By Debbie Gardner
debbieg@thereminder.com
They serve up politics with a side of humor. The Capitol Steps, - the political musical satire troupe that has been putting the “mock” in America’s democracy for over nine Presidential elections - brings its latest show, “The Lyin’ Kings,” to Northampton’s Academy of Music for one performance only on Oct. 18 at 7:30 p.m.
Fresh from a summer in residence at The Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort in Lenox, their latest show, “The Lyin’ Kings,” draws its humor straight from today’s headlines - and twitter feeds - and has spawned a CD of the same name.
Capitol Steps writer Mark Eaton told Prime that the Academy of Music audience should be prepared for a whirlwind look at today’s political scene, set to familiar tunes. “Sometimes people don’t know what we’re about, then we sing the opening song [and] they hear the words all mixed up and go, ‘oh, that’s what this is all about!’”
Today’s politics, ‘explained’
In “the Lyin’ Kings, Eaton said the audience would “see a very fast-paced look at the political atmosphere of the day … If you ever wanted to see Donald Trump or Vladimir Putin sing a rock song, we’re the place to go!”
He added that the typical Capitol Steps performance runs about 90 minutes, with 30 minutes devoted to songs and the rest presented in a series of skits. According to a release about the Oct. 18 show, the performance will include the latest songs about the Democratic primary candidates (“76 Unknowns”) and the newest late-night thoughts from President Trump (“Tweet It”) and a shirtless, rock-star performance by “Vladimir Putin.” No one knows what the 2020 election season will bring, but whether it’s Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez or Beto O’Rourke, the Capitol Steps can tell you what rhymes with it.
“Our whole business is about rhyming and we have a song about Pete Buttigieg and how hard that is to rhyme,” Eaton said. And since the Capitol Steps mine their laughs from materials ripped from today’s and tomorrow’s headlines, you never know whether Washington insiders like Nancy Pelosi and William Barr, or international figures like Kim Jong-un might appear on stage together in a song. And then, there are the Democratic candidates.
“Bernie [Sanders] is very popular, he makes an appearance,” Eaton assured Prime, adding that there’s a very funny number about Joe Biden titled “Can You Feel the Rub tonight.”
The funny is for both sides
It doesn’t matter whether you are a Democrat, a Republican, or somewhere in-between, Eaton said The Capitol Steps give everyone a chance to take a less strident look at today’s political scene.
“We just like to say, we’re all suffering from a bit of political fatigue these days, if you can’t laugh at some of the issues, you most certainly cry about them,” he noted.
About the “Steps”
Eaton, who did a stint working on the Hill before leaving that side of the aisle to become a lobbyist, said he joined the Capitol Steps as a writer about 10 years ago. He explained the group – which began in 1981 when a group of Congressional staffers got together to provide entertainment for a holiday office party on Capitol Hill – has a long history – and stellar reputation – for poking fun at America’s politicians and political system. Since that first performance, the company, now comprised of professional actors and singers, has provided their unique mix of musical and political comedy and satire to audiences coast-to-coast.
“The group started under the Reagan era [and] people said, ‘you have an actor with his own mannerisms [to copy]. “Eaton said. “Then we had Bush and Dan Quayle, then we got Clinton, which was the Rosetta stone of all political comedy, and [Bush] Junior, with Dick Cheney, and then Obama luckily gave us Joe Biden, and then we got the current administration. It’s always a good time to be in the political game, but we’ve had that [forever]!”
Beyond one-night appearances such as the Academy of Music stop, The Capitol Steps perform in Washington DC every weekend, tour nationally throughout the year, and have appeared on “The Today Show,” “ABC News Nightline,” “CBS Evening News” and on specials for National Public Radio.
Tickets, more
Tickets to the Oct. 18 performance are priced from $45 to $59, and are available in person at the Academy of Music Box Office Tues.-Fri. from 3 to 6 p.m., by calling 413-584-9032 ext.105 (Service fees will apply with purchase) or online at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/capitol-steps-the-lyin-kings-tickets-72631427555. For more information about the Academy of Music and the Capitol Steps performance, visit www.aomtheatre.com.
To preview some of the Capitol Steps materials, visit their website, www.capsteps.com, or find the Capitol Steps on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter (@capsteps).