On Sunday, Jan. 6, the political satire comedy troupe known as “The Capitol Steps” performed in Russell Theatre. The group says they put the “mock” in “democracy,” and audiences seemed to agree.

The Capitol Steps was founded in 1981 by a group of staffers who worked for the Senate and wanted to make fun of the people and ideas they noticed in government. Using current headlines and former news, the group performs parody songs and skits for approximately an hour and a half.

The main demographic the troupe attracts are adults aged 30 and over, but there was a reasonable turnout of teenagers in the audience. It should be noted that some of the audience may not have shown up because it was the same night as the Redskins vs. Seahawks game. Proceeds from ticket sales went to benefit the All-Night Grad party, as well as the Drama department. 

“I am so inspired by ‘The Capitol Steps’ actors because of their musical ability in addition to acting and improvisation. If something goes wrong, they just go with it!” junior Katie Rogers said.

Throughout the show, the cast used the music from popular songs such as “Under the Sea” and “Rich Girl”and changed the lyrics to satirize political figures from Osama bin Laden to Michelle Obama. The cast also performed their versions of Obama and Romney debates, focusing on the largely criticized performance of moderator Jim Lehrer during the first presidential debate. The show can be compared to “Saturday Night Live,” but in more of a musical format.

The audience warmly accepted the performers, with laughs erupting after every joke. Laughs came from adults more than teens, which could be due to their more developed awareness and understanding of current and past events. The cast managed to stay true to character although one could tell they were trying to hold back their own laughter at some parts. The total cast  is comprised of five actors who each portrayed several characters throughout the show and displayed their own talents.

One segment of the show featured one of the cast members performing “word-initialization-rejuxtaposition,” or flipping their words (whipping their flurds) to create second meanings. The segment was one of the longer ones of the night and the jokes only escalated as time went by.

One thing is for sure – “The Capitol Steps” was well received by the audience and would be welcomed back by many anytime.