Free Hold the Roses by Rose Marie

much."
    Whew! I guess it wasn't that I wasn't a good kisser! Anyway, I was in
heaven. He said he loved me! By now my father was getting suspicious, and I tried to avoid him as much as possible. I didn't want to start anything. I was to open at the Capitol Theater in three days and I wanted
everything to stay calm.

    The night before I was to open, we rehearsed in the basement of the
theater. The full orchestra was there. I handed out the music. My father
was with me, of course, and Mark Warnow seemed very annoyed with me,
that he had to rehearse me. I only did three songs and the Durante number
and "Chena Luna"-an Italian folk song-with a few little jokes in between. I was done in an hour. We went home and I started to pack the new
gowns and get my makeup and stuff ready for the theater the next day.
    My first show was at 11:20 A.M. We were doing five shows a day. The
first show Mark Warnow introduced me: "Here's a young lady I know
you'll enjoy... Miss Rose Marie." I stopped the show, completely brought
the house down. Warnow was staring at me with his mouth open. I guess
he was surprised!
    Second show. Introduction: "Here's a young lady who is a great singer.
I know you'll love her. Miss Rose Marie." I stopped the show again.
    By the fifth show, I got the longest introduction in the world: "Here's
a young lady, a great performer, a great singer, one of the best in our biz.
You'll thrill to her songs," on and on and on. God, I thought I'd never get
on the stage! But I hold the record at the Capitol. I stopped every showone hundred and forty of 'em!
    Bobby came over to the theater a lot. We'd go out for lunch or just
walk in between shows. One day, we were sitting at a little restaurant right
across the street from the Capitol and I noticed three guys with a long
ladder leaning up against the marquee. Mark Warnow's name was in big
letters. Ethel Smith's name was in big letters. My name was half as big. We
watched these guys as they took my little lettered name down and put it up
in big letters-as big as the others. Wow! Talk about getting goose pimples!
    My social life was at a standstill because I was doing five shows a day.
Somehow, Bobby came to the theater. At least I got to see him every day.
    One day, the phone rang in my dressing room and the voice said,
"This is George Abbot's office. Mr. Abbot would like you to come to his
office. He wants to talk to you."
    I was as bad as my brother. I said, "Oh sure, and I'm the Queen of
England," and hung up.
    A few minutes later the phone rang again. I answered it and the voice
said, "Listen, this is George Abbot and I want to talk to Rose Marie right now."

    "Hello, Mr. Abbot," I said. "This is Rose Marie."
    He said, "I know you're doing five shows a day, but could you come
up to my office in between shows?"
    I told him, "I can be there about three o'clock today."
    "Fine," he said.
    So after the second show, I went to George Abbot's office. It brought
back memories of when I had been there when I was fourteen. I had gone
to see Abbot about a part in Best Foot Forward -the road company, no less!
The secretary hadn't let me get past the little gate between the office and the
secretary's little cubicle. I did the old movie bit: "I'll be back one of these
days, and you'll open the gate for me!" I had to laugh as I thought about it.
    Sure enough, I walked in and the girl said, "Hello," and opened the
gate for me. I never said a word, I just smiled.
    I went into his office. He was sitting behind the desk and had two
scripts, one in each hand.
    I said, "Hello, Mr. Abbot."
    He said, "Glad to meet you. I want to tell you something, young
lady. I have been to the Capitol almost every day at different times. In the
morning, in the afternoon and evening-and you stopped every show. I
have never seen anything like that."
    "Thank you," I said.
    He then took the two scripts and said, "I'm doing two shows-which
one do you want?"
    I said, "That's very kind of