CULTURE
The Impossible Dream -On Repeat
Mike Broemmel contemplated taking his own life sitting in The White House bathroom sharpening a wooden pencil checking the point on his wrist until a provoking idea crossed his mind. Broemmel scribbled his ideas down on the toilet paper roll next to him, and soon after that his life drastically changed. Mike Broemmel is more than a playwright; he is an inspiring activist and cultured artist unraveling historic events and bringing forth the truth of the past.
January 23, 2025
Mike Broemmel
Taking Tea with the Ripper and The Baptism
The Bonfils Girl and The Wind is Us
Mike Broemmel
USE ARROWS TO MOVE THROUGH IMAGES
By Tayler Smith
Twenty-five years ago, Broemmel identified as a Republican working alongside members of President Ronald Regan’s Media Relations. As Broemmel shifted from a career in the government into the world of the arts, his focus also shifted to writing about misunderstood and misinterpreted people of history. When asked if he ever writes about his own life or personal experiences, Broemmel replied, “No. I never write about my own life. I may fill in the gaps with a few personal touches, but they’re just tid-bits as additions to the story.” Broemmel is not the only person who has been treated poorly by the media and organized groups, so his emotional connection to his writing stems from the research of other people’s lives.
The transition to writing started off with a collection of short fiction. Wanting to pursue something at a larger scale, Broemmel wrote The Baptism: a three-act play centering on a young woman with a new baby. Out of curiosity, the question provoked why Broemmel focuses on women. Identifying as a white gay man, Broemmel said, “I have received death threats, hate mail, and have been called a ‘racist’ and ‘female hater’ in my career. But out of spite, that’s where the motivation comes in to write what I am passionate about.” Broemmel explained how the women he chooses to write about are women with untold stories where history has, correctly and incorrectly, recorded famous events.
The Unreachable Star is the play Broemmel engaged about the most. His enthusiastic energy and appealing charisma about this play really came to life as he explained who Connie Francis is; a bubblegum pop singer of 1950s-1960s with so much talent and beauty that the world only saw her for her fame. Broemmel played the song “The Impossible Dream” on repeat at 3am because he was unable to sleep, and the lyrics moved him in a way that he could not quite put into words. The more Broemmel researched Francis’ life and was able to talk to some of her family members, the more he explored writing about women for their braveness, sheer talent, and eminence of it all. Broemmel hopes to have The Unreachable Star premier in Florida in 2025 where Connie Francis still resides.
Taking Tea with the Ripper and The Baptism
As he discussed previous work, Broemmel also lit up about his upcoming work from now through next year. Premiering first is the play The Wind is Us: The Death that Killed Capote. This play focuses on the life of author Truman Capote while researching his iconic novel In Cold Blood. Broemmel describes this play as, “the tension between desire for fame and for love; perhaps even the tension between the need for fame and the need for love.” The Wind is Us: The Death that Killed Capote appeared in the Salida Theatre Festival this year and now is headed to an off-Broadway showing at the Theatre Row in New York City.
In its sixth year, Taking Tea with The Ripper is another of Broemmel’s plays focusing in on one of the most infamous serial killers of all time, Jack the Ripper. This interlude with a killer takes the audience through the night in which the Ripper slays his first victim, bringing them face-to-face with pure evil and unmitigated insanity.
Broemmel will jump back into the scene of historic women with the play Queen of the Painted Sisterhood, which, as he described, is “a play [that] tells the story of an incredibly unique woman, Mattie Silks, who lived in the era commonly known as the Old West. Mattie was a leading, if not the leading, ‘madame’ of Colorado bordellos.” Rehearsals for Queen of the Painted Sisterhood will begin in January and premier in March of 2025.
As we all enter a new year soon, keep an eye out for When Strawberries Bloom: The Creation of Golda Meir. This production will focus on Golda Meir, the former prime minister of Isreal. From early childhood in the Russian Empire to world leader, Golda Meir attended North High in Denver during her high school education. Broemmel highlighted the difficulties in writing this play due to “the human suffering. Particularly suffering inflicted on humans by humans. It was a tough play to write.” When Strawberries Bloom: The Creation of Golda Meir is planned to show in May of 2025 at the Historic Elitch Theatre.
The Bonfils Girl and The Wind is Us
As the new year wraps up, Brommel is eager about Witness: The Story of Virginia Hill which will be premiering in Las Vegas. This will be the perfect venue and environment to emulate the true story of Virginia Hill because, as Brommel explained, “is a story of a woman who should be classified as the first woman mobster in the United States. Hill was so overlooked when it comes to organized crime, [especially] in the founding of Las Vegas.” Witness: The Story of Virginia Hill has been a long time coming with three more plays (that Broemmel is currently writing) and each month will premiere one of the plays for an evening each week for four weeks.
As next year ends with a bang in Las Vegas, Broemmel will continue to write plays that inspire others. Though a roll of toilet paper may still be a great place to jot ideas down, Broemmel will sharpen his pencil to shed light on people of the past to help shape and challenge new perspectives of today.
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About the author
Tayler Smith is a dental professional by day and a writer by night. Along with being a part-time barista, Tayler knows when to put the work aside and indulge in the arts. Growing up in Colorado, Tayler masters the craft of connecting with others, especially amongst the Denver community; she thrives on getting to know people through art shows, open mics, bookstores, concerts, and tasty cuisine. Talery has published a book of poetry and is a skilled writer.