Last Laugh with Elaina Newport

After 40 years of putting the MOCK in democracy, the Capitol Steps decided to disband and finally "give up their day jobs." Join us for one last guffaw with founding member Elaina Newport as she discusses the highlights of (and high jinks behind) the cutting political humor that made the Steps a beloved touring mainstay. Michael Alexander and producer Sarah Spitz interview. An audience Q&A follows.

Recently, the musical political satire troupe the Capitol Steps announced that, after four decades of "putting the MOCK in democracy," they are shutting down and will not be performing live anymore, saying "Like many in the entertainment business, we simply weren't built to survive going a year or more without live performances."

The Capitol Steps made their first appearance on the Beckman Auditorium stage in 1991, and have appeared at Caltech every year since then except last year, when our planned shows were canceled due to pandemic restrictions. After all these years, it's hard to imagine a CaltechLive! performing arts series that doesn't close with performances by the Capitol Steps. Tens of thousands of Caltech audience members have shared almost three decades of laughs at the expense of both the left and the right but, of course, to everyone's benefit; laughter is, after all, the best medicine!

Happily, we get to have "One Last Laugh with Elaina Newport" on Saturday, May 8 at 5:00 p.m. PDT.

A founding member of the Capitol Steps, Elaina has been with the group since 1981. She has stories to tell.

Elaina will be interviewed by Michael Alexander and Sarah Spitz, who spent 28 years as a producer and Publicity Director at KCRW public radio. Spitz produced the Capitol Steps for national broadcast.

We hope you will join us for this free event. It promises to be an evening of fond remembrances, storytelling and, of course, laughter.

▶︎ MAKE A FREE RESERVATION

Can't wait? Get a taste of the Steps (or revisit old favorites) on their YouTube channel. And you'll find recent audio on their website.

Fill out the form below to reserve your space for Last Laugh with Elaina Newport. Michael Alexander and producer Sarah Spitz will interview Elaina as she discusses the life and times of the Capitol Steps, the wildly popular musical political satire troupe she helped found, beginning at 5:00 p.m. PDT on Saturday, May 8. An audience Q&A will follow.