The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-06-12
No. 6-Second Thoughts of a First Nighter" at "The
 Passing Show of 1915.",
By DOLLY DALRXMPLE

By DOLLY DALRyMPLE The only time I've ever been first nighter" in New York was when I went to see "The Passing Show of 1915' at the Winter Garden two weeks ago tonight.
 First nights differ from all other nights in the world in New York, because it is on those deectable occasions that orchestra seats sell for anywhere from s5 to $s and the boxes from $10 to s2o per seat.
 The two great summer events in New York. as everybody knows. are the open ing nights of the Winter Garden and "The Ziegfeld Follies."
 1 As always the premiere of the Winter Garden, this year was no exception to the rule when 1t comes to brilliancy, and the event was labeled recherche" "haute monde' and quite "pomme de terre'' by the critics
 Diamond Jim" Brady occupied a seat in the front row as usual with a dolly <, the object of all the chorus girls jests and songs from the stage.
 l Flo Ziegfeld was there taking notes for the opening of the "Follies" the next Monday evening; Gertrude Hoffman and Max" sauntered in unconcernedly. Max" looked very serious, probably thinking about that solo he was going to play at the Lambs Gambol" Little Anna Pen nington from the "Folies" was among l tfose present" flirting outrageously with l three or four little love-sck swains in her wake. Freddie Mackay was on the job, as well as all the newspaper folk. includ- fr1e To(t rda all orI, on+b hold Wolff. Raymond Hitchcock sat in box accompanied by his pretty wife, Flora Zabelle, and Grace George was one of the highest brows in an audience where low brows predominated.
 | One great advantage about the Winter , Garden to the men is the fact that they can smoke. The women-no, not yet; they haven't got to smoking in the theatres | talthough they smoke in nearly every cafe | in New York), they only smoke up," but the men, in spite of the alluring beauties, hang heavily upon their per- l fectly good "Havanas," making you real ize with Mr. kipling, that after all "a woman is only a woman, while a good cigar is a smoke"
 Of course. everybody knows what to | expect at the Winter Garden. The girlie- | girliest of choruses becomingly ''un- | dressed" all sorts of girls imaginable all sorts except ugly ones. They range | in loveliness from the raven-tressed Maxine Elliot-Pauline Frederick type to | the Titan beauty of Cleopatra. | There are little girls, big girls. medium sized girls, ''squabs.' "broilers'' "chick- ems of every kind, shape and size; dim pied darlings and amazing Amazons. Strip the performance of everything else (and the stripping by no means ex- | ciudes the chorus) and "The Passing Show Of 1915 would entertain any aud fence not wholly misogynous.
 The first episode has to do with "ln the land where musical shows begin,' and | here we were introduced to some wonder
 ful stage beauties all clad in well fitting | tights" which shows at the beginning that the management of the Winter Gar den has a fine regard for accuracy in cos ! tuning If anything at all is worn fin the land where musical shows besjn,'' it probably is Cor are) tights | Little Marilynn Miller, a wonderful dan l cer, whose invariably unsupported bodise
 is my idea of real dramatic suspense is first introduced, and then Madame Bal dina of the Imperial Russian ballet | Frances Demarest, handsome and quite a favorits with New York audiences ap- peared next, but I was rather disappointed in her. as her accomplishments appeared 1 to be limited entirely to love and iltiga- | tion. These headed the programme, while | the distaff side showed such well known stage beauties as Eleanor Pendleton Kit 1 ty Hill, Eleanor Brown, and others. l Of course, George Munroe. the favorite
 actress CD of many who go to the Winter | Garden, was the whole show" l Imagine. this obese, rotund. comical
 creature as Lilly" in search of "The
 Song of Songs," and keep a straight face
 if you can.
 .'The Passing Show of 1915" as you l must know, takes it's life and plot from
 the successful shows of the season on | Broadway.
 | Experience furnishes the basis for the l earlier scenes, which brings in clever
 take offs" on Under Cover'' "The Mu- | tual Law" with George Munroe wearing | lis wonderfully ridiculous white dress,
 polka dotted in brilliant green green silk
 stockings, green taffeta coat, and a | huge green hat, with white aigrettes. As usual he was whaclling everybody over l the head with his fan. appearing as he I always does. with that prominent sup
 port of his art, and tripping over his own
 feet at every opportunity. Harry Fisher, | with his screechy little high pitched voice, was Mir. Munroes partner as | usual.
 Two Beds' and Taking Chances are
 cleverly parodied, while Shaw is shown
 up in very amusing light in "Androcles
 and the Lion." uproariously funny and outrageously ridiculous.
 Of course. George Munroe tells you a dozen times during the evening that The is passonately fond of grub and how firmly he believes in the George Munroe Doctrine" but when he drops into joke ] telling he Is at his very best.
 Calling blank faced little chorus girl
 to the front of the stage the redoubtable | George says as he casually taps her on | the head with the ubiquitous fan:
 Do you know any history?'
 "A little" she replies.
 Know who Colonel Roosevelt is?" asks MT. Munroe facetiously
 Hes an ex-President of the United States and a gentleman who is very much
 in the public eye" says the little chorus
 girl.
 Very good" says MT. Munroe, but
 what business has he been in of late?
 Dunno, sir she replies coyly.
 Then I'll tell you says he. He's been in the livery business up in Syracuse;