Karen DeWitt and Hillary Rodham Clinton pose for a photo on June 10, 2000, after the 100th annual Legislative Correspondents Association Show in Albany. DeWitt played Clinton in the parody show.

I fidget behind the curtain, off stage. Heart racing, mind utterly devoid of any of the lines and lyrics that I thought I had memorized for my performance.

I’m supposed to be skewering the first lady of the United States.

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It’s the night of the then-100-year-old Legislative Correspondents Association Show, a Gridiron-like event put on by the reporters who cover the state Capitol. It’s the year 2000, and Hillary Clinton, who resides in the White House with her husband, Bill, is running for U.S. Senate in New York.

I tell myself that the first lady, who didn’t show up for the preceding cocktail hour, is not actually in the audience of nearly 500 at the swanky black-tie dinner. I feel better.

But here’s my cue. The lights are up, and ready or not, I have to go on.

The 125th LCA Show, set for May 21 this year, is a simpler event in modern times.

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The show has always had its critics, who say it’s unseemly for the media to be gathering in a cozy setting with the politicians that they cover. But there’s real value in the harmony that can still exist in our........

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