Music seen, at the Merrill Auditorium, April 7, 2007
By SONYA TOMLINSON | April 11, 2007
Last Saturday night my mom offered me tickets to a show at Merrill Auditorium. The show was by a group called the Capitol Steps, apparently a staple on NPR (my favorite radio station), but I wasn’t familiar. After a quick look at the political-comedy/musical troupe's Web site, I couldn't turn down her generous offer. There’s nothing like poking fun at our current administration, right? We took our seats and people piled in right up until show time. There wasn’t an empty chair in sight. The show was opened by former governor Angus King, who reminded us that in most other countries, where free speech is not taken to so kindly, these performers would likely be in jail. The troupe came out in full force as Hillary Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, and Al Gore. This cast of mostly former Capitol Hill staffers leaves no political leaf unturned. They use their craft to expose and poke fun at those involved in a manner that’s accessible to an audience through show tunes and American classics, and with talent to boot. Accompanied by a pianist, they create parodies based on current politics, global issues, or media darlings. The impressions, choreography, and costumes are spot on. When they came out for their final bow my jaw dropped when I realized it was a mere cast of five that pumped out an hour and forty-five minutes of material and more than 25 characters. Check out their Web site at www.capsteps.com. They visit Maine just about every year, so be sure to look out for their next performance.
Topics:
New England Music News
, National Public Radio Inc., Al Gore, Angus King
