In 1924 George Christy started featuring a spec titled “Noah’s Ark” as part of his show. Not only was it a great way to display the animals in his menagerie, but the religious theme was also a draw to the circus when it was in the Bible-belt.
When the show was in Huntsville Alabama in November of 1924, a reporter for The Huntsville Times caught the show and described the grand entry as a “revelation” and said that it included the singing of “Rock of Ages” and a girl clinging to an old rugged cross. Later in the performance the entire cast sang the song “Jerusalem” which the writer said “gave an unusual religious aspect to the show.”
The audience that night – nearly 100 years ago – was described as large “and everybody enjoyed the performance,” In fact, the reporter said, “there was nothing done to disgust anybody!”
The spec “Noah’s Ark” continued to be part of the Christy Bros. Circus until 1929.
-Chris Berry