The first American version of the Charles Dickens' novel was adapted by the distinguished American playwright John Brougham and originally produced by William Burton's theatre troupe, the most respected acting company in America at the time. Originally opening in July of 1848 as "Bunsby" it played for four nights and was not a success. Brougham rewrote the play and a month later, it reopened in a new version titled "Dombey and Son." It became an immediate and enormous success. As one critic at the time stated "it took the audience by storm." Contemporaries hailed the play as one of the "most successful adaptations of a popular novel ever upon the stage." 19th Century actor, playwright and theatre producer, John Brougham was a prolific playwright having written over 120 plays, burlesques, comedies, and musical extravaganzas earning him the nickname "The American Aristophanes."