The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St.), Times Square's landmark concert venue, is pleased to launch their 2010 season with CAPITOL STEPS on Friday, February 19th at 8PM. Hailed as the "Forbidden Broadway of politics," CAPITOL STEPS brings a night of musical bi-partisan political satire in their rare New York performance, featuring songs from their latest album, Obama Mia. Tickets are on sale now for $50 and $45. All tickets for The Town Hall shows are available through Ticketmaster, (212) 307-4100, or www.ticketmaster.com, or by visiting The Town Hall Box Office between noon and 6PM (except Sundays) at 123 W. 43rd St., (212) 840-2824.
You may have watched SNL or tuned in to Comedy Central's The Daily Show and The Colbert Report, but when it comes to satire, you haven't seen the real thing until you have been to the CAPITOL STEPS. Famous for putting the "mock" in democracy, the CAPITOL STEPS, has irreverent charm for both sides of the aisle with its unique brand of political humor set to popular music. While the CAPITOL STEPS are renowned for poking fun at occupants of the White House, no one is safe from their satirical barbs, from Democrats to Republicans and from Congress to the Supreme Court. Formed in December 1981 by a group of Congressional staffers, the group shows that more often than not, politics are good for a laugh. Since then, the CAPITOL STEPS have recorded 29 albums, including their latest Barackin' Around the Christmas Tree and Obama Mia!. They have been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, and PBS and can be heard four times a year on NPR during their Politics Takes a Holiday specials.
CAPITOL STEPS is an equal opportunity abuser. The current cast includes former staffers from the offices of 11 senators and seven congressmen from both parties. Says cast member
Elaina Newport, "Typically, the Republicans goof up, and the Democrats party. Then the Democrats goof up, and Republicans party. That's why we call it the ‘two-party- system." The CAPITOL STEPS have twice won the Washington Area Music Association's "Wammie Award" for outstanding cabaret and musical theatre performance; and a New York Drama Desk nomination for "outstanding lyrics."
In addition to Newport, CAPITOL STEPS features the comedic and musical talents of
Brian Ash, Jon Bell, Bari Biern,
Howard Breitbart, Mike Carruthers,
Evan Casey, Andy Clemence,
Jenny Corbett,
Kevin Corbett, Felicia Curry, Nancy Dolliver,
Morgan Duncan,
Mark Eaton,
Michael Forrest, Janet Davidson Gordon, Anne Willis Hill,
Marc Irwin,
Ann Johnson, Dave Kane,
Richard Paul, Jack Rowles, Ann Margaret Schmitt, Emily Bell Spitz,
Tracey Stephens,
Bill Strauss, Mike Thornton, Mike Tilford, Brad VanGrack, Delores King Williams,
Lenny Williams and Jamie Zemarel.
CAPITOL STEPS kicks off The Town Hall's 2010 season which will include the 10th Anniversary season of Broadway by the Year®, Champions of the Dance (Feb. 26),
Judy Collins (Mar. 5),
Angelique Kidjo (Mar. 26), Lizz Wright with Richard Bona (Apr. 9), Tito and Lura (Apr. 16) and
Brian Stokes Mitchell (Apr. 17).
Built in 1921 by a group of suffragettes, The Town Hall began as a lecture hall and public forum for debates. Over the decades, the stage has been graced by
Eleanor Roosevelt, Margaret Sanger,
Billie Holiday,
Igor Stravinsky,
Bob Dylan and
Miles Davis. Today the hall flourishes as a popular, affordable venue, boasting the hottest acts in rock, pop, folk, cabaret, world music, comedy and dance, including
Billy Joel, Blondie,
Elvis Costello,
Natalie Merchant,
Graham Nash,
Liza Minnelli,
Cyndi Lauper,
Norah Jones, Andre Watts,
Henry Rollins,
Joe Jackson, Pink Martini, Regina Spector, Brian Adams, Aimee Mann and
Dawn Upshaw. For over a decade, The Town Hall has hosted live broadcasts of
Garrison Keillor's Prairie Home Companion. Over the past two-and-a-half decades, The Town Hall has produced a number of new and critically acclaimed musical series, which include The Century of Change, Not Just Jazz, Broadway By The Year® and The Broadway Cabaret Festival.
