MTW Presents BEN FRANKLIN IN PARIS, 8/15

Musical Theatre West presents Ben franklin in Paris as a part of its Reiner Reading Series on August 15.  The production will include direction by Todd Nielsen and musical direction by Daniel Thomas.

Five years before 1776 became a Broadway sensation, Robert Preston followed up his sensational turn as Professor Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN, portraying the title character in this rarely-seen gem of a musical.  BEN FRANKLIN IN PARIS continues the story of American Independence and follows one of America's Founding Fathers as he travels to France to secure the King's support in the Colonies' war against Britain. Jerry Herman, composer and lyricist of HELLO, DOLLY! and MAME was called in to ghost-write two of the songs and contributed the aptly named "Too Charming" and ravishing "To Be Alone With You".

Tickets for this special event are $20 (general admission) and available by visiting www.musical.org. BEN FRANKLIN IN PARIS will be performed at the University Theatre Cal State Long Beach Campus (off 7th Street & W. Campus Drive, parking is $5 in Lot 7).

Beginning as the Whittier Civic Light Opera in 1952, Musical Theatre West has grown into one of Southern California's most respected regional musical theatre companies. During the past 49 years, we've presented not only established and well known musicals, but a World Premiere (Hurry! Hurry! Hollywood! written by Star Search winner Sam Harris), a Los Angeles/Orange County premiere (a new version of Phantom by Kopit and Yeston), and the West Coast premieres of Cole Porter's The New Yorkers; Eleanor: An American Love Story and a new version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

For more information, visit:www.musical.org