Nothing escapes 'Capitol Steps' satire

NEW YORK, Aug. 8 (UPI) -- It is difficult for a satirical stage show such as "Capitol Steps" not to risk being labeled unpatriotic for targeting the Iraq War and its aftermath. But it's a dirty job somebody has to do, and no one does it better than the show's cast of former congressional staffers turned comedians.

The show has been taking on the president and Congress as its primary targets for 22 years in more than 8,000 performances throughout the United States, but almost any famous or infamous person is fair game, according to Elaina Newport, a founder of the "Capitol Steps" troupe as well as a producer of the show and performer.

"The Middle East is not really funny because there are tragedies and incidents every day that are not funny at all," said Newport in an interview. "What you do in these circumstances is you go after the politicians themselves. You can make Saddam Hussein into a buffoon, and you can always make fun of the French."

Currently playing its fifth summer engagement at the Off-Broadway John Houseman Theater through Aug. 31, "Capitol Steps: Between Iraq and a Hard Place" is a highly entertaining show of skits and songs, set to the music of golden oldie pop favorites. It is more good-natured than malicious, and although much of it satire is political, it also takes on the psychology of power involved in SUV ownership and the sadistic role of mosquitoes in transmitting West Nile Virus.

It has the flavor of a scattershot college parody that lacks true sophistication but makes up for it by a genuine desire to please its audience and even George W. Bush, who has not seen the show although five former presidents have. The troupe grew out of irreverent entertainment devised to liven up a Senate Christmas party in 1981 and now has 22 cast members, five of whom are on stage for any one show, and pianist Ken Lundie who provides the music and joins in the repartee.

Bush is portrayed as a likable ol' Texas boy trying his best to pronounce or even understand difficult words ("Papa always said 'never capitulate' - I don't even know the meaning of the word") and to put the best light possible on the Iraq situation by pointing out that "War isn't the only thing I hope to accomplish in my administration." He also notes that he doesn't much care what the American people think of his policies since "most of them didn't vote for me anyway."

If the show can be said to have a star, it is Bill Strauss, a co-founder of the troupe with Newport and Mark Eaton. Strauss is adept at assuming the personalities of a number of characters in the course of the show but is brilliant in two stand-up routines in which he talks facilely in spoonerisms to great off-color comic effect.

A spoonerism is the transposition of initial letters of words, so that "Bush against Gore" becomes "Gush against Bore" and "that book is going to make Hillary rich" becomes "that rook is going to make Hillary bich." It gets its name from that of an English clergyman of the Victorian era who made such slips naturally, attracting unusually large crowds to his Sunday sermons.

Newport pointed out that the subject matter of "Capitol Steps" is continually revised to keep it up to date, so that the performance seen by this critic was full of references to the violent deaths of Saddam's two sons. Other topical subjects include anti-French sentiment as a result of the Iraq war, Arnold Schwarzenegger's aspirations for the California governorship, the Korean nuclear threat, and the Democratic Party's search for a candidate to oppose Bush's bid for re-election.

Sometimes a subject for satire will be held over from a previous show, such as Homeland Security's color coded states of alert that inspire the current show's final anthem, "Glory, Glory, Paranoia" and Martha Stewart's latest challenge, a chic décor for her cell in the big house

The show also finds it difficult to let go of former President Bill Clinton, the best impersonation in the show thanks to actor Bill Tilford's talent for mimicry and a silver-grey wig, and Monica Lewinsky, satirized as a reality show host. But there are some sharp new impersonations of Dick Cheney, Condaleeza Rice, Donald Rumsfeld, and Hans Blix, the U.N. weapons inspector who sings, "I've been looking for SCUDS in all the wrong places."

One of the funniest sketches involves a meeting between Yasser Arafat and Ariel Sharon, in which they deplore their recent lack of communication and sing a sarcastic duet, "You Don't Bring Me Flowers." Airport security also comes in for a ribbing by showing an inspector so busy patting down a nun that he lets a parade of suspicious looking characters, including Darth Vader, pass the check point without inspection.

"Capitol Steps" has its headquarters in Alexandria, Va., and has its own production and booking staff. It has recorded 23 albums. It has made featured appearances on all the TV networks and is heard four times a year on National Public Radio on "Politics Takes a Holiday" specials. The Washington rumor mill has it that the only politicians who don't like "Capitol Steps" are the ones that have been overlooked as targets of the show's slings and arrows.