The Capitol Steps was an American political-
satire
Satire is a genre of the visual, literary, and performing arts, usually in the form of fiction and less frequently non-fiction, in which vices, follies, abuses, and shortcomings are held up to ridicule, often with the intent of shaming ...
group that performed from 1981 to 2020. Most of the Capitol Steps' material parodied well-known contemporary songs, usually introduced with a short skit. The songs were interspersed with other routines, including a
spoonerism
A spoonerism is an occurrence in speech in which corresponding consonants, vowels, or morphemes are switched (see metathesis) between two words in a phrase. These are named after the Oxford don and ordained minister William Archibald Spooner, w ...
routine ("Lirty Dies") near the end of each performance with
innuendo
An innuendo is a hint, insinuation or intimation about a person or thing, especially of a denigrating or derogatory nature. It can also be a remark or question, typically disparaging (also called insinuation), that works obliquely by allusion ...
es about recent scandals. They have released over 40 albums, primarily song
parodies
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
. Originally consisting of
congressional staffers who performed around
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, the troupe was later primarily made up of professional actors and singers. The Capitol Steps have performed on
PBS
The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is an American public broadcasting, public broadcaster and Non-commercial activity, non-commercial, Terrestrial television, free-to-air television network based in Arlington, Virginia. PBS is a publicly fu ...
,
public radio
Public broadcasting involves radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing ...
and in small- and medium-size venues around the United States. On January 13, 2021, the Capitol Steps announced via Twitter that they would be shutting down after 39 years of performing. The shutdown is due to the loss of revenue as a result of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
.
Reagan years
In 1981, three
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
congressional staffers (
Bill Strauss, Elaina Newport,
and Jim Aidala) used their spare time at the Subcommittee on Energy, Nuclear Proliferation, and Government Processes of the Senate Committee of Governmental Affairs to write and sing
parodies
A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...
of current events. Joined by fellow Republican Senate staffers Nancy Baskin, Barbie Granzow and Dave Nichols, they decided on a
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating Nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus, Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people Observance of Christmas by country, around t ...
show as their first performance while continuing to work full-time as congressional staffers. They chose "The Capitol Steps" as their group name because of a
sex scandal
Public scandals involving allegations or information about possibly immoral sexual activities are often associated with the sexual affairs of film stars, politicians, famous athletes, or others in the public eye. Sex scandals receive attention ...
earlier that year in which Congressman
John Jenrette
John Wilson Jenrette Jr. (born May 19, 1936) is an American former politician from South Carolina, best known for his involvement in the Abscam corruption scandal, and being the husband of actress and model Rita Jenrette. He was in the U.S. House ...
had sex with his wife,
Rita
Rita may refer to:
People
* Rita (given name)
* Rita (Indian singer) (born 1984)
* Rita (Israeli singer) (born 1962)
* Rita (Japanese singer)
* Eliza Humphreys (1850–1938), wrote under the pseudonym Rita
Places
* Djarrit, also known as Rita, ...
, on the steps of the
Capitol Building.
Their first show was a December 11, 1981 Christmas party for the
Senate Foreign Relations Committee
The United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations is a standing committee of the U.S. Senate charged with leading foreign-policy legislation and debate in the Senate. It is generally responsible for overseeing and funding foreign aid pro ...
.
The performers, considering the show a success, performed the same songs several more times that month. In 1982, the group expanded to include
House
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
staffers and
Democrats. Despite being predominantly Republican, they tried to make their shows bipartisan with a roughly-even mix of songs lampooning Democrats and Republicans. Although the group attracted media interest at the time, they refused interview requests out of concern that their jobs could be endangered by press coverage and their behavior might affect Strauss and Newport's subcommittee chair
Charles H. Percy
Charles Harting Percy (September 27, 1919 – September 17, 2011) was an American businessman and politician. He was president of the Bell & Howell Corporation from 1949 to 1964, and served as a Republican U.S. senator from Illinois from 1967 ...
.
In February 1983, the Capitol Steps began to perform monthly at the
Shoreham Hotel
The Omni Shoreham Hotel is a historic resort and convention hotel in Northwest Washington, D.C., built in 1930 and owned by Omni Hotels. It is located one block west of the intersection of Connecticut Avenue and Calvert Street. The hotel is known ...
and became open to publicity for the first time. They received a favorable review in ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...
