Lawyers Sing and Dance as Founding Fathers to Benefit Bar Foundation

By Stephanie Beougher - November 12, 2015

Our country's founding fathers debating independence from Britain, while singing and dancing, as depicted in Delaware County Bar Association and Arena Fair Theatre's production of "1776, The Musical."

More than half of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were lawyers, so it seems fitting about that number are also in the cast of this production to raise funds for the newly formed bar foundation.

Look close and you'll see under those wigs a juvenile court judge, a law librarian, and a county treasurer. Some have theatre experience, others are taking the stage for the first time. All seem to be enjoying the experience.

"`1776' is always a show that I've liked very much, and when they were doing it as a benefit for the legal foundation I thought that's great I'd be happy to be in it and contribute what I can," said local attorney Jeff Burkham, a former municipal court judge who is a judge in the play.

Kate Munger, an assistant prosecutor in the Delaware County Prosecutor's Office, is Martha Jefferson: "I just thought it would be very fun getting to know my colleagues in the law in a much different setting than the formal courtroom. The attorneys who are in the show have amazing voices and amazing talent. You would never know to look at people what they can do on stage."

Greg Patterson with the Ohio Attorney General's Office is the show's director and is playing John Adams. This is the eighth time Patterson's been involved in a production of this play in one form or another, and he jumped at the chance to bring it to the stage again to benefit the bar foundation.

"When you do it with lawyers who have that carriage when they present things, and give them an opportunity to stretch so that they can show other talents that they have, it creates a common experience that the cast members will remember, and also the community will remember that they're lawyers of their community and their community theatre came together to make this very special production," Patterson said.

The production on November 13 & 14 is being presented at the Delaware Hayes High School auditorium.