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LENOX, Mass. — If you’ve ever wanted to see Hillary Clinton belt a show tune, Donald Trump sing a rock song, or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie perform a classical ballet, The Capitol Steps might just be the show for you.
We were lucky enough to catch up with Capitol Steps (website, Facebook) writer and performer Bari Biern, who revealed the origins of the Capitol Steps , yet somehow managed to keep her own party affiliation a mystery (even off mic!). Turns out, Biern is a woman of many, many talents who’s voice you have probably heard before, even if you’ve never been to a Capitol Steps show.
The Capitol Steps
July 1 through September 2, 2016, except Tuesdays
8:00 p.m. nightly
The Harvest Barn, Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort
55 Lee Road, Lenox, Mass.
$49.00, open seating; BUY TICKETS
This week seems like the perfect time to air this episode, since politics are becoming so wild and wooly, even their madcap satire may not be able to keep pace with the craziness! But it may help us all stay sane!
Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort is offering a chance to laugh off some election-year stress throughout the summer, hosting the award-winning musical satire group The Capitol Steps for a limited run of performances, from July 1 to Sept. 2. The troupe will be the first to perform on Cranwell’s new Harvest Barn stage, a 220-seat venue.
About the Capitol Steps
The Capitol Steps began as a group of congressional staffers who set out to satirize the very people who employed them. Now in its 35th year, the show has since evolved to feature 26 actors and five pianists, who stage shows across the United States.
This year’s show is largely based on songs from The Capitol Steps’ current album What To Expect When You’re Electing, featuring tunes that give a comedic nod to some of our most pressing political issues: “Ain’t No Pipeline, Now It’s Gone,” “Hello, Is it Mitt You’re Looking For?” and “We Warm the World” among them.
The Capitol Steps’ 90-minute show will be performed nightly, excluding Tuesdays, at 8 p.m. Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort offers pre-show dining starting at 5 p.m. at its Wine Spectator Award-winning restaurant in the Gilded Age Mansion, as well as casual fare at Sloane’s Restaurant and Bar. Show tickets and an optional dinner may be reserved directly by calling (413) 881-1636, or online at cranwell.com. For more information on Capitol Steps, visit capsteps.com.
About Bari Biern
Bari Biern has been Stepping since 1993 and has appeared in several Capitol Steps off-Broadway runs. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Bari has done both feature and training films, narrated audiobooks, reviewed theatre/films for WAMU-FM and freelanced as an off-camera announcer for C-SPAN. You may recall her breathtaking interpretation the announcement, “The Senate will now stand in recess for party lunches.” Fans of the video game Star Trek: Legacy will recognize Bari as the voice of T’Uerell, the evil Vulcan scientist. She is a two-time Helen Hayes Award nominee as a playwright/lyricist and also writes opera librettos. She’s had five successful productions in DC and Philadelphia, including a recent sold-out run of her English adaptation of Abduction from the Seraglio, in which she shifted the story from 18th century Turkey to 19th century Texas. Yee-hah! Someday, Bari hopes to create an opera with a living composer, but she adores collaborating with Mozart, who loves everything she does and never asks for a rewrite!
About Cranwell Spa & Golf Resort
Cranwell Resort is a member of Historic Hotels of America, which preserves the authenticity of more than 200 of America’s most prominent historic hotels and inns, and is listed in Zagat’s Top U.S. Hotels, Resorts & Spas, among other accolades. The resort is located just over two hours from New York City and Boston in the historic New England village of Lenox, Mass. The award-winning resort features 105 distinctive guest rooms and suites, three restaurants, banquet rooms, an 18-hole historic golf course set on 380 hilltop acres, and one of the largest resort spas in the Northeast. Cranwell is partnered with Stash Hotel Rewards®, a hotel rewards program that enables travelers to quickly earn free nights at distinctive, independent hotels without blackouts or expiration date restrictions.
