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Expertise
I can answer questions about The Capitol Steps, a political (mostly musical) satire group based in Washington, DC which performs in Washington, around the U.S., and four times a year on public radio. I can answer questions about who is performing which role in Capitol Steps sketches and songs on albumns and can help identify a routine (and which albumn or radio show includes it) based on partial lyrics. I can also provide tips and suggestions for those interested in writing and performing spoonerism-based comedy similar to the Steps` "Lirty Dies."
Experience in the area
I have been a Capitol Steps fan since about 1995. I own all the albumns and have listened to each dozens of times. I have particularly studied (and particularly admire) the "Lirty Dies" routines and I have written and performed material of this sort. Despite the fact that I live halfway across the U.S. from Washington, I've attended many live Capitol Steps performances, including several at their permanent locations in the DC area.
Average Ratings
Recent Reviews from Users
K = Knowledgeability C = Clarity of Response P = Politeness| User | Date | K | C | P | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| jason | 01/22/12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | very good, i didnt even think to ..... |
| Adam | 11/12/11 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thank you very much for your advice! |
| Brian | 10/11/10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | Really good advice. I feel like I've ..... |
| Mike | 05/18/10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | |
| Liz | 02/22/10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | Thanks for the advice, Tom! I really ..... |
Recent Answers from Tom
2012-01-12 writing a joke by starting at the punchline:
Jason -- Thanks for your message, and I apologize for the delay in my response (wasn't due to a problem with what you asked -- just my life getting too busy!). This is a good question. I don't have
2011-08-27 Writing comedy:
Brandon -- Thanks for your message, and I apologize for the delay in my response. You express a very common and important problem -- lots of us who are funny in a spontaneous way have no idea how
2011-02-08 sense of humor:
Jack -- Thanks for your good question. I think it is sometimes difficult when other people seem to be able to exhibit a sense of humor in groups very easily. I know that in school I was very shy in
2010-12-24 Comedy Writing Rules:
Jarel -- I'll give two rules, but they really only apply to the spoonerism-based comedy that I've done myself: (1) The underlying story needs to be something the audience is pretty familiar with
2010-12-24 Improv in StandUp:
Jarel -- Both are important, just for different reasons. Nobody who performs a lot comes up with a fresh set of material for each audience, so most (almost all) of your routine is going to be stuff
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