the resulting production of "ben-hur" opened at the broadway theater in new york city on november 29, 1899. it ran for 194 performances in its first season, before closing on may 10, 1900. critics of the three-hour-and-twenty-nine-minute performance gave it mixed reviews; however, the audience, many of whom were first-time theatergoers, packed the house. "ben-hur" became a hit show, selling 25,000 tickets per week. the play reopened in new york city on september 3, 1900, and ran for eighteen non-consecutive years on broadway. the play's twenty-one-year national tour included large venues in cities such as boston, philadelphia, chicago and baltimore. international versions of the show played in london, england, and in sydney and melbourne, australia. when the play finally closed in april 1920, it had been seen by more than twenty million people and earned over $10 million at the box office.