Here's the plot: A political wife learns her husband is having an affair. She decides to stand by him, even campaign for him, in part because she is the brains behind much of his social consciousness.

Sound familiar?

This isn't a tale of current events. It's an old story in Washington. Specifically, it's the story of Eleanor Roosevelt as celebrated in the musical "Eleanor: An American Love Story."

Written by Jonathan Bolt, with a score by composer Thomas Tierney and lyricist John Forster, "Eleanor" is a pleasant musical American history lesson, which makes it an ideal fit for America's most historic theater, Ford's Theatre in Washington. But "Eleanor" is little more than a history lesson in song.

Although fluidly staged by director Lisa Portes and choreographer Sabrina Peck, the musical offers no fresh insights into its characters or their situation. Part of the reason may lie in the show's origins as an hourlong educational piece for Theatreworks/USA, which produces works for young audiences. The Theatreworks connection would also explain why the musical focuses on Eleanor as a young woman. Only at the end of the show does she begin to come into her own. (The musical ends before Roosevelt runs for New York governor.)

"Eleanor" starts with its title character just 18, newly returned to the United States from school in England. She re-encounters her distant cousin, Franklin, on a train. And, from the musical's point of view, her concern for "the huddled masses" -- those are actually the first words she sings -- are what attract preppie, aristocratic Franklin.

The musical's strongest elements are its casting and the slick way in which several separate plot threads are woven into some of the musical numbers. Anne Kanengeiser and Anthony Cummings not only bear a physical resemblance to Eleanor and Franklin, they're also skilled singers (Kanengeiser especially), and their interaction conveys the emotional complexities of their relationship.

The secondary roles are also well cast, particularly Steve Routman as Louis Howe, the former newspaper reporter who becomes Franklin's adviser, and Rita Gardner as Franklin's domineering mother. Despite Gardner's efforts, there's not much to work with -- the script gives her only a one-dimensional character. The same problem hampers Christine Hewitt's portrayal of Lucy Mercer, Franklin's extra-marital love interest.

In the musical's most effective numbers, more than one idea is conveyed at once. For example, in "Our Beautiful Daughters," Kanengeiser's Eleanor is seen as a shy, reluctant debutante. Then, in a neat segue to her past, the same number shows the roots of her shyness as Eleanor watches her 10-year-old self (played by Emily Leonard) bid a reluctant farewell to her beloved but too-often-absent father.

Similarly, "The Conjugation," in which Eleanor teaches grammar to children at a settlement house, is smoothly interwoven with "Give," in which she explains her altruistic philosophy to Franklin.

The production is well-served by Troy Hourie's two-level set and Elaine J. McCarthy's life-size projections of period photographs, which allow for nearly seamless transitions between the show's varied settings.

In the end, however, the musical doesn't break any new ground or tell us anything new about political marriages in general, or this one in particular. Although it's an enjoyable evening that reinforces Eleanor Roosevelt's greatness, "Eleanor: An American Love Story" lacks the inspiration that this inspirational figure deserves.

History lesson

What: "Eleanor: An American Love Story"

Where: Ford's Theatre, 511 10th St. N.W., Washington When: 7: 30 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays; matinees at 1 p.m. Thursdays, 3 p.m. Sundays. Through June 4 Tickets: $27-$40

Call: 202-347-4833