'', and their performances were successful. In November 1984, they performed at Percy's election-night party; during the party they learned that the senator had lost the election, and Strauss and Newport would lose their jobs with him. Shortly afterwards, the Capitol Steps became a professional group and recorded their first album: ''
Capitol Steps Live! at the Shoreham
The Capitol Steps was an American political-satire group that performed from 1981 to 2020. Most of the Capitol Steps' material parodied well-known contemporary songs, usually introduced with a short skit. The songs were interspersed with other ro ...
''. In the fall of 1986 the Capitol Steps began performing on a regular basis at Chelsea's Cabaret in the Georgetown area.
Three years later, the group decided to quit their full-time jobs. At this time, they included David Gencarelli, Richard Paul, Anne Hill, Ann Schmitt, Brian Ash, and Mike Loomis; all except Loomis and Gencarelli were still with the group in 2012 with Newport. In September 1988, the Capitol Steps performed at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...
for an audience which included President
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...
, his wife
Nancy, and hundreds of members of Congress. Through an aide, Reagan asked the group to perform songs poking fun at him; they obliged, and the president enjoyed the show. The Capitol Steps released five albums during Reagan's two presidential terms, including ''Thank God I'm A Contra Boy'', ''We Arm the World'', and ''Workin' 9 to 10''.
George H. W. Bush years
The Capitol Steps expanded their repertoire of material to include international and foreign policy affairs (such as the
United States invasion of Panama
The United States invasion of Panama, codenamed Operation Just Cause, lasted over a month between mid-December 1989 and late January 1990. It occurred during the administration of President George H. W. Bush and ten years after the Torrijos– ...
) and local gaffes (such as
George Herbert Walker Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
's recognition of September 7 as
Pearl Harbor Day
National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, also referred to as Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day or Pearl Harbor Day, is observed annually in the United States on December 7, to remember and honor the 2,403 Americans who were killed in the Japanese surpri ...
) after Bush's 1988 election. The group became known for parodying Vice President
Dan Quayle
James Danforth Quayle (; born February 4, 1947) is an American politician who served as the 44th vice president of the United States from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republic ...
, particularly after Quayle's infamous correction of a child's spelling of "potato" by telling him to add a final ''-e''.
The Capitol Steps released six albums during the elder Bush's presidency, including ''Stand By Your Dan'', ''76 Bad Loans'', and ''Georgie on My Mind'', and performed several times at the White House. On three occasions, the president accepted the group's invitation to sing songs poking fun at himself with them onstage.
Clinton years
Before the
Lewinsky scandal
Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...
,
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
's administration provided fodder for new songs and albums and a variety of personalities who were easy to exaggerate: the easygoing Clinton and the First Lady,
Hillary, Vice-President
Al Gore
Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. Gore was the Democratic Part ...
and Surgeon General
Joycelyn Elders
Minnie Joycelyn Elders (born Minnie Lee Jones; August 13, 1933) is an American pediatrician and public health administrator who served as Surgeon General of the United States from 1993 to 1994. A vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissi ...
, who had suggested that
masturbation
Masturbation is the sexual stimulation of one's own genitals for sexual arousal or other sexual pleasure, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation may involve hands, fingers, everyday objects, sex toys such as vibrators, or combinatio ...
could be a useful part of a comprehensive sex-education curriculum.
In 1994, the Capitol Steps performed at the White House for Clinton and Gore.
George W. Bush years
The
2000 presidential election yielded the pre-election "I Want a Brand New Pair of Candidates" and several other songs about the aborted recount.
The popular impression of
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
's intellect, fed by his frequent grammatical errors in speeches, allowed the Capitol Steps to reuse much Dan Quayle material. After the events of
September 11, 2001
The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...
, jokes aimed at the president or American politics no longer seemed appropriate to the general public. The group cancelled most of their performances for the next several weeks, performing an edited show at a nightclub on September 15. It was successful, and they soon found new material that people would find funny in October 2001. The group poked fun at the improved national view of Bush and at figures who were becoming more relevant to the American public, including
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
Mayor
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis Giuliani (, ; born May 28, 1944) is an American politician and lawyer who served as the 107th Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. He previously served as the United States Associate Attorney General from 1981 to 198 ...
,
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
Prime Minister
Tony Blair
Sir Anthony Charles Lynton Blair (born 6 May 1953) is a British former politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007. He previously served as Leader of th ...
, and
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
President
Jacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac (, , ; 29 November 193226 September 2019) was a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. Chirac was previously Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988, as well as Ma ...
.
