Capitol Steps to deliver Honors Program

As the country gears up for the rhetoric and squabbles of the 2000 presidential campaign, the political satire group Capitol Steps will offer an insider’s perspective on life in the U.S. capital.

The group will give a free Nov. 3 performance at Virginia Commonwealth University, sponsored by the university’s Honors Program. The program will begin at 7 p.m. in Commonwealth Ballroom B of the VCU Student Commons, 907 Floyd Ave.

Founded in 1981 while Ronald Reagan was president, the Capitol Steps is a troupe of Congressional staffers-turned-comedians, traveling the country and satirizing the people and places that once employed them. The group performs more than 500 shows annually.

VCU honors students decided on this year’s annual program, according to John Berglund, Ph.D., a mathematician and director of the Honors Program. "The Capitol Steps will bring its own brand of satire of the day’s news to campus, which should encourage our students to think differently about the world around them," he said.

No headline has been untouched by Capitol Steps. Skits and musical numbers in recent years have poked fun at the President Clinton-Monica Lewinsky sex scandal; the swarming enthusiasm about former pro wrestler Jesse "The Body" Ventura’s election as Minnesota governor; and the Iran-Contra affair. One of the group’s newest targets is Republican presidential candidate George W. Bush.

Most cast members have worked on Capitol Hill – some for Democrats, some for Republicans. No matter who holds office, there’s never a shortage of material, according to co-founder Elaina Newport. "Typically the Republicans goof up, and the Democrats (get to) party. Then the Democrats goof up, and the Republicans (get to) party. That’s what we call the two-party system."

The troupe has recorded 19 albums, including the recent "First Lady and the Tramp." PBS and National Public Radio regularly feature Capitol Steps performances. The group also has performed for the last four U.S. presidents.

The VCU performance is supported by a National Endowment for the Humanities endorsement, which is designed to bring humanities programs to campus. VCU’s Center for Public Policy and Department of Political Science and Public Administration are co-sponsors. Tickets are available first-come, first-serve at the door. For details, call the VCU Honors Program at (804) 828-1803.