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Gold silhouette of Ben Franklin with a kite, colorful ribbon, and bold text: “Ben Franklin In Paris: A Revolutionary Musical in Concert.” Below, a red ribbon states, “Celebrating the 250th Anniversary Of America’s Independence.” “LIVE from 54 BELOW” appears in the corner, marking this special event as an exclusive livestream experience.

This event is being streamed online. To purchase tickets for the in-person event, click here.

“A big fat hit!”

–NY Journal-American, McClain

“Freshly charming entertainment.”

-Richard Watts, Jr., New York Post

“Something special in the way of a Broadway achievement…sets the standard of civility and wit.”

-Frederick H. Guidry, The Christian Science Monitor

“It rings with the rich observations and sharp humor of the philosopher-scholar.”

-Ernest Scheir, Philadelphia Bulletin

“Half the Battle is learning to smile”, and audiences are sure to be smiling when 54 Below presents Ben Franklin In Paris: A Revolutionary Musical in Concert Celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America’s Independence, marking the first time this historic musical will be presented on a New York stage since the original 1964-65 Broadway production. What better way to celebrate the 2026 semiquincentennial of the birth of our nation than with “The First American,” Benjamin Franklin?

It’s 1776, the colonies are in peril of losing the Revolutionary War, and America’s First Diplomat is dispatched to Paris to convince King Louis VI to enter into a military alliance with the colonies. In this fanciful retelling of that historic journey, Ben and his grandson, Temple, find adventure, romance, intrigue, spies, and songs of inspiration (“Half the Battle”), wit (“I Invented Myself,” “God Bless the Human Elbow”), wisdom (“Look for Small Pleasures”), and love (“To Be Alone With You”), with lyrics by Sidney Michaels and music by Mark Sandrich, Jr., with additional songs by Jerry Herman.

Produced, conceived, directed, and hosted by Tony Award^® nominee Walter Willison, with a cast of Broadway stalwarts and fresh new faces. Music direction by Yasuhiko Fukuoka. Associate direction by Jo Anna Rush and costume coordination by Mitchell Bloom.

Featuring:

Tony Award^® nominee Walter Willison (Grand Hotel, Pippin, Two By Two)
Bistro Award winner Ann Kittredge (Dessa Rose, A Christmas Carol, King David)
Keith Crowningshield (Grand Hotel, Jelly’s Last Jam)
Tony Award^® nominee Timothy Jerome (Grand Hotel, Me and My Girl, The Rothschilds)
Keaton Miller (Somewhere, Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Straz Center)
Zoë Parrish (Steps the Play, NYC workshops of YES! The Musical and Zombie Musical)
Ron Spivak (Regional: Man of La Mancha)
Melinda Hopkins (Two By Two regional tour)
Sheila Wormer (The Magic Flute at the Salzburg Music Festival)

Ben Franklin In Paris is represented by Concord Theatricals.

Live from 54 Below is a new series featuring streams of LIVE performances direct from Broadway’s Living Room! Designed to make more shows accessible to fans from across the globe and to recreate the live experience, all shows will be presented exclusively at the time of performance with an in-house audience and will not be available on demand afterwards.