Caped crusaders
Pols unite in super spoof
April 11, D.C.'s Arena Stage hosts its annual benefit featuring political and media celebs in a spoof of the movies, the zeitgeist and -- gasp! -- themselves.
This year's caper, "Capital Crusaders," rides the wave of comicbook superheroes gone celluloid.
How's this for low concept: Ming the Merciless, Lex Luthor, the Joker and Catwoman team up for some epic mischief-making while Wonder Woman, Spider-Man and the Dynamic Duo are attending a superhero continuing education seminar in the Caymans?
Enter the GOPs (Guardians of Perseverance) and the DEMOs (Defenders of Eternal Might and Order), normally philosophical adversaries who unite to save the world! Or something like that.
Weighing in for the DEMOs will be Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) as the Honolulu Hulk, Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.) as the Brooklynator and former 82nd Airborne grunt Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) as Super Paratrooper.
Joining them from the GOPs is Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas) as the Texas Titan, along with Reps. Jim Kolbe (R-Ariz.) and Mark Steven Kirk (R-Ill.) as the Appropriators.
Talking heads Mort Kondracke and Fred Barnes and NPR star Nina Totenberg will play -- big stretch here -- journos covering the struggle between good and evil. Meanwhile, Senate Commerce Committee chairman Ted Stevens appears as Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ted Stevens.
But wait, what about the backstage drama? Longrunning cast member -- celeb bio author Kitty Kelley -- wasn't asked back this year. Kelley, who played Kitty Galore in the 2003 benefit, "Dr. Thunderfinger: Living Twice Another Day Is Not Enough," claims Republicans insisted on her exclusion because of her critical book on the Bush family.
Not true, says Arena a.d. Molly Smith, who told a reporter this year's show -- like all others, scripted and staged by D.C. playwright-director Nick Olcott -- simply lacked a role for "a gorgeous blond."
Proceeds fund Arena's outreach programs for area children, who have no idea of the bad acting done on their behalf.
