"Ben Franklin in Paris" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Ben Franklin in Paris" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there a 2002 album release of the show?

Yes. DRG Records reissued the Ben Franklin in Paris Original Broadway Cast Recording on CD in 2002, sourced from the 1964 Capitol master. (as listed by Discogs)

Who wrote the musical’s score and lyrics?

Music is by Mark Sandrich, Jr.; book and lyrics are by Sidney Michaels. (as listed by IBDB)

Was anyone else involved in the music?

Jerry Herman supplied some uncredited additional music and lyrics during the Broadway production. (as noted by IBDB)

Who starred in the original Broadway cast captured on the album?

Robert Preston led the cast as Benjamin Franklin, with Ulla Sallert and Susan Watson among featured players. (according to Apple Music and Discogs)

Is the 2002 release identical to the 1964 LP?

Content mirrors the original cast album program (17 tracks, ~47 minutes), remastered for CD; packaging reflects DRG’s 2002 series. (according to Spotify and retail listings)

Where can I license or read the show today?

Concord Theatricals licenses the title and sells scripts with the standard author credits. (according to Concord Theatricals)

Notes & Trivia

• The Broadway production opened October 27, 1964, at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre and ran 216 performances. (as listed by IBDB)
• Michael Kidd served as both director and choreographer; orchestrations were by Philip J. Lang and musical direction/vocal arrangements by Donald Pippin. (according to IBDB)
• Several sources credit Jerry Herman with uncredited “fixes,” a common Broadway practice of the era. (as noted by IBDB)
• The 2002 DRG CD cites the original Capitol release (catalog SVAS-2191) and restores the OBC program in stereo. (according to Discogs)
• Key song titles fans still cite include “Half the Battle,” “To Be Alone with You,” and “A Balloon Is Ascending.” (as indexed by CastAlbums and Apple Music)

Overview

What does a Founding Father sound like in a Paris salon? In this show, he’s equal parts diplomat, celebrity, and late-life romantic. The cast album captures a mid-60s Broadway palette: bright overture, character patter, and waltz-tinged courtship songs, all tailored to Robert Preston’s charismatic baritone.

The 2002 reissue doesn’t expand the program; it preserves the 1964 recording’s sequence and energy. Think of it as a time capsule of a transitional Broadway season—traditional in craft, yet sprinkled with satirical jabs at politics, celebrity, and nation-building. (according to Playbill’s 2002 reissue note)

Genres & Themes

• Golden-Age Broadway craft → overture-to-finale arc with reprises, patter, and bravura star turns.
• Period pastiche → salon waltzes and courtly flourishes signpost 18th-century Paris without leaving mid-20th-century Broadway harmony.
• Satirical march & anthem → politics-as-theatre cues frame Franklin’s wheeling and dealing.
• Romantic balladry → late-life longing threads through Franklin’s scenes with Lady Diane.

Key Tracks & Scenes

“I Invented Myself” — Robert Preston & Company
Where it lands: Early in Act I, a self-mythologizing introduction.
Why it matters: Sets Franklin as witty showman—half statesman, half brand-builder. (as indexed by Apple Music)

“Too Charming” — Preston & Ulla Sallert
Where it lands: Courtly flirtation between Ben and Lady Diane.
Why it matters: A Parisian-gloss duet that balances banter and genuine ache. (CastAlbums indexing)

“Half the Battle” — Ensemble
Where it lands: Negotiation/strategy number with comic counterpoint.
Why it matters: Turns diplomacy into choreography—voices aligning like alliances. (referenced in musicological notes)

“A Balloon Is Ascending” — Company
Where it lands: A spectacle cue—with literal lift.
Why it matters: The show’s emblem of optimism and public theater. (Discogs/OVRTUR track indexing)

“To Be Alone with You” — Preston & Sallert
Where it lands: Romantic centerpiece in Act II.
Why it matters: Gives the star a mellow, legato showcase—quiet conviction over fireworks. (Discogs indexing)

Track–Moment Index (approximate, stage arc)

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• Self-invention as motif. “I Invented Myself” frames Franklin’s public image as a tool—every reprise reads like a campaign poster. (as indexed by Apple Music)
• Diplomacy set to counterpoint. “Half the Battle” stacks vocal lines the way treaties stack concessions.
• Romance vs. duty. The Diane duets (“Too Charming,” “To Be Alone with You”) tether statecraft to private cost.
• Public spectacle as politics. “A Balloon Is Ascending” literalizes momentum; the crowd’s awe becomes leverage.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

The Broadway production assembled a heavy-hitting creative team: Michael Kidd directing and choreographing, Philip J. Lang orchestrating, and Donald Pippin shaping vocal textures—classic Broadway infrastructure around Sandrich & Michaels’ score. (as listed by IBDB)

The cast album was produced for Capitol in 1964 (stereo LP SVAS-2191). DRG Records reissued it on CD in April 2002 with original packaging notes restored—part of DRG’s push to return out-of-print cast sets to circulation. (according to Discogs and Playbill)

Reception & Quotes

Reappraisals tend to file the score under “historical curiosity with sturdy star writing.” Robert Preston’s presence remains the album’s gravitational pull, while selections like “Half the Battle” and “To Be Alone with You” surface in anthologies of Americana-flavored theatre songs. (as referenced by Playbill and musicological notes)

“The score… is on the dreary side of pedestrian.” Playbill (2002 reissue column)

“‘Half the Battle’ stands out as a compact slice of American-history songwriting.” scholarly survey

Technical Info

• Title (album): Ben Franklin in Paris — Original Broadway Cast Recording (2002 reissue)
• Year: 2002 (DRG CD reissue; original recording 1964)
• Type: Musical (stage)
• Music: Mark Sandrich, Jr.
• Lyrics / Book: Sidney Michaels
• Additional music/lyrics (uncredited): Jerry Herman (Broadway production)
• Original Broadway creatives: Director/Choreographer: Michael Kidd; Orchestrations: Philip J. Lang; Musical Director/Vocal Arranger: Donald Pippin
• Label(s): Capitol Records (1964 LP); DRG Records (2002 CD reissue)
• Runtime / Tracks: ~47 minutes; 17 tracks (OBC program) (according to Spotify/Apple Music)
• Availability: Streaming on major services; vintage LP and 2002 CD circulate via collectors/retail

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: IBDB; Concord Theatricals; Discogs; CastAlbums.org; Apple Music; Spotify; Playbill; academic music surveys.

October, 23rd 2025