March 17 - March 21, 2026

The Girl Friend

If you happened to be strolling down 48th Street in New York City this week in 1926, you might have heard the faint, frantic sound of a bicycle bell and a syncopated jazz beat spilling out of the Vanderbilt Theatre for the first performance of The Girl Friend, the historic musical comedy that had Broadway buzzing with its peculiar blend of dairy farming, high-speed cycling, and some of the most clever rhymes to grace a lyric sheet yet!

The Girl Friend, made its debut on March 17, 1926 and was written by the formidable trio of Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, and Herbert Fields. While their previous musical theater endeavors like “Dearest Enemy” took us back to the Revolutionary War, this number is strictly Jazz Age. The plot of The Girl Friend concerns a young dairy farmer named Leonard Silver, played by Sammy White. Leonard isn't content just milking cows; he’s training for a grueling six-day bicycle race. His secret weapon? He’s rigged his bicycle to a butter churn, proving that he can make a living and a legacy all at once!

Of course, no musical is complete without a romance, and Leonard’s trainer, Mollie Farrell, The Girl Friend, was played by White’s real-life wife, the delightful Eva Puck. Their chemistry was the engine that kept this Broadway musical pedaling forward, especially when they duet on the title song. But the real jewel of the evening was always a little ditty called "Blue Room." It’s a tender, almost innocent tune about domestic bliss, and Mr. Hart’s lyrics are a marvel of playful repetition—"new room," "two room," even a "ballroom"—that has theatergoers humming all the way home.

The road to success wasn't all smooth cycling, however. Rumor has it The Girl Friend hit a few bumps early on, with the creators actually waiving their own royalties just to keep the curtain rising during the first few weeks. Their gamble paid off handsomely, as the show was the talk of the town and ran for over 300 performances and is considered a modern day jazz standard!

Whether you’re a fan of professional cycling, dairy products, or just a really good tune, The Girl Friend wass the ticket to have in the spring of 1926. Just don't be surprised if you find yourself looking for a Girl Friend of your own by the final curtain (if you haven’t already got one!)