Despite conflicts with Super Bowl Sunday, weather and parking, the UCM benefit performance of Capitol Steps went on as planned. More than 400 people attended the event held Sunday at Good Shepherd Catholic Church.
This traditional event has been held on the first Sunday in February for the past 11 years; nobody realized last year when they booked year 12 that the NFL had added another week of games. Thus, the conflict with Super Bowl Sunday.
As it turned out, it was just fine. The show ended at 6:20 p.m., giving people time to hurry home for the 6:25 p.m. kickoff. Most chose to stay to see if they had won one of three gift baskets assembled by Maria Lewan and her committee. Each one was valued at well over $500 and contained items donated from local stores, restaurants, beauty salons and UCM members.
Lucky winners were Joan Gros, Paula Coupe and Pat Jackson.
Uffe and Joy Mikkelsen from Roseina's provided the food platters that were served to guests at the reserved tables. Platters consisted of vegetables and dip, jerk chicken, crab cakes and sausage in pastry.
BEFORE THE SHOW began, Friends of UCM President Diane Tollefson thanked all the board and committee members. Committee chairs Gale Curcio and Maureen McGuire-Kuletz then presented a check to the UCM executive director; the gross proceeds from the show were approximately $50,000.
Capitol Steps then took to the stage and started out with "Dem Medley," a series of tunes about the various Democratic candidates running for the party's nomination. Lieberman, Kerry, Edwards, Clark and Dean were all poked fun of and then they went on to more pressing political issues.
They sang about Saddam, "Spider Hole;" Rush Limbaugh, "Wish I was on Oxycontin;" Arnold Schwarzenegger, "The Fondler;" Bill and Hillary Clinton, "My Way;" and Condoleezza Rice, "Condoleezza."
Some tunes were repeated from last year, like the "Shoe Bomb" and the vignette on Martha Stewart's prison cell.
New this year were "Mad Cow," featuring two performers with cow costumes singing about the disease and "God Bless My SUV," which talked about being able to drive only 5 mph, but being able to fit 102 people; not having to stop at Starbuck's because they already had one in the SUV and having their own zip code.
The "lirty dies" routines are always a big hit, and this year was no exception. Jichael Mackson came up repeatedly during the routine as did many of the other standards. The first of the two routines ended on the note that we would go "sporward as a fecies."
Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Arafat, Sharon — they were all on the chopping block in the second half.
A decision will be made this month about a date for next year's Capitol Steps performance. Check the UCM website, www.ucmagency.org for more information.