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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.
It's been more than 25 years since we last saw The Capitol Steps. I was glad to see that they haven't lost their touch. The show was funny, entertaining, with great political satire.
We weren't quite sure what to expect, but it turned out to be a fun night. Great satire on the political arena. EXCELLENT VOICES! Who knew ex-politicians could sing so well!? Loved the music the jokes/songs were set to. Every once in a while we missed a word here and there - but most of the time annunciation was awesome! Balboa staff were extremely helpful. Didn't expect full emptying of pockets and wanding at security. A little info/heads up - upfront would have been nice by Balboa - the line to get in was very long and some people didn't make the beginning of the show. Other than that - a wonderful night. :)
wonderful theater, of course. But I've seen many Capitol Steps performances over many years, and this one was rather disappointing. Gotta say, though, it was made up for by the best "Lirty Dies" ever! (If you've ever seen the Capitol Steps, you'll know what I'm talking about.)
The Capitol Steps were awesome. Saw them at a small venue in Georgetown many years ago before they became famous. But our experience was awful because of the audience. Cellphones flashing, constant getting up to use the bathroom and the group behind us was so drunk that the three folks directly in front of them left at intermission to find other seats. The group was in seats U 120-126. You should notify them that they will not be allowed in Horton Theater again.
The security checks for this even were a pain. Seriously, they must have hired a TSA consultant to set them up. The lines were disorganized with loads of line jumping, very frustrating. Seats were good with clear visibility and they were comfortable too. The sounds setup was atrocious. Much of the sound was way too loud and distorted. We could probably only catch about 60% of what was said, which meant that my husband missed a lot of the rapid-fire jokes and I probably missed about 20%. The performers were entertaining, with some degree of spontaneous ad-libbing to increase enjoyment, like "ooh, tough crowd!" and "just think about that joke, you will get it eventually". Overall, value for money was fine, but it could have been a much better evening with some organization of lines and better sound setup.
Very political, up to date and all parties are evaluated. Trump receives most of the attention, most of the attention was very critical. A group of talented entertainers who will hopefully continue for years to come. Their supporting writers are very good, make for a very fun and topical evening
Fun, fun, fun . Good sized venue, good acoustics. All around romp of an evening.
We love the Capitol Steps! It is so good to laugh at all the craziness that is a Washington, DC. They are so funny and irreverent in making fun of both sides. It is our second time seeing them and each time they came up with new material that is both timely and entertaining! I would see them again in heartbeat.
Our group of neighbors went to see the Capitol Steps and really enjoyed it! It's quite a challenge in this politically divided world to do comedy that is truly funny without offending either side. But mission accomplished! Their fast paced skits where so clever and catchy. Even when they were poking fun at a politician we like it was impossible not to laugh. About the only negative thing I could say was that their singing voices were not always the best but it is a comedy troop not a musical group so it was fine, We look forward to going again next year they are in town!
An amazing event! I so enjoyed both the humor and music/theatrical experience. The overall quality of the program was exceptional! I found the evening went too quickly... and, yet the performance was a great success! Please come again soon, to Portland, Maine!
I have seen The Capitol Steps 3-4 times. This show didn't seem to have the energy of past performances. It wasn't bad, just didn't live up to those in the past. Some parts were excellent, particularly the Obama bit, but generally far from that bar. I would see them again believing everybody has a down night.
Have seen the Capitol Steps on many occasions over the years. Some very topical pieces, as well as the more enduring satire. Always an enjoyable and entertaining evening.
Almost 2 solid hours of non-stop laughter! My face hurts!
It felt great to laugh and sing...acting was amazing, relieved no on stage audience participation.
Entertaining and very funny show. Sort of like Saturday Night Live. They poked fun at everyone involved in politics at this time, Democrat and Republican. Very up-to-date on current happenings. We laughed a lot.
Capitol Steps are usually balanced as they lampoon Democrats and Republicans with equal glee. This particular show (and they change frequently, as more material becomes available) got a bit more personal on President Donald Trump than was appropriate (although the heavily Democrat audience loved it). The best skit was clearly the Vladimir Putin impersonator. Another superb skit was the mixed-up words (e.g., Tronald Dump, and Our Holes Filled with Soap). Some skits were just not funny, such as the "gay" McConnell / Schumer skit. If you're willing to overlook some occasional unfunny skits and a tendency to have the partisan equality being a bit off balance, it is still an entertaining show. And it will change. These guys have been doing this for years, and they have a loyal following.
Great satirical show. Don’t go if you are a Trump supporter!
I have seen the Capitol Steps in Florida and in Washington DC several times. They are fresh, timely, talented, VERY funny, and spot on!!! Looking forward to their next show!!!
Their title Make America Grin Again says it all. I am an independent & I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don't think my friend who is Trump all the way would have stayed though. How only 5 people could represent so many was truly amazing. 1st time I have seen them but I plan to attend the next time they are in town.
The Capitol Steps had us in stitches from start to finish. From the tweeting president to the "Supremes" court justices, the songs, rhyme and banter were so funny you could hardly catch your breath! Very entertaining!
