Capitol Steps Stepping into the Performing Arts Center in Athens, Ga.

The equal opportunity offenders are back. Masters of political satire, the Capitol Steps return to the stage of the Hugh Hodgson Concert Hall in a 8pm performance today, a week before the Presidential election that's too close to call.

The theatre company says proudly that it puts the "mock" in democracy. Members poke fun of both Democrats and Republicans in equal measure. P.J. O'Rourke said, “The Capitol Steps are what Washington would be like if everyone were smarter and could sing.”

The group began in December 1981, as a group of Senate staffers who worked for leaders such as Senator Charles Percy. They wanted to satirize the people and agencies that employed them as entertainment during a Christmas party.

According to Capitol Steps press secretary general Bill Hurd, “Their first idea was to stage a nativity play, but in the whole Congress they couldn’t find three wise men or a virgin. So they decided to dig into the headlines of the day, and they created song parodies and skits which conveyed a special brand of satirical humor.”

In the past 32 years, the Capitol Steps have recorded more than 30 albums, including Take the Money and Run — for President, their latest. The cover features caricatures of Mitt Romney and Barack Obama hauling sacks of money across a finish line.

Tickets are $44, but UGA students can get discounts. You can buy tickets online here or by calling the Performing Arts Center box office at 706-542-4400 or toll free at 888-289-8497. The performance is underwritten by the Trashy Book Club of Athens, and the media sponsor is WUGA 91.7/97.9 FM.

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