Heightened security nationwide soon became a popular subject for the Capitol Steps and other comedians in the wake of media reports that travelers were being questioned in airports for having powdered sugar from a
donut
A doughnut or donut () is a type of food made from leavened fried dough. It is popular in many countries and is prepared in various forms as a sweet snack that can be homemade or purchased in bakeries, supermarkets, food stalls, and franc ...
on their clothing. By the end of the year, the group was poking fun at terrorists.
In 2002 and 2003, their material lampooned
SUV
A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive.
There is no commonly agreed-upon definitio ...
s and their drivers,
Hans Blix
Hans Martin Blix (; born 28 June 1928) is a Sweden, Swedish diplomat and politician for the Liberal People's Party (Sweden), Liberal People's Party. He was Minister for Foreign Affairs (Sweden), Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs (1978–1979 ...
, the collapse of
Enron
Enron Corporation was an American energy, commodities, and services company based in Houston, Texas. It was founded by Kenneth Lay in 1985 as a merger between Lay's Houston Natural Gas and InterNorth, both relatively small regional companies. ...
, the standoff with
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
,
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice ( ; born November 14, 1954) is an American diplomat and political scientist who is the current director of the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. A member of the Republican Party, she previously served as the 66th Uni ...
, Democratic hopefuls for the
2004 presidential nomination, the capture of Saddam Hussein, same-sex weddings, the
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he spent his entire 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely r ...
trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...
, and the
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
gubernatorial recall election (in which they reused "The Fondler"—a Clinton-era parody of "The Wanderer"—with
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger (born July 30, 1947) is an Austrian and American actor, film producer, businessman, retired professional bodybuilder and politician who served as the 38th governor of California between 2003 and 2011. ''Time'' ...
as the target). Since 2004 the Capitol Steps have remained topical with their parodies, releasing songs about the marriage of
Prince Charles
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to ...
and
Camilla Parker Bowles
Camilla (born Camilla Rosemary Shand, later Parker Bowles, 17 July 1947) is Queen Consort of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms as the wife of King Charles III. She became queen consort on 8 September 2022, upon the acc ...
, U.S. immigration-reform-law proposals, and the
Tom DeLay
Thomas Dale DeLay (; born April 8, 1947) is an American author and retired politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing Texas's 22nd congressional district from 1985 until 2006. He was Republic ...
scandals.
On December 18, 2007, group co-founder Bill Strauss died at his home in McLean, Virginia of
pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer arises when cell (biology), cells in the pancreas, a glandular organ behind the stomach, begin to multiply out of control and form a Neoplasm, mass. These cancerous cells have the malignant, ability to invade other parts of t ...
.
Obama years
They released several albums during the Obama administration, including ''Mock the Vote'', ''How to Succeed in Congress without Really Lying'', ''Fiscal Shades of Gray'', ''Take the Money and Run for President'', ''Desperate Housemembers'', ''Liberal Shop of Horrors'', and ''Obama Mia''.
Trump years
They released ''Orange Is the New Barack'' in 2017.
Biden years
On January 25, 2021, an update on the Capitol Steps website indicated that "the Capitol Steps are planning to turn off the stage lights".
Live shows
In 2008, Mark Eaton stated they had booked over 700 shows. As of 2017, the Capitol Steps had multiple casts, with 24 cast members:
* Brian Ash
* Jon Bell
* Bari Biern
* Mike Carruthers
* Evan Casey
* Jenny Corbett
* Kevin Corbett
* Janet Davidson Gordon
* Nancy Dolliver
* Morgan Duncan
* Mark Eaton
* Corey Harris
* Prince Havely
* Emily Levey
* Elaina Newport
* Richard Paul
* Jack Rowles
* Ann Schmitt
* Tracey Stephens
* Mike Thornton
* Brad Van Grack
* Delores Williams
* Anne Willis Hill
* Jamie Zemarel
As of 2017 the group also had five pianists:
* Emily Bell Spitz
* Howard Breitbart
* Marc Irwin
* David Kane
* Lenny Williams
The group performed public and private shows throughout the country, and appeared at the
Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, named after former United States President Ronald Reagan, is located in downtown Washington, D.C., and was the first federal building in Washington designed for both governmental and priv ...
in Washington, D.C. every Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. year-round.
Recordings
Since their first album in 1984, the Capitol Steps have released a new recording of their songs, parodies, and sketches at least once a year (usually in the late spring). The group has also released holiday recordings in 1989, 1993 and 2006. A 2001 "special high school release", revised and re-released in 2005, is made up of songs written for participants of the
National Young Leaders Conference in Washington, at which the group has performed. Their 20th-anniversary book included a CD retrospective of their work.
