Every year, the Washington D.C. comedy troupe Capitol Steps descends on Tacoma and Olympia, bringing with it a full bag of political humor and clever song parodies about things that rhyme with Scalia. Major laughs ensue. Elaina Newport cofounded the troupe in 1981 while working for Illinois senator Charles H. Percy. Newport and a few coworkers decided to make fun of their bosses during the senate office Christmas party. Reagan had just been sworn into office, and his campaign chief of staff, Ed Meese, was appointed to the president's cabinet. So ... the first show had Ed Meese in The Meeseketeers and a song about big defense spending, "Immense Expense Is Mainly in Defense." This weekend, the Steps return to the South Sound, no doubt full of new material thanks to a whole year of new inspirations - American political attack ads, Obama administration's drone wars, NSA spying scandal, Bridgegate. ...

THE CAPITOL STEPS, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 25, Washington Center, 512 Washington St., Olympia, $17.50-$52, 360.753.8586

THE CAPITOