So Vladimir Putin checks in at the Ukraine. A guard asks his name and he gives it. Then Putin is asked "occupation?" No Putin says, "just a visit." The Capitol Steps have tons of jokes like this - some vocally and most sung beautifully in well known tunes. The audience can sing and dance to the music, while listening to the delightful jabs in their songs. The Steps are always timely and are having a field day with this election season. The Steps portray politicians in their political satire. "President Obama" is one of the best.
The Capitol Steps can be seen and heard every Friday and Saturday night at the Reagan Building. They have kept that building swinging for 15 years. They have been together for 34 years, since putting together a Christmas spoof for the staff of Senator Percy. It got out of hand, when they say they "could not find 3 wise men and a virgin!"
Some of their performers also tour around the country. I caught them recently in Fairfax, Virginia, where they played to an overflow crowd in the outdoor theater at Mason District Park. My neighbors and friends look forward to this event each year - we are getting older while The Steps seem to get younger, stronger, and funnier.
This present show, and the CD which can be bought with it, is called "Mock The Vote." Some of the songs include "Stuck in the Middle East, Too," "Cuba-Havana," "The Impossible iWatch," "Ukraine Parts Keep Falling To The Reds," and many others. They usually end the show with a musical highlight of 30 years of history. Then there is their mind twisting, backward favorite, "Lirty Dies: Copular Pulture." Sometimes it take a while , and many words sound dirty when backwards.
The Capitol Steps is a great Washington DC tradition. It is imitated by The Gridiron Club, Hexagon, and others, but never quite duplicated. It is our own Saturday Night Live, but family friendly. Catch them if you can, in person, on CD or on the Web!