''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 and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...

written about

New Rochelle, New York New Rochelle (; older french: La Nouvelle-Rochelle) is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States, in the southeastern portion of the state. In 2020, the city had a population of 79,726, making it the seventh-largest in the state of ...

. The title refers to the 45-minute train ride from New Rochelle to

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

. The musical debuted on January 1, 1906 at the

New Amsterdam Theatre The New Amsterdam Theatre is a Broadway theater on 214 West 42nd Street, at the southern end of Times Square, in the Theater District of Manhattan in New York City. One of the oldest surviving Broadway venues, the New Amsterdam was built from ...

and ran for 90 performances before closing on March 17. The role of Mary Jane Jenkins was created by

Fay Templeton Fay Templeton (December 25, 1865 – October 3, 1939) was an American actress, singer, songwriter, and comedian. Her parents were actors/vaudevillians and she followed in their footsteps, making her Broadway debut in 1900. Templeton excelled ...

and Kid Burns was played by

Victor Moore Victor Fred Moore (February 24, 1876 – July 23, 1962) was an American actor of stage and screen, a major Broadway star from the late 1920s through the 1930s. He was also a writer and director, but is best remembered today as a comedian, play ...

. 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 George M. Cohan's Theatre was a Broadway theatre at Broadway and West 43rd Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. It was built in 1911 and demolished in 1938. History The theatre was designed by George Keister, and ope ...

, 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 ''Yankee Doodle Dandy'' is a 1942 American biographical musical film about George M. Cohan, known as "The Man Who Owned Broadway". It stars James Cagney, Joan Leslie, Walter Huston, and Richard Whorf, and features Irene Manning, George Tobias, Ro ...

''.

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"Jay" is an old-fashioned synonym for "reuben" or "rube". Se

It means a rural person who is ignorant of the ways of a large city; it survives in the term "jaywalking". atmosphere :They have whiskers like hay :And imagine Broadway :Only forty-five minutes from here

Mary Is a Grand Old Name

:For it is Mary; Mary :Plain as any name can be :But with propriety, society :Will say, "Marie" :But it was Mary; Mary :Long before the fashions came :And there is something there :That sounds so Square (slang)#Positive connotations, square :It's a grand old name

So Long Mary

:Mary: It's awfully nice of all you boys to see me to the train :Chorus: So long, Mary :Mary: I didn't think you'd care if you should ne'er see me again :Chorus: You're wrong, Mary :Mary: This reminds me of my family / On the day I left

Schenectady Schenectady () is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2020 census, the city's population of 67,047 made it the state's ninth-largest city by population. The city is in eastern New Y ...

:Chorus: So long, Mary / Don't forget to come back home As staged in the film ''

'' (1942), starring

James Cagney James Francis Cagney Jr. (; July 17, 1899March 30, 1986) was an American actor, dancer and film director. On stage and in film, Cagney was known for his consistently energetic performances, distinctive vocal style, and deadpan comic timing. He ...

, this sentimental song is lightened by a scene in which her luggage springs open. Her male admirers politely gather her bloomers and petticoats, and repack for the blushing Mary, while they continue singing.

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