About The Capitol Steps
The Capitol Steps on Tour
The Capitol Steps offer welcome comic relief in the place that may need it the most: Washington, D.C. The long-standing comedy troupe has kept the nation's capital on its toes since December 1981, when a group of Senate staffers came together to lighten the mood at their annual Christmas party. Over the years, The Capitol Steps' cast has expanded, diversified and toured the country back and forth. In fact, there are now multiple casts — "the result of having large numbers of unemployed Hill staffers," as they put it. At home in Washington, they perform Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30pm at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. On tour, they make stops at theaters, opera houses and other prestigious venues in cities from sea to shining sea. Expect silly skits, catchy songs, dead-on impressions and even some thought-provoking commentary, all in the name of fun — and the First Amendment, of course.
The Capitol Steps' motto says just about everything you need to know: "We put the MOCK in Democracy," the comedy team proudly proclaims. It all began in 1981 when Elaina Newport, Jim Aidala and the late Bill Strauss — three of Senator Charles Percy's staffers — put together a few skits and song parodies to share at their Christmas party. The performance was a success, and The Capitol Steps became Washington, D.C.'s go-to group for some much needed laughs. Since forming, the cast has brought on more former Capitol Hill staffers, along with many other theater and comedy veterans. They've recorded over 35 albums and have appeared on major network shows like Good Morning America, 20/20 and CNN's Inside Politics. Each year, they produce comedy specials for public radio, including "Politics Takes a Holiday," which airs every New Year's Eve and 4th of July. They've even performed for a handful of U.S. presidents. For the rest of us, The Capitol Steps share their latest comedy bits every Friday and Saturday night at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. Other cast members tour the country to help us all better digest the absurdities of our current state of affairs.
