''Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway'' is a three-act

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), charac ...

by George M. Cohan written about

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle ( ; in ) is a Political subdivisions of New York State#City, city in Westchester County, New York, Westchester County, New York (state), New York, United States. It is a suburb of New York City, located approximately from Midtow ...

. The title refers to the 45-minute train ride from New Rochelle to Broadway. The musical debuted on January 1, 1906 at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway and ran for 90 performances before closing on March 17. The role of Mary Jane Jenkins was created by Fay Templeton and Kid Burns was played by Victor Moore. Frederick Solomon was music director for the production. The musical re-opened later the same year, on November 5, at the New York Theatre with the cast almost unchanged. It played there for an additional 32 performances before closing on December 1. Its only Broadway revival after that was from March 14 to April 13, 1912 at George M. Cohan's Theatre, where it ran for 36 performances with a different cast. The piece is remembered for several songs, such as its title song, "Forty-five Minutes from Broadway", originally sung by Moore, and for tunes about its leading lady character, "Mary Is a Grand Old Name" and "So Long Mary", both sung in the original production by Templeton, which were performed in recreations of the original stage play within the 1942 film '' Yankee Doodle Dandy''.

Lyrics excerpts

Forty-five Minutes from Broadway

:Only forty-five minutes from Broadway :Think of the changes it brings :For the short time it takes :What a diff'rence it makes :In the ways of the people and things :Oh, what a fine bunch o
reubens
:Oh, what a jay atmosphere :They have whiskers like hay :And imagine Broadway :Only forty-five minutes from here

Adaptations

In 1920, the musical was adapted into a silent film, '' 45 Minutes from Broadway'' starring Charles Ray.Connelly, Robert B. ''The Silents: Silent Feature Films'', 1910–36, Volume 40, Issue 2. December Press (1998), p. 351

Footnotes

External links

Billy Murray sings "Forty-Five Minutes from Broadway
* {{New Rochelle, New York 1906 musicals Broadway musicals Culture of New Rochelle, New York Musicals by George M. Cohan Musicals set in New York