Capitol Steps put the 'mock' in democracy

Most of their musical numbers are familiar, knee-slapping tunes, and the personalities they skewer are no less recognizable.

The Capitol Steps, a satirical troupe of former Congressional staffers, delighted their audience with a combination of irreverent skits and song parodies aimed at worldfamous politicos and personalities. The cast of five and their pianist performed last week as part of the Distinguished Speaker Series at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza's Fred Kavli Theatre in the Countrywide Performing Arts Center.

"We have a large pool including 25 performers," said troupe founder Elaina Newport, speaking as patrons gathered in the theater lobby after the show to purchase CDs and visit with the group. "This keeps us from killing each other."

Along with Newport, cast members for the Thousand Oaks performance were Andy Clemence, Janet Davidson Gordon, Mike Loomis and Mike Tilford, with pianist Dave Kane.

Now in its 26th year, Capitol Steps announced at the beginning of the evening that they put the "mock" into democracy. The troupe that attempts to be even "funnier than the U.S. Congress" first performed in December 1981 at a Christmas party in the office of former Illinois Sen. Charles Percy. Since then, they've been gathering material by monitoring events and personalities on Capitol Hill, in the Oval Office and in other centers of power and prestige around the world.

"Sometimes the party in power is funnier," Newport said. "It was hard to find a funny Democrat when Hillary (Clinton) or (Democratic National Committee chairman Howard) Dean were in the minority party. Now it's easier."

Unafraid to expose the right, left and center with their satirical humor, the song parody "Staying Alive" focused on the senior members of the U.S. Supreme Court. It's one of Capitol Steps' favorite numbers, Newport said. "It's a classic song. It was (originally) about George (H.W.) Bush and if Dan Quayle would have become president."

With time the melody's remained, but the subjects have changed. At last week's performance the song took aim at the four Supreme Court justices considered the liberal wing- Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David Souter and John Paul Stevens- and keeping them alive.

In another parody that brought laughter from the audience, "President Bush" refers to the war in Iraq: "The only way that we could win was to begin letting Rumsfeld run the insurgency."

One skit features Bush and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry as they match wits about why a chicken crosses the road. While Bush keeps it simple, Kerry makes an involved speech and never really answers the question. Bush says, "You should not cut and run." He adds, "It's hard work being a chicken."

Kerry responds, "I know I said something and I stand behind it." Vice President Dick Cheney didn't escape unscathed. "I never shot anyone accidentally," he swears.

The Bush character later says to him, "I didn't know your daughter (Mary Cheney) was Lebanese."

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Walters, Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korea's Kim Jong-il and Venezuela's President Hugo Chávez were among the many others in the news who took hits in jest.

In the show's penultimate number, "Lirty Dies," a spoonerism routine was performed. It traced recent scandals while making numerous innuendos. By the end the audience was roaring with laughter and applauding loudly.