The Washington times., 1925-05-18
ANNUAL HOFFMAN.
HOSKINS KID
REVIEW

Certainly difficult problem
confronts the conscientious re-
viewer in attempting to pass
on the merits Of the fifth annual
edition of the Hoffman and Hos
kins "Kiddie Review presented
Friday and Saturday nights at
the National Theater. Here is
an organization of more than
hundred, ranging from mere
babyhood to middle teens. AL.
most every member contributes
some particularly meritorious
solo work; all deserve individual
mention, yet space restrictions,
coupled with a limited vocabulary
of superlatives, makes this I'M
possible.
tious reviewer is faced with the
mental photographs of indignant
mammas protesting at the fact
that Sophronia received effusive
mention, while Josephine-'and
everyone said hers was the best
of the evening"-was overlooked.
Grand greater tragedy this-he
pictures the tears OF disappointed
childhood.
Certainly there Is one thing in
which the reviewer can take
pride and that is that there is no
need to make apologies for the
"Kiddie Review or allowances
for the ages of its participants
for one can easily apply profes-
sional standards in the manner
Of it's presentation. Every num-
Der was offered with clock-like
precision; there were no waits, nc
plumbers, despite the fact that
there were many scenes and
scores of numbers. many calling
for involved mechanical and cleo
trical effects. Costumes were
both novel and at times gorgeous
and lighting effects reflected the
practiced hand of an expert.
From the opening curtain, with
its presentation of tiny tots. none
over five, billed as THE Baby
Tiller Girls" to the concluding
scene, more than three hours
later, with its entire ensemble in
DAILY Dozens" there was not q
hitch.
There were but few boys in the
cast, but these presented strik-
ingly novel number in a Jazz
presentation of the last game in
the worlds baseball series Of 1924,
with Washington at bat in the
ninth inning. Pretentious in con
ception and presentation was IAN
Artists Studio, when the various
colors Of the palette troop forth
in intricate evolutions, Bernard
Bailey, as the artist, and Vir.
GINA Catlett as his ideal, offered
a strikingly beautiful solo num-
Der, with Blanche Lehman, pre-
senting difficult dance Of
sinuous grace.
Except for years, one might
have pictured little Helen Beatty
as a professional from a Broad.
way review, so well was her
clever personality song, II Don't
Know" rendered. Other special
numbers, almost demanding indi.
vidual mention, were those Of
Mary Day. Bessie Dumbris, Cath
crime and Jack Rice, Morse Allen,
Sally Smith, Charline Springs
guth, Florence Embrey, Mar
guerite Licarione, Dorothy Hoff-
man, Valeria Becker, Margaret
Fouts. Mildred Cooper, Charlotte
Corcoran. Betty Alexander, Vera
Campbell. Mildred Burnham, Linda
Ann Smith. Marion Williams,
Muriel Murphy, Charlotte Rosen-
dorf. Louise Turner, Patsy Long,
Julia Cunningham, Doris Elliott,
Dorothy Morrison, Marjorie Mitch.
ell, Isabel Hamilton. Hilda Swor-
zyn, Dorothy Schultz, Margaret
Spear, Rita Collier, Gertrude Mil
stone, Roger and Richard Pea
cock. Julius Hopkins, Frances
Brown, Ernestine Essex. Bernard
Bailey, Katherine Rice, Ruth
Geraci. Catherine Prince, and
scores of others-not forgettin,
that elusive, witching elf, the
sorrel-topped Susan Hall.--Arro.