The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-02-16
$2O,OOO SPENT ON
 SHOWS LAST WEEK Over 27,O00 People Went to Ben Hur and The Christian BOTH COMPANIES GONE Birmingham Surprises the Managers By the Marvellous Attendance at
 the Theatres-The Town Is
 "Theatre Crazy"
BOTH COMPANIES GONE

Last week 27,O0O Birmingham people paid $2o,000 in the aggregate to see Ben Hur" at the Jefferson and "The Chris tian" at the Bijou. The question has been asked if Birmingham has gone theatre crazy The figures above speak for themselves and also show that this is beyond doubt, the best show town for it's size in the country. The attractions named were strong ones. and were there fore appreciated by this community.
 It is estimated that there were 1900 peo- pie at each performance at the Jefferson theatre which makes a total of 12,G00 The average amount of money taken In at each performance was about S22O0, which makes a total of about Sl5O0O for the seven performances. This is by far the largest weeks receipts syer taken in at the box office of the Jefferson theatre or any other theatre in Birmingham in a similar length of time
 At the Bijou, where the prices are much lower, 1t is estimated that there was an average of 1895 people at each of the nine performances and an average of $550 taken in at each of them. This makes the total attendance for the week 146OO and the total receipts about 5000.
 "6en Hur" Gone.
 Ben Hur," bag baggage and people, left Birmingham Saturday night about Il o'clock on two specul trains for New Orleans. It required just little over five hours to take the special scenery the chariot race tread mills and other devices out of the theatre 1t required many days to place it in the theatre, and nearly 5000 expense. The work of the stage hands at the Jefferson this week has been something little short of mar velous, and it required a force almost three times as large as usual to manage the quick changes and the heavy pieces.
 Saturday afternoon before the curtain had risen for the second act the scenery used in the first was being prepared as far as possible to go to the trains and within ten minutes after the chariot race was ended the horses were trotting to their special car The camels had been already safely slowed away. There were thousands of pieces of mechanism, scene ry roping and other necessaries which had to be taken, and it required over a score of wagons to get 1t to the yards.
 The Fawcett Company.
 The Fawcett company left for Baltl- more where it will commence again the circuit of six theatres which it plays. 1t will probably return to Birmingham some time in May with another of it's good plays.
 The business done by the two compa- nies has been a surprise to managers actors and people alike. In New York the eyes of Klaw & Erlanger have been opened. while in Baltimore MT. Fawcett has been more than surprised at the business of his company here No one believed that Birmingham was capable of supporting Ben Hur' as 1t did, but when 1t supported the Biiou equally as well. and better really than ever before. it had every one guessing.
 The weeks business will doubtless lead Klaw x Erlanger who book all the shows which play at the Jefferson. to make this a two or three nights stand, with a mat inee to all shows. Birmingham now has taken a place occupied by no other city of its size in the country.
 Jake Wells said over the long distance phone yesterday that he always had con- fidence in Birmingham as q theatre town. but had no conception of the number of people it could send to houses of amuse- ment He said it encouraged him to do even better things, if possible. for Bir- mingham