El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-06-15
Old Time Favorite Makes
Roaring Hit Under Name
k-a-Bye-Baby.

I NEW YORK. June 15.-It was not
| ~ so many years ago that we were
/ all raving about "the funniest farce
/ that ever was written" This was
I Margaret Mayo's Baby Mine" And
now the same play. in slightly differ
. ent form and with a new name, pre-
/ sents another opportunity for genuine
enthusiasm-
The new version OF the play has
. been christened "Rock-a-Bye Baby"
and opened week before last at the
Astor theater with every prospect OF
a successful run throughout the sum
mer. The book IS by Edgar Allan
Wolff and Margaret Mayo, the music
by Jerome Kern and the lyrics by
Herbert Reynolds
The same old story runs through
the play The childless couple. who
have come a cropper I'm their matri-
mOnial voyage through a mlsunder-
standing. decide upon separation
which leaves the wife comfortably
provided for in a financial way but
terribly lonesome I'm New York. while
her husband goes 10 Detroit TO make
some more money
Finally. remembering that he had
always been fond OF babies, she de-
Cides to adopt one and 90 telegraph
him the glad news that unto us a
child is born" Everybody knows the
rest
The cast of ~Rock-a-Bye Baby IS
admirable throughout Louise Dres-
ser. as AEEie links. the wife Of the
well-meauinE friend. returns 90 must
cal comedy and is sweeter than ever.
Edna Hubbard. as Zoie Hardy the
wife who has the babies snatched
from their rightful mothers. is one Of
the most appealing little actresses
seen on Broadway in a long time and
in this role she is at her best
Walter Jones. playing Jimmy Jinks.
the we'll meaning family friend. who
is fat all over as Wen as between the
ears" was excellent and Frank Nor
gan. playing opposite 10 Miss Hib-
bard, as Alfred Hardy proved one ac-
tor fin a hundred who did not attempt
I to overact the farcical situations in
which the action Of the piece in
VOWED him.
A special paragraph shall be de-
voted 10 Dorothy Dickson. who danced
I her way merrily through every act.
and frequently stopped the action Of
the play because the audience de-
manded so many encores for practi-
cally all OF her numbers Hiss Dick
son is extremely pleasing TO the eye.
She IS graceful and she is willing 70
work hard.
A Real Beauty Chorus.
Last. but not least "ROck-a-Bye
Baby has a genuine beauty chorus
. This is an overworked term and usu-
ally does not mean what IL says,
which may be the reason why SelWyn
& Co. are not featuring the chorus
under this title in their advertise
ments-
There is a breath-talinE quality to
the "Rock-a-Bye Baby chorus. due
to the fact that every girl in it is
pretty enough to stand out by herself
while I'm the ensemble the chorus
numbers are as wen carried out as If
sons instead OF being so evidently
fresh from the farm. the boarding
school and the other places where
they grow them beautiful
Puritan Narrow lIindedness.
a striking example Of Puritanical
the common council Of Asbury Park
during the Red Cross drive just closed
/ il was planned 20 give a great theat-
rical benefit on Sunday. May 26, and
I the promoters OF the enterprise were
confident that the receipts would add
materially 10 the grand total rolled
I'D by Asbury Park for the Red Cross
fund. Just as everything seemed
oveIy, with some Of the most promt-
neur theatrical stars volunteering
| their services. as usual the highly
moral members Of the Asbury Park
common council decided that 10 would
I be too great a desecration OF the Sab
l bath IN allow these worthy piaEe-folk
I to entertain even for so noble cause
They smugly put the kibosh on the
I entire proceedings. Tt is currently re-
ported that the nations Red Cross
drive was q success, in spite of this
crushing blow from Asbury Park
London Stil Goes to shows
Air raids and the other terrible incl
dentals of war have not killed the
theater i'm London A recent copy OF
the London Dispatch says:
Nine plays are now i'm rehearsal 20
take the place Of some that have been
Withdrawn recently or are under no.
tice 10 end next Saturday. To IS big
change iu the London play bin. but
Z 90 is by no means a record The first
of the new lot to make its appearance
viii be Uncle Anyhow" due % make
I n daylight premiere at the Havu1rl1et
theater 1t is i'm three acts, all Of
them laid in the same scene. and the
/ list Of principals includes Atheno Sew
ler Rambler AyrtOn. Deunie Eadie
and Dawson Muward- The period Of
the play is 1914 q month before the
war"
Another note from London says that
I pes o. Ny Heart has been revived
ar ST. James tnelter. with Nova Man
nerinE aEain iu the title role, and Is
meeting with great success.
Gnby Dcsiys III.
Gaoy Dcslys. says a report from