Here is a hilarious version of the immortal story of The Drunkard - the most famous melodrama ever written and the foundation for the hundreds of melodramas that have followed. Audiences are captivated by this classic as love battles liquor for the life and soul of the upstanding hero, Edward Middleton. On the side of love are sweet, innocent Mary and her ever-loving, ever-whining mamma, Mrs. Wilson. Plying the liquor with dastardly intent are cruel, scheming Lawyer Cribbs and his cringing crony, Stickler. In the end, of course, the hero wins out over demon rum and true love triumphs over all.
Fun for the whole family . . . come out and boo and hiss at the villain and cheer for the underdog!
The play has an interesting history: "The original production was a play presented in 1844 at the Boston Museum and was written to capitalize on the flourishing Temperance Movement, which sought to wipe out alcoholic consumption in America. After 140 performances there, P.T. Barnum caught wind of it and presented it in the Moral Lecture Room at his American Museum in New York City, where it ran for 150 more performances. Many revivals followed, most notably in 1933 in Los Angeles, which ran for 29 years."
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