The Capitol Steps, a comic troupe of former Congressional staffers, is coming to the Michigan Theater on Friday evening. The group was formed during the Reagan administration by three Washington insiders who reasoned that if entertainers could become politicians, then politicians could become entertainers. Since then, the cast has grown to 20 regulars, all of whom have worked on Capitol Hill, and has performed more than 4,500 times in 47 states.
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| Courtesy of University Musical Society Capitol Steps, a political comedy troupe, will perform Friday at the Michigan Theater. |
Legend has it that the group was started in 1981 when Sen. Charles Percy asked three of his staffers to provide entertainment for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Christmas party. They intended to stage a traditional nativity play, but, according to one of the Steps, "in all of Congress they were unable to find three wise men or a virgin." So instead they dug into the headlines and came up with new lyrics for popular tunes.
Although the group was started and is based in Washington, D.C., 90 percent of their shows are performed outside of D.C. or for out-of-town audiences. Celebrities and politicians, although targets for the group's material, love the group, and some have even performed with them: Sam Donaldson, Vice President Gore, Larry King, Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, Pat Robertson, and President Bush, to name a few. The Steps have performed for Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton.
The Capitol Steps themselves will be the first to admit that it's hard trying to be funnier than Congress. But they have the advantage of not taking themselves seriously, a phase out of which the U.S. Congress will never grow.
Tickets for The Capitol Steps
are $20-$32. Call 764-2538
for more information.
10-14-98
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