In 1776, after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Continental Congress sent the already-famous, 70-year-old Benjamin Franklin to Paris on a diplomatic mission. His goal: to secure a Franco-American alliance against Great Britain. In 1964, Sidney Michaels (book, lyrics) and Mark Sandrich (music) wrote about it in their musical, Ben Franklin in Paris. On Sunday, September 13, 2026, 54 Below presented Ben Franklin In Paris: A Revolutionary Musical in Concert Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America’s Independence…
Video by Magda Katz:
Text by Marilyn Lester:
What an ambitious project! And it took a village: conceived, produced, directed, and hosted by Tony Award® nominee Walter Willison, with a cast of Broadway talent, music direction by James Woods, associate direction by Jo Anna Rush, costume coordination by Mitchell Bloom and stage management by Luke Byrne.
Of necessity, this epic of a musical was adapted and modified, with spirit intact, even if the complex plot did wander from time to time. But, oh, the music, and the cast who delivered it—but not before Woods played a stunning mini-overture, and then proceeded to be an equally stunning orchestra of one during this energetic nearly 90-minute production, which utilized every available inch of the supper club.
The original creators of Ben Franklin wisely knew that love sells. Sure there’s the great weight of history to retell, but as the adage goes, it’s love that makes the world go round. To Willison’s Franklin, Broadway and cabaret luminary, Ann Kittredge as love interest, Comtesse Diane de Vobrillac, absolutely shone. Her impeccable soprano soared on “How Laughable It Is” and “Look for Small Pleasures.” Willison was in fine voice 
for “Half the Battle” and “Madeira Wine.”
A highlight of the show was a hot air balloon sequence featuring the full company (“A Balloon in Ascending”) and the comic drinking song, “God Bless the Human Elbow.” But given the current state of today’s America during its 250th birthday, it’s how the musical ends that is key: Franklin is alone on stage contemplating the future of democracy and the fragile destiny of the newly-born United States. In his impassioned recitation of the monologue, Willison delivered a evocative payoff that was a patriotic arrow to the heart of all who heard it.
The hardworking and delightful cast of Ben Franklin In Paris: A Revolutionary Musical in Concert Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America’s Independence was: Keith Crowningshield, Tony Award® nominee Timothy Jerome, Keaton Miller, Zoë Parrish, Ron Spivak, Melinda Hopkins and Sheila Wormer.
Photos by Marilyn Lester
