THIS MAN'S A SPY!  

Yorktown 250, North Castle Historical Society and Friends of Miller House present a musical retelling of the treasonous plot to deliver West Point to the British.

Yorktown 250 presents a musical retelling of the treasonous plot to deliver West Point to the British.

ARMONK, N.Y. (November 1, 2022) – Yorktown 250, North Castle Historical Society and Friends of Miller House commemorate the role of Westchester County, NY in the American Revolution with a concert of songs inspired by the fateful encounter between two of the American Revolution’s most intriguing characters: American General Benedict Arnold and British Major John André.

The songs tell the story of American General Benedict Arnold and British Major John André and their treasonous plot to deliver West Point to the British. The importance of the Arnold and André affair is remembered to this day. Had their plan succeeded, the British could have won the Revolutionary War. 

Songwriters Carla Lynne Hall and Jim Keyes, also known as Carla and Keyes, are the local award-winning duo behind the songs.  They will also perform the songs live in costume and will be available afterwards for questions, discussion and photographs. This lively evening of songs is appropriate for families, children ages 6+ and history enthusiasts as well.

Inspired by Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Broadway musical Hamilton, This Man’s A Spy! offers an updated musical version of the classic Revolutionary War tale. The songs introduce other important players of the story, including Peggy Shippen, Benedict Arnold’s wife, and local Patriot militiaman, John “Rifle Jack” Peterson, a free African-American man who helped foil Major André’s escape back to the British lines. André was captured by three patriot militiamen, Isaac Van Wart, David Williams, and John Paulding in Tarrytown.

This show was originally commissioned by the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission / Yorktown 250, in partnership with Revolutionary Westchester 250 (rw250.org), to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. 

“This musical presentation is the continuation of what will be many events and commemorations,” said Commission Chair, Lynn Briggs. “Carla and Keyes have created a new perspective of the Arnold and André story that we are excited to share.”  

Revolutionary Westchester 250 (rw250.org), under the leadership of President Constance Kehoe, was created in support of the United States Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016. New York State officially joined the national commemoration of the American Revolution in February 2022 with the passage of the New York State 250th Commemoration Act. Revolutionary Westchester 250 works to build awareness and appreciation of Westchester County’s critical role in the American Revolution.

RW250 launched this aptly named initiative—This Man’s a Spy!—co-chaired by Lynn Briggs and Bob Fetonti. This effort creates community awareness, understanding, and enthusiasm for the historical significance of this critical event in U.S. history. The Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission /Yorktown 250, in conjunction with This Man’s a Spy! and RW250, is delivering a number of related activities in Yorktown this year, the location of several key Revolutionary War events.  Local partners include the Town of Yorktown, Yorktown Small Business Association, Yorktown Historical Society, and the Yorktown Arts + Culture Committee.

In July 2016, Congress passed the “United States Semiquincentennial Act” in order to provide for the observance of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, which is in 2026. Local, state, national and international activities are being planned, encouraged and developed to celebrate this birthday. Westchester County, and in particular, Yorktown, played a pivotal role in both the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, and passed a local resolution to honor the occasion. The Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission is pleased to partner with Revolutionary Westchester 250 (RW250) in presenting special events relating to the nation’s birth.

For more information on the Yorktown Heritage Preservation Commission, please visit the Facebook page and/or our webpage at https://www.yorktownny.org/hpc.

For more information on Carla and Keyes, please visit their website at Carla and Keyes

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