, and how it was just America in microcosm. It was us before we were America, and it was just, you know, young people,” she said, highlighting that these were “just everyday people who did extraordinary things” – something quintessentially American.
These were young people in their 20s, she explained, who signed up to be volunteers for Washington, living behind enemy lines on Long Island in New York.
“And of course the Americans lost the battle of Long Island in New York, and so all of a sudden they’re living in a village that kind of is split between loyalists and patriots, and so when they signed up there was a big risk there, not just from the British, but also even from neighbors who could, you know, rat on them if they found out,” she said, explaining these individuals “actually outspied the British in multiple ways” and saved Washington’s life.
“They revealed Benedict Arnold’s treachery in turning over West Point to the British — or he tried. They saved the French fleet. When they arrived, there was a threat on our economy where they were going to disseminate fake, you know, money into the current and into our currency, and they stopped that as well. Just so many things that they did,” she said.
But one of the most “beautiful” things they did, she continued, was walk away and “never told anybody what they did.” However, there are a few of these spies “we know for sure,” and named one: Haym Salomon.
After reading his, everything he did, I was just in awe of this man. He truly is a founding father. Without him, we wouldn’t have had a revolution. And so he was one of the first spies. In fact, I think he was the first spy, even before Nathan Hale. I know he was spying before Nathan Hale, and he was imprisoned twice before Nathan Hale even volunteered to help George Washington … He escaped, and then became a financier. So he’s in the story as a hero to the heroes, and as a mentor and a financier. And there’s so many other characters that are just really exciting in the story.
Stutzman said she was very “adamant” that the musical be accurate, noting there is speculation that some women were involved, so she has included that in the production.
“I’ve included all those, you know, folklore and, you know, evidence in it, because we don’t have as much evidence for them, but I’ve included them in the story as well, and it really is narrowing it down to, you know the documentation that I have, because I want it to be accurate. … I want to know what actually happened. I want to face the good, bad, and the ugly and learn from it,” she added.
The show will debut at the Freedom Encounter Theater in Branson, Missouri, from September 4 through October 17, although Stutzman said she would love to take the show to other cities around the country as well.
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