(800) 888-8888.
A whole lot of you hummed that when you read it. The toll-free number for the now splintered Cellino & Barnes firm might be the most powerful lawyer jingle of all time. It rang out from TV sets for decades. Everyone within its reach could instantly identify the firm from the first few notes.
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It was the stuff of social media challenges:
But then… it was gone.
The firm fractured into Cellino Law and the Barnes Firm amidst a torrent of drama and acrimony.
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The jingle was gone, the erotic fan art remained.
Then in 2019, we learned that the once ubiquitous firm’s dissolution would hit the stage in the form of a new play. Comedians Michael Breen and David Rafailedes, penned Cellino v. Barnes — tagline “Injury attorneys. Injured hearts.” — timed to premiere in Brooklyn right as the litigation between Cellino and Barnes was set to begin.
Now the production has seen a revival as a now literal off-Broadway production, running through October 13 at the Asylum Theater on 24th Street.
An early review from Mashable called the production “outrageous, entertaining and even a bit poignant,” while the New York Theatre Guide cautioned that the gimmick might wear thin.
We listened to them sing a number for a quarter century… we’re well beyond “wearing thin.”
An off-Broadway play satirizes the real-life relationship of lawyers Cellino and Barnes [Gothamist]
Earlier: The Curtain Is Set To Rise On Cellino v. Barnes (In Court And On Stage)
Behind The Music Law Firm: Cellino & Barnes
Cellino & Barnes Don’t Seem To Like Each Other Very Much
Joe Patrice is a senior editor at Above the Law and co-host of Thinking Like A Lawyer. Feel free to email any tips, questions, or comments. Follow him on Twitter if you’re interested in law, politics, and a healthy dose of college sports news. Joe also serves as a Managing Director at RPN Executive Search.