Debuting in 1855, John Brougham's two-act musical burlesque "Po-ca-hon-tas" became an instant success and ran for eight months, an impressive run for the New York stage at the time. For the next 30 years it remained a staple of theatre companies and even had a successful London engagement. Written in rhymed couples, it is loosely based on the life of Pocahontas. Filled with topical gags and puns, satirical references, melodramatic episodes, and popular songs of the day, it set the standard for musical burlesque and continued to be imitated by other playwrights for many years.