Little Johnny Jones (The American Jockey) Cohan, George M. performer Cohan, Jerry performer Costigan, Helen Francis "Nellie" performer Levey, Ethel performer Theatrical Performance 1904-11-07 Liberty Theater Nov 7-December 24, 1904, 52 performances Cohan's first musical to play a major uptown house; his first solid hit; his first book with the flag-waving chauvinism he used so uniquely time and again thereafter: His father (Jerry) and mother were again given important parts, as was his wife, Ethel Levey. But with his sister Josephine Cohan, and her husband leaving to join the Rogers Brothers, Donal Brian, a rising young singer and dancer received good notices. A "musical melodrama." Songs included "(I'm) A Yankee Doodle Boy" and "Give My Regards to Broadway" which were all strutting songs. Little Johnny Jones revived at New York Theatre 5/8/1905-8/26/05 for 128 performances; and again 11/13/1905-12/2/05 at the New York Theatre for 25 performances. "Cohan changed the definition of a Broadway Leading Man. Tap dancing with a lightness that seemed to resist gravity while looking manly, he broke out off the invisible box that had long restricted male dancers in the theatre" wrote John Kendricks, Cohan biographer. Performing Arts Encyclopedia http://www.loc.gov/performingarts Bordman, Gerald: American Musical Theatre: A Chronicle. New York: Oxford University Press (1992). Kendrick, John: George M. Cohan, A Biography. Musicals 101.com: www.musicals101.com/cohanbio1.htm (2002). Tap Dance America http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/ihas/html/tda/tda-home.html George M. Cohan (biography) loc.music.tdabio.68 tda IHAS 151216 loc.music.tda.1481