45 Seconds From Broadway - Broadway Articles Page 12

The play opened on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on November 11, 2001 and closed on January 13, 2002 after 73 performances and 31 previews, making it one of Neil Simon's least successful efforts.

Directed by Jerry Zaks the opening cast included Lewis J. Stadlen as Mickey Fox, Rebecca Schull as Zelda, Louis Zorich as Bernie, David Margulies, and Marian Seldes as the wealthy theatergoer. The roles of Zelda and Bernie are based on the real-life owners of the Edison Cafe, Frances and Harry Edelstein. The title refers to the amount of time it takes to walk to Broadway from the play's setting, a coffee shop inspired by one located off the lobby of midtown-Manhattan's Edison Hotel, a long-time diner for "theatre types...prized for its casual atmosphere, inexpensive prices and Matzoh ball soup."