Capitol steps poke fun at all things political

Author: Sarah Shaikh

Pepin gym was filled to capacity with students, parents and teachers that were on hand Saturday night to see The Capitol Steps, the political comedy group lauded by the Washington Post Reader's Choice for best live theater in 2005. Known for their biting political satire, they began in 1981 when three members of Senator Charles Percy's (R-IL) staff provided entertainment for a Christmas Party by performing skits based on topics gracing the political headlines. Sara Dewey '07.5 said, "What I liked most about the performance was that they were able to make fun of everyone." Rachel Norton '07.5, however, felt "there was an obvious liberal tilt but maybe that's because they were catering to Vermonters."

The Capitol Steps present show is based on their new CD, entitled, "Four More Years in the Bush Leagues." In the two-hour performance, the five-person group of three males and two females had ample time to poke fun at highly publicized and controversial issues. Attention was brought to President Bush and his inability to pronounce certain words and the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal. Newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice John Roberts sang "I'm So Pretty," Harriet Miers and George W. Bush dueted, the Iraqi minister of tourism visited and four Supreme Court justices performed.

Colleen Sullivan '07, the MCAB special committee's chair, felt this was a perfect act for the weekend. "I received a lot of positive feedback after the show and I really enjoyed seeing audience members chatting with the group on their way out. The crowd was great, the group had a lot of fun and the board members did a great job with setting up and loading out. Everything ran very smoothly and it seemed like everyone had a good time."