Messenger - Vol. 4, No. 1, Page 8 1994 Poking fun at Politicians Hailing from a long line of entertainers, Ann Margaret Schmitt, Delaware '74, started singing at age 4. After graduating from the University, she played dinner theatres, had small roles on television and in films and performed as a professional cheerleader in sports stadiums. But, her big break came after she cast aside the quirky world of entertainment for a 9-to-5 job on Capitol Hill. While working for Delaware Sen. William V. Roth, Schmitt read about a troupe of Congressional staffers whose comic singing performances poked fun at Washington newsmakers and national social issues. Where could she sign up? Schmitt auditioned for The Capitol Steps in 1986 and was hired on a part-time basis when the seven-member troupe had its first opening a year later. She joined the troupe full time in 1991, and today, she's one of 18 performers. "It's sort of like Second City or Saturday Night Live. We do political skits that are set to music. We take a familiar song and spoof it," says Schmitt, who majored in sociology at Delaware. "The writers are clever with their thoughts and how they put them together. It's a very original show. They work the words into the original song as though we were singing the original song." As a member of the troupe, Schmitt has performed on Good Morning America, CBS This Morning and Entertainment Tonight. She sang the solo, "Fools on the Hill," on the Today show. She's been to the White House five times and has performed for hundreds of famous people, including Presidents Reagan, Bush and Clinton. "President and Barbara Bush were wonderful. The more you sang about him, the better. When we finished the show, he said, 'You guys were great, but you didn't do much about me. Hit me with your best shot.' So, we got up and performed some more," says Schmitt, who lives in Annapolis, Md. Washington insiders and outsiders enjoy the group's satire. Although the troupe performs regularly at a trendy nightclub in Georgetown, 90 percent of its performances are outside the Washington, D.C., Beltway. Originally, The Capitol Steps troupe performed solely in private shows for corporations and organizations. Now, its public shows are in equal demand. Schmitt says she has performed in Canada, Bermuda and Puerto Rico and has been in all but four or five of the states, recently returning from her second trip to Alaska. "Public shows are great. You know the people are coming specifically to see you. It's in a regular theatre and it's a different atmosphere," she says. "The shows are longer and there's a lot more material. We have just as much fun on stage as the people in the audience do watching us." Schmitt plays a wide range of characters, ranging from Hillary Clinton to Lorena Bobbitt. "I love being on stage. I love the applause. I love making people laugh. It's really nice, too, when after the shows, people say, 'You have a lovely voice.' And, I enjoy traveling," she says. "When we go to nice places, we sit around and say, 'We're getting paid for this?'" Capitol Steps just released its 14th album, Lord of the Fries. The title pokes fun at President Clinton's unabashed love for McDonald's fast-food restaurants. Schmitt says that one of the troupe's strengths is that all its members have worked on Capitol Hill and are familiar with the Washington scene. Before working on the Hill, Schmitt performed in off-Broadway plays as well as for dinner theatres and touring companies. She made the rounds of auditions and agent calls in both New York City and Los Angeles. She also worked as a cheerleader for the New York Cosmos soccer team. "It was a lot of fun. I performed at Giant Stadium and did a lot of personal appearances. Then, when they found out I could sing, I got to sing the national anthem a few times. I sang it in the middle of the field to more than 55,000 people at Brendan Byrne Arena and at Madison Square Garden," Schmitt says. "It's amazing," she says, "I live in Annapolis and I have a career in show business. I work really hard and I travel a lot. Basically, it's pretty great." -Marylee Sauder, Delaware '83