FLARE
A NEW MUSICAL
COMING MAY 2027
to Columbia, SC
Hear from Carol about the story FLARE tells and why it matters.
ABOUT FLARE
FLARE is a female-forward, Southern musical created by artist Carol Brady. FLARE follows two neighbors whose spouses are deployed on opposite sides of a growing national conflict. On each porch hangs a color-coded light declaring where the family's allegiance lies- green for The Militia, and purple-blue for The Resistance. As tensions rise, two kinds of flares begin appearing in the night sky: military flares warning of danger, and the synchronized fireflies of Congaree National Park, lighting a different way forward.At its heart, FLARE is about mothers and daughters across generations, and the hard work of staying connected across deep difference. One of the characters is pregnant and carrying life into a world that feels increasingly uncertain. Rather than a simple story of good versus bad, FLARE is about the emotional cost of conflict, and how the deepest divisions often happen inside hearts and homes.FLARE will be performed as outdoor theatre on the front porch of the historic Ensor Keenan House in Columbia, SC.
Listen to two songs from the musical FLARE
ABOUT CAROL BRADY
Hi! I'm Carol Brady, the creator of FLARE. You may know me as a visual artist and abstract painter, but poetry and music have always been part of how I work.Two years ago, I sat down at the piano and started turning my poetry into songs, not yet realizing I was writing a musical about motherhood, division, and the search for connection in a fractured world. A year later, I met NYC director Mahayana "Yana" Landowne and shared a few of the songs along with early drafts of FLARE. I still remember her telling me, "It's your dream. You have to write it." We've been developing the musical together ever since, and it has grown into something far bigger than either of us imagined when we began.
Our director, Yana Landowne has led two workshops for FLARE over the past year.
FLARE is a piece of art we genuinely believe matters, and we're building it one stage at a time. Thanks to a successful community Kickstarter campaign (over $10,000 raised by 70 backers) we funded our staged reading, continued script development, and a professionally produced music score.Now we're fundraising for the live production in May 2027! Your donation goes directly toward the costs of bringing FLARE to the stage: paying our performers, sound and lighting for an outdoor production, and all the details that make a show feel complete, from playbills to the countless details.Every donor plays a meaningful role in bringing this story to life. We can't wait to show you FLARE!
Email us at
[email protected]
to get in touch!