"We wanted to get people out of the library and make sure we're engaging the complete person," Graves says.
The story is based on everyday experiences of law students and "ripped from the headlines," as Graves puts. The characters are all the different constituents you'd see at a law school, including the eager-but-naive first-year students, the brown-nosers who answer every single question, the dean who encourages students to take jobs at high-profile firms to promote the school, and the cynical professor who can't be fired because of tenure.
"Law school is an activity that really engages a particular side of the brain; you're asked to think logically and deal with legal doctrine, and there's not much that really engages the creative faculties," Graves says when asked why CU students produced Glamorous Law School.
The show, which is co-produced with the Dairy Center for the Arts, was only a concept as recently as last semester. Ben Wilson, who wrote the music, set the ball rolling.
"The show didn't even really start until this semester, when Ben wrote the music for it," Graves explains. "He has some theater experience in Chicago, and that was great. The book came together after that."
One song, "Dating in Law School Is a Mistake," chronicles the perils and pitfalls of trying to have a relationship while being a law student, and exemplifies just how easy the characters are to relate to.
This is the first foray into the performing arts for the CU Law School, but one the students hope is repeated. "Lots of law schools have some sort of annual revue or performance. We hope to make this a part of life at CU Law," Graves says.
Glamorous Law School, which Graves describes as "a dark musical, comedic, reflective piece on the modern dilemma of law students dealing with rising unemployment and the bewilderment of experience," opens at the Dairy Center for the Arts on Thursday, April 12, and runs through Saturday, April 14.
Tickets, which are almost sold out, can be purchased for $15 at www.thedairy.org.
