Ben Franklin in Paris (1964 Original Broadway Cast)
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Composer: Jerry HermanPerformer: Robert Preston
Performer: Ulla Sallert
Performer: Franklin Kiser
Performer: Bob Kaliban
Performer: Susan Watson
Performer: Byron Webster
Performer: Jack Fletcher
Performer: Oliver Clark
Performer: Jerry Schaefer
Edition: Music CD
Format: Cast Recording, Original recording reissued
CD Release Date: 2002-04-09
Music Label: Drg
Soundtracks:
- Overture
- We Sail The Seas
- I Invented Myself
- Too Charming
- Whatever Became Of Old Temple?
- Half The Battle
- A Balloon Is Ascending
- To Be Alone With You
- You're In Paris
- How Laughable It Is
- Hic Haec Hoc
- God Bless The Human Elbow
- When I Dance With The Person I Love
- Diane Is
- Look For Small Pleasures
- I Love The Ladies
- Finale
Music reviews of Ben Franklin in Paris (1964 Original Broadway Cast)
Music Review: Robert Preston as "Ben Franklin in Paris"
Rating: 4 Stars
I was sure happy to track down the 1964 Original Broadway Cast album of this Robert Preston musical, which I have not heard in decades. My father belonged to a "tape club" in the sixties, which was where you went to a place and could make copies of records and other tapes on reel to reel tapes (How is that for a technological blast for the past for all you old timers out there?). "Ben Franklin in Paris" is by no means a great music, but I have always found it an utterly charming little show. Preston plays the title character and if you think it is strange to see Professor Harold Hill with long hair, you are not alone. But the character of Franklin certainly fits Preston's signature "singing" style. His best songs in the show are essentially fun pieces such as "I Invented Myself," "God Bless The Human Elbow" and "I Love The Ladies." Yet Preston can also carry off the simple love tunes "Look For Small Pleasures," and there is a simple, dramatic elegance to his character's final speech in which he tells an unforgettable story about a fly who fell into a cask of Madeira wine.
The story combines diplomacy and romance. In late 1776 the 69-year-old Franklin arrives in France to pressure King Louis XVI to assist the new nation with money, troops, and most importantly by providing recognition. However, the British capture of Philadelphia and various court intrigues make this a daunting task. Meanwhile, Franklin rekindles at old romance with the Countess Diane de Vobrillac (Ulla Shallert), especially when it becomes clear that the widowed Countess has the ear of the king (Oliver Clark) with regards to the American matter. Franklin has taken two of his grandsons, Temple (Franklin Kiser) and Benny (Jerry Schaefer), who chafe and revel respectively in the glory of their grandfather, the personification of the new nation the United States of America.
I know it does not sound like the material for a Broadway show, but it sure works for me. I could not name another music by the team of Sidney Michaels and Mark Sandrich, Jr., but I like this one. "Ben Franklin in Paris" anticipates one of my all time favorite musicals, "1776," although these events in France obviously take place after the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Preston proves that one of the Founding Fathers can work as a character in a musical, but if you have ever seen Howard Da Silva's work as Franklin in the movie version of "1776," you already know that.
Description of Ben Franklin in Paris (1964 Original Broadway Cast)
All products are BRAND NEW and factory sealed. Fast shipping and 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.It's tempting to compare Ben Franklin in Paris with another musical from the late 1960s featuring the titular character, 1776. Hard to say why, exactly: they have little in common musically, and while 1776 won a Tony Award and remains popular despite--or perhaps because of--its quirks, Ben Franklin in Paris is remembered chiefly for being a flop. Not that it's unassailably bad. Robert Preston, as Franklin, does a capable job, though he does most of the show in Music Man mode. There are some good songs, particularly Jerry Herman's two contributions, "Too Charming" and "To Be Alone with You." It's arguable that this musical's failure was due not to its own weaknesses, but to the competition. Still, despite this reissue of the 1964 Broadway cast recording, it seems unlikely to experience a rebirth. --Genevieve Williams
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