Georgetown Law Singers Reunite for 40th
As the story goes, JusticeRehnquist was watching a dress rehearsal ofGeorgetown Law's Gilbert & Sullivan Society in the '70s when the set caught on fire. Despite mishaps of that sort, the organization--populated by law students, and occasionally professors and deans--has survived for40 years. It recently reunited for severalreunion shows with about250 alumni either participating or in the audience. Above, we snapped its founder,Jack Marshall(bow tie) and two singing alums in G'town Law'sHart Auditorium.(Regarding the fiery set:Jack, who was there, tells usRehnquist stayed until 2amfor the entire rehearsaland said he had a great time.The justice was a big G&S fan: hisfavorite show wasIolanthe.)
G'town Law alums flew in from around the country. They performed songs from comedic operettas such as HMS Pinafore and The Mikado, occasionally parody-style (with topics like a law school utopia and the national debt). The parodies were created by Jack Marshall, who put on a student production of the G&S legal spoofTrial By Juryin '73 and convinced famed Prof. Richard Alan Gordon to play the role of the judge. It was such a success that then-Dean Adrian Fisher asked him to produce more shows, and they've continued since. Now Jack is a legal ethics expert and artistic director of the American Century Theater.These anniversary performances established a memorial fund in the name of Jack's late law school roommate Myron Dale, the producer of the first group of shows.
Backstage, Ober Kaler real estate and finance partner Diane Shapiro Richer(who just moved there after 28 years with Pillsbury) andlegal malpractice defense lawyer John May. The twowere the soprano and tenor leads in the '83 production ofHMS Pinaforeand returned to the stage as soloists for the 40th reunion shows. Diane tells usthe cast has been juggling work with nearly daily rehearsals for the past two weeks. For her, the mix also includes practices for the Choral Arts Society of Washington, which performs at the Kennedy Center and had a concert on Sunday.
Other alumni include DC Court of Appeals Senior Judge John Steadman, Schiff Hardy partner Bill Hannay, Dow Lohnes partner Michael Hays, former Washington Legal Foundation senior exec counsel Paul Kamenar (who is no stranger to the spotlight, having been on Nightline, Larry King, Charlie Rose, and Oprah), former Sony EVP Dennis Nollete, Department of Labor senior attorney Paul Klingenberg, Orrick insurance lawyer Peri Mahaley, and DOJ trial attorney Fred Young.
