Nazareth College Arts Center to continue popular New Year's Eve tradition with two shows by The Capitol Steps

ROCHESTER, NY (11/28/2016)(readMedia)-- The Nazareth College Arts Center is proud to present The Capitol Steps on Saturday, December 31, 2016, at 2 and 6:30 p.m. in the Callahan Theater. This is the troupe's 22nd annual performance at the Arts Center, making it one of Rochester's favorite New Year's Eve traditions.

SCHEDULING UPDATE FOR MEDIA: This year, the Arts Center will offer a 2 p.m. matinee performance instead of the 10 p.m. show as in previous years.

Visit naz.edu/arts-center/newsroom/ for photos. The troupe is available for advance phone interviews.

THE PERFORMANCE

Who couldn't use a good laugh right about now? Just in time, The Capitol Steps return to the Arts Center for a New Year's Eve tradition of politically based satire ripped from current headlines! Now in its 35th year, the troupe has recorded an album a year, including its latest, What to Expect When You're Electing, which features the greatest hits of the 2016 campaign-Donald Trump singing a rock song, Bernie Sanders singing a show tune, Hillary Clinton doing stand-up comedy, and a farewell to President Obama.

The celebrated comedy troupe was founded in 1981 by a group of Senate staffers who set out to satirize the people and places that employed them by setting beltway politics and scandals to popular music. The formula is simple: take current events and the foibles of politicians-both national and international-and set them to pop, rock, folk, and show tunes to generate a laugh.

The troupe is also adamantly bi-partisan. Says founding member Elaina Newport, "Typically the Republicans goof up, and the Democrats party. Then the Democrats goof up and the Republicans party. That's what we call the two-party system."

The Capitol Steps have performed for the last five Presidents, won four awards for Best Cabaret/Musical Theatre from the Washington Area Music Association, been named Best Live Theater by the Washington Post Readers' Choice Awards, won a WUSA-TV A-List Award for Best Comedy Club, and been named "Best Place to Take an Out of Towner" in two Washington City Paper Reader Polls. The troupe has also been nominated for a prestigious Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lyrics, have been featured numerous times on prime-time TV, and can be heard nationwide four times each year on their National Public Radio specials, "Politics Takes a Holiday."

TICKETS

The Capitol Steps often sell-out; advance ticket purchase is strongly suggested. Single tickets to The Capitol Steps are $45-$75. For tickets call – or visit – the Box Office: 585-389-2170 or order online: naz.edu/arts-center.

The Nazareth College Arts Center Box Office is located on campus at 4245 East Avenue, Rochester, New York, 14618. Regular box office hours are Monday-Friday, 11am-5pm and 11am until curtain time on performance days.

SPONSORS

The Nazareth College Arts Center is a non-profit institution whose series sponsors are The Max and Marian Farash Charitable Foundation and M&T Bank. The performance by The Capitol Steps is sponsored by Margaret R. Colacino and Jim and Flower Leo.

THE NAZARETH COLLEGE ARTS CENTER

Since 1967, the Nazareth College Arts Center has served as a venue and educational resource for students, educators, artists, and audiences of all ages to create, study, and experience the visual and performing arts. The Arts Center's subscription series and K-12 school performance series provide area residents of all ages with opportunities to experience world-class dance, multi-cultural entertainment, family programming, music, theatre, and special events. The Departments of Art, Music, and Theatre and Dance, present exceptional productions, recitals, and exhibitions, which are open to the public, while preparing students for successful careers in arts-related fields.

The Nazareth College Arts Center is the performance home of the Rochester City Ballet and world-renowned Garth Fagan Dance; and is home to the Bach Children's Chorus.

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