Based on an epic poem by Joseph Moncure March that inspired Beat Generation icon William S. Burroughs to become a writer, "The Wild Party" went on to be adapted into a Merchant-Ivory film and two musicals, one on Broadway by Michael John LaChiusa and the other an off-Broadway production by Andrew Lippa.

The University of Hawaii’s Department of Theatre and Dance’s new production of the Lippa version will be extended through this weekend at the Earle Ernst Lab Theatre on the Manoa campus.

Queenie and Burrs are two alcoholic vaudeville performers in New York City during the Prohibition era of the Roaring ’20s. Their relationship is a violently abusive one. After a particularly heated argument, Queenie decides to throw a party so she can find an appropriate public moment to embarrass Burrs and get back at him.

Attending the party are the rough and loud pugilist Eddie (Joe Winskye), the impulsive and sexually aggressive Madelaine True (Stacey Pulmano), and the D’Armano brothers, a strangely amorous and incestuous pair (Isaac Ligsay and Kalau Crisostomo).

But the most notable guests are Queenie’s fellow party girl/nemesis Kate and her date, Black. Kate is instantly attracted to Burrs, while Black and Queenie are drawn to each other as well although their chemistry seems more real and less liquor-induced than the others’.

As played by Leiney Rigg, Queenie belts her numbers out with melancholy gusto while Garett Taketa is the puffed-up, abusive and drunken Burrs.

Also making an impact is Lavour Addison as Black, whose deep voice recalls Jesse L. Martin in Broadway’s "Rent" (and TV’s "Law & Order).

The big, loud production reminds one of a Baz Luhrmann movie come to life, especially "The Great Gatsby." And, as in that tale, someone meets a tragic end.

Although "The Wild Party" is not considered an off-Broadway smash, the tunes are memorable and catchy, especially Queenie’s sad, mournful "How Did We Come to This?" A band backs the performance, and saxophones and trumpets blare, giving the intimate theater a speak-easy feel.

The prudish may want to stay away. There’s a bit of drugs, a smattering of skin, a ton of irresponsible drinking and a whole lot of Fosse-style male-on-female, female-on-female and male-on-male gyrations going on. (One can only imagine how enthusiastic Burroughs got on the material.)

At one point, a character hands another a glass and says, "Why get a drink when a drink can get you?"

It looks like a lot of these poor souls were "got" by drink.