Forty-Five Minutes From Broadway is a three-act musical by George M. Cohan written about New Rochelle, New York. The play's title refers to the 45-minute train ride from New Rochelle to Broadway.
The play debuted on January 1, 1906 at the New Amsterdam Theatre 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. The musical re-opened later the same year, on November 5, at the New York Theatre with the cast almost entirely intact. It played there for an additional 32 performances before closing on December 1. Its only other Broadway revival occurred from March 14 to April 13, 1912 at the George M. Cohan Theatre, where it ran for 36 performances with a different cast.
The play 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 debut production by Templeton, which were presented in recreations of the original stage play within the 1942 film Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Famous quotes containing the words forty-five, minutes and/or broadway:
“She was a handsome woman of forty-five and would remain so for many years.”
—Anita Brookner (b. 1938)
“The first man to discover Chinook salmon in the Columbia, caught 264 in a day and carried them across the river by walking on the backs of other fish. His greatest feat, however, was learning the Chinook jargon in 15 minutes from listening to salmon talk.”
—State of Oregon, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“... here hundreds sit and play Bingo; here the bright lights of Broadway burn through a sea haze; here Somebodies tumble over other Somebodies and over Nobodies as well.”
—For the State of New Jersey, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)