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The Bar Show - "King Tort and the Golden Age of Lawyers”
At DePaul University's Merle Reskin Theatre
60 E. Balbo Ave
Chicago, IL
Call 312-521-2686, tickets $60
Friday & Saturday at 8 PM
Running time is 1 hour, 35 minutes with no intermission
Through December 9, 2006
Review by Lauren Anderson
King Tort and the Golden Age of Lawyers /Christmas Spirits show is a true delight. This annual production, now in its 83rd year, is put on by members of the Chicago Bar Association. The show is a series of vignettes set to music about political, legal and current events in the last year.
The show demonstrates the diverse talents of Chicago attorneys. Attorneys in the show, both newcomers and seasoned practitioners, are involved in all areas of practice, from litigation to adoption law. The talent presented on stage shows that many of them could have had wonderful careers as actors (but then they went into law, so they do have careers as actors).
Bar Story uses the backdrop of the recent Chicago CLE requirement as its crux. Lawyers seeking mandatory CLE credits choose from an array of CLEs which promise CLE credit for seminars offering good food and drink, no need for notes and not a whole lot of learning going on. As they choose programs to attend, we see what is going on.
The show focused barbs on its own legal community, top new stories, and local and national politics. The opening number “King Tort” poked fun at medical malpractice and tort reform measures The parody of Steve Martin’s performance on SNL as King Tut (Larry Aaronson) hit a home run.
Other standout performances include Latham Williams as Barack Obama, Loretto Kennedy as Sen. Hillary Clinton, Brian Gilomen as Vice President Dick Cheney, Clifford Berman as Dan Webb, and “I’m so Excited I’m not Indicted” Gov. Rod Blagoevich played by Jeffrey Marks.
The writing, lyrics and choreography are wonderful, and all are well executed by the performers. Regardless of your political leanings, view on various legal issues, or how you feel about Katie Couric becoming the CBS evening news anchor, you will spend the night laughing. I thoroughly enjoyed this show, and look forward to next year’s performance.
Highly Recommended
December 5, 2006
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