The Capitol Steps to Bring ORANGE IS THE NEW BARACK to Symphony Space

The Capitol Steps (www.capsteps.com), America's premiere political-musical-satire troupe, returns to New York Sunday, June 18 (Father's Day) for two performances at Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway (at 95th Street, Upper West Side).

The troupe will offer its newest show, "Orange is the New Barack," a brand-new vaudeville-like comedy show with a mix of song and standup, lampooning our modern political leaders, taking on the major issues of the day and providing sneak-peeks at the troupe's next album. There will be one show at 3:30 PM and one at 7:00 PM.

This is the group that puts the "MOCK" in Democracy! Originally made up of congressional staffers, the past decade has seen the "Steps" harvest the talents of finely-tuned musical theater professionals from around the country. They were nominated for the Drama Desk Awards of 2007 for "Outstanding Lyrics."

The shows will provide such treats as "Small Hands" (sung by Melania, a parody of Pointer Sisters' "Slow Hand"), "Tweet Tweet" (a parody of "Rockin' Robin," inspired by the President's tweet storms), "Don't Know Much About History" (with Betsy DeVos crooning "Don't know much about history...Don't know much biology") and "Putin on the Blitz," based on "Puttin' on the Ritz," in which Vladimir explains his philosophy on asserting power ("...Russian force I must assert - don't make me take off my shirt - you'll say 'tsk tsk' - Putin is a risk...").

Taking a lesson from the Trump family--never miss a chance to slip in an endorsement for your business--this concert is named after the troupe's upcoming album, "Orange is the New Barack."

Capitol Steps shows, being headline-driven, are unpredictable. So the complete song list and cast list can't be forecast in advance. The troupe pounces on breaking news events in order to keep the show fresh. In the overheated news cycle surrounding our 45th president, this has been particularly challenging. Elaina Newport, a founding member of the group and one of its lead writers, says she's even texted updates to performers waiting backstage to go on. Mike Thornton, who plays Trump, asserts, "It's almost impossible to stay ahead of the buffoonery."

Political satire is good for you. A recent study found that post-election stress has been peaking among men in blue states, and this is suppressing language growth and cognitive development in families with young children. So citizens are urged to send their dads and grandfathers to this Father's Day treat so they can laugh off their political angst and save the New York family.

IF YOU GO:

The Capitol Steps
Orange is the New Barack

Sunday, June 18, 2017
at 3:30 PM and 7:00 PM (two shows only)

At Peter Jay Sharp Theatre at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway (at 95th Street), NYC

Tickets $45-$65.
Box Office: 212 864 5400
Online: www.symphonyspace.org/event/9670/Comedy/the-capitol-steps

Runs :90.

ABOUT THE Capitol Steps

Originally, a group of Senate staffers were planning a show for a Christmas party in 1981. Their first idea was to stage a nativity play, but in the whole Congress they couldn't find three wise men or a virgin. So they decided to dig into the headlines of the day and created song parodies and skits which conveyed a special brand of satirical humor. They adopted their name from a 1981 political scandal in which Representative John Jenrette allegedly had relations with his wife on the steps of the U.S. Capitol building.

Today, a formidable group of comedian-singers of the updated group carry on the tradition that began 35 years ago. Traditionally, no matter who or what is in the headlines, the Capitol Steps tackles both sides of the political spectrum and all things equally foolish.

They've unleashed 32 albums to-date, including 2016's "What To Expect When You're Electing ('we weren't expecting this!')" and the soon-to-be released "Orange Is The New Barack."

The troupe has been featured on NBC, ABC, and CBS, tackling the foibles of elected officials through skit and song, transmuting scandals and shortcomings into pure laughter. Every year, the troupe also appears on multiple NPR stations nationwide during their "Politics Takes a Holiday" specials.

Although the Capitol Steps are based in Washington, DC, most of their shows are out-of-town at 1000-1500 seat theatres from Seattle to Boston and every city in between. They have also performed for the last five Presidents, but not yet for President Trump.

Pictured: Mike Carruthers as Putin in "Putin on the Blitz." Photo by Peter Dervin.