Discography
Albums
![CapStepsatCUA 3290](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/CapStepsatCUA_3290.jpg)
# ''Capitol Steps Live! at the Shoreham'' (1984)
# ''
We Arm the World
''We Arm The World'' is a 1985 album by the Capitol Steps.
Track listing
#Getting To The Dirge
#Gorby Gorbachev
#You Write Up My Wife
#Home, Sweet Home / Hello, Vitaly
#When I'm 62 / Keep a COLA
#Deficit Discounters
#Dutch The Magic Reagan
#Perf ...
'' (1985)
# ''Thank God I'm a Contra Boy'' (1986)
# ''Workin' 9 to 10'' (1987)
# ''Shamlet'' (1988)
# ''Stand By Your Dan'' (1989)
# ''Danny's First Noel'' (1989 holiday release)
# ''Georgie on My Mind'' (1989–1990)
# ''Sheik, Rattle and Roll'' (1990)
# ''76 Bad Loans'' (1991)
# ''Fools on the Hill'' (1992)
# ''The Joy of Sax'' (1993)
# ''All I Want for Christmas Is a Tax Increase'' (1993 holiday release)
# ''Lord of the Fries'' (1994)
# ''A Whole Newt World'' (1995)
# ''Return to Center'' (1996)
# ''Sixteen Scandals'' (1997)
# ''Unzippin' My Doo-dah'' (1998)
# ''First Lady and the Tramp'' (1999)
# ''It's Not Over 'Til the First Lady Sings'' (2000)
# ''I Want It Dad's Way'' (2001 high-school release, revised and re-released in 2005)
# ''One Bush, Two Bush, Old Bush, New Bush'' (2001)
# ''
When Bush Comes to Shove
''When Bush Comes to Shove'' is a 2002 album by the Capitol Steps.
Track listing
#Shoe-Bomb
#Don't Go Faking You're Smart
#Enron-Ron-Ron
#Tom Ridge Bedtime Story #1
#Taliban
#Pack the Knife
#Mr. Greenspan
#Dr. Tommy Tuck
#Everybody Must Get Clo ...
'' (2002)
# ''
Between Iraq and a Hard Place
''Between Iraq and a Hard Place'' is a 2003 album by the Capitol Steps.
Track listing
#"God Bless My SUV"
#"Hans Blix and the Inspectors"
#"401K"
#"Korea"
#"Clinton Thinks the French Have a Lot of Gaul"
#"Talk 'bout Saddam"
#"I've Grown a Cultu ...
'' (2003)
# ''
Papa's Got a Brand New Baghdad'' (2004)
# ''
Four More Years in the Bush Leagues'' (2005)
# ''
I'm So Indicted'' (2006)
# ''O Christmas Bush'' (2006 holiday release)
# ''Springtime for Liberals'' (2007)
# ''Campaign and Suffering'' (2008)
# ''Obama Mia!'' (2009)
# ''Barackin' Around the Christmas Tree'' (2009 holiday release)
# ''Liberal Shop of Horrors'' (2010)
# ''Desperate House Members'' (2011)
# ''Weiner Wonderland'' (2011 holiday release)
# ''Take the Money and Run for President'' (2012)
# ''Fiscal Shades of Grey'' (2013)
# ''How to Succeed in Congress Without Really Lying'' (2014)
# ''Mock the Vote'' (2015)
# ''What to Expect When You're Electing'' (2016)
# ''Orange Is the New Barack'' (2017)
# ''Make America Grin Again'' (2018)
# ''The Lyin' Kings'' (2019)
Singles
The group released ''Ronald the Red-Faced Reagan'' for the 1987 holidays and ''From Yankee Doodle to Pander Bear'', a history of American political satire, early in Bill Clinton's first term.
See also
*
Theatre in Washington, D.C.
This list of theaters and entertainment venues in Washington, D.C. includes present-day opera houses and theaters, cabarets, music halls and other places of live entertainment in Washington, D.C.
Current theaters
Producing theaters
*Adve ...
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
Official Website* https://www.youtube.com/user/CapitolSteps
*
Allmusic entry for the Capitol Steps
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...
*
Allmusic entry for Bill Strauss*
Allmusic entry for Elaina Newport*
Allmusic entry for Mark Eaton
{{DEFAULTSORT:Steps, Capitol
American satirists
American parodists
American political satire
Parody musicians
1981 establishments in Washington, D.C.
2021 disestablishments in Washington, D.C.