New Britain herald., 1915-02-23
Immense Audience Sees "45 Minutes
 From Broadway

It was a holiday audience that gathered at the Lyceum last evening, filling every seat in that pretty thea- ter and it enjoyed to the limit the presentation of Forty five Minutes From Broadway" Cohan musical comedy which has been produced in New Britain on two former occasions, on one with Fay Templeton playing Mary, but the piece has lost none of its popularity by repetition and the i'm mense audience was thoroughly well pleased when the last curtain fell and Kid Burns had induced Mary to stay in New Rochelle and he said he. was happy. This is the cast.
 Police Officer ....... E. M. Leonard Andy Grey, the Butler -. l.. J. Fuller Mrs. Purdy, resident of New Ro-
 chelle ........ Adelaide Hubbard Daniel Cronin, in the Mining Busl-
 ness ........... Frank Wright Kid Burns secretary to Bennett
 ...y. Alfred Cross James Blake, Public Administrator
 Fred Sutton Tom Bennett, the heir-in-law
 ... ..... Wyrley Birch Mary Jane Jenkins, the house.
 maid Emily Galloway Mrs. David Dean, of the footlights
 ............. Natalie Perry Flora Dora Dean, her daughter
 Lois Bolton Station Master ...... John Brooks
 The piece derives 1t name from the fact that the scenes are laid in New Rochelle, which is forty-five min ute ride on the cars from Broadway and 1t is claimed that the publicity given the little town as result of this musical comedy has attracted many New Workers there, they com- muting every day to and from the big city. Mary says that there are nice people living in New Rochelle bur that they are not home much and that she would not mind living there her. self but that she wouldn't want .o eat there There isn't much of a plot to the piece but what there is tells of the death of a rich man in New Rochelle. who, it was thought, was going to leave all his property to his housemaid, Mary Jane Jenkins, but no will was found and Tom Ben nett came in for the property as heir at-law. Mrs. Purdy a resident of the town knew the old man we'll, played pinochle with him and never ceased to mourn for him, usually to the an- noyance of those about her. Bennett employed Kid Burns, an ex-prize fighter, to act as his secretary and he fell in love with Mary. He had none of the fine clothes necessary for such a position as his and was presented with a couple of suits which had belonged to the deceased million aire. In the meantime Daniel Cronin had designs on the property and in cidentally on Mary until he found she did not inherit the estate. While searching the pockets of the clothes he wore on one occasion. Burns found the will where the old man had secreted it and Mary became the real owner of the property.
 The piece Is written to amuse more than anything else and it does this in full measure. There is much catchy music and such songs as Forty five Minutes From Broadway" "The Pop ular Millionaire" "Mary's a Grand Old Name" and "So Long Mary" are ren- dered which serve to introduce Miss Galloway and MT. Cross as singers, they being accompanied by a chorus from New York which was brought on for the weeks production. Miss Callaway's interpretation of Mary does not suffer in comparison with that of Fay Templeton who has been recog- nized as one of the great comediennes of the stage. Miss Galloway plays 1t more happily, seemingly enjoying the epigrams which so pleases the audi ence; her comedy is good and she in jects enough vivacity into it to make it clever piece of work. MT. Cross made a very good Kid Burns, his dia- lect was we'll drawn and adhered so strictly to the demands of the char acter as to make a decidedly good im- pression Mrs. Hubbard created many laughs with her sorrow for poor old MT. Castleton who was such a good man but who neglected to pay her $3.50 which he owed her. MT. Birch MT. Wright, MT. Fuller, Mr. Sutton. Natalie Perry and Miss Bolton, all have good parts and contribute tow ards the success of the piece.