The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-12-09
ADJUSTMENTS
"Ben-Hur''

The klaw & Erlanger production OF
"Ben-Hur' was presented at the Jeffer-
son theatre last night for the opening
performance of an engagement which
will include a matinee this afternoon at
2 clock and a performance tonight at
y clock. This imposing dramatic spec
| tacle has been seen at the jefferson
/ theatre a number of times before, but it
seems to have lost none of it's powerful
appeal to the imagination, its dramatic
intensity and its great pictorial beauty.
The stage weston of General Lew Wal
lace's novel has been universally accepted
as one of the most successful undertake
ings of the kind ever attempted. Count
less theatregoers have witnessed Ben
Hur" in this country and in England,
where the spectacle made a profound i'm
preston, yet 1t still draws crowds
wherever presented, and the audience at
the Jefferson theatre last night was ap-
parently as appreclative and attentive,
and perhaps fully large, as the first
audience that greeted "Ben-Hur' in this
city some years ago.
The performance last night was char
acterized by all the elaboration of the
original presentation, although new faces
are seen in some of the principal parts.
The admirable staging of "Ben-Hur" CON
| tinues to be the standard by which all
| similar stage spectacles are judged The
celebrated charioa race has been made
more thrilling and far more realistic by
the Introduction of a third chariot, which
adds four more horses to the number pre-
viously used. Twelve horses run In this
superb scene and the effect Is one to
arouse the enthusiasm of the most apa-
thetic observer The chariot race and vic
tory of Ben-TIur over the Roman Mes
saa is the principal climax of the play,
as it is of the book. 1t is presented this
year in a way to cause genuine thrills.
However he a ri is or
number of splendidly staged scenes
that impress the beholder and afford a
background rich in color for the unfold
ing of the play.
1t is not hard to understand why Ben
I4ur' has drawn so many people to the
theatre and why it has proved such a
successful financial venture 1t satisfies
even the most vivid imagination in it's
appeal to the scenes, while its dramatic
power is enhanced by the religious at
mosphere of the piece and the reveren-
tial treatment of Christ, whose spiritual
influence is the dominant theme
The members of the company acquit
themselves well. Thomas Holding as Ben
Hur, created very favorable impes-
sion by his performance last night and is
quite equal to the not very exactng re-
quirements of the role. Walter NJ. Sher-
win is still playing Simonides and does 1t
SO well that this character seems to have
more of the ring of sincerity than any
other in the play 1t is a fine character
ably impersonated. Arthur Linden as
Messala, Leslie Stowe as Ilderim, George
Sydenham as Arrius. Noel Leslie as NAL
luch. Theodore Hardy, as Balthazar and
Edmund Daily as Drusus were other
members of the company who showed
capability. Virginia Howell was seduc-
tive enough to all intents and purposes
as lras. the Egyptian charmer, while
Roberta Brennan made an attractive
Esther. Muriel Godfrey-Turner as the
mother OF Ben-Hur, Frances Won Waldron
as Tirza and Mary Condor as Amarah,
completed the list of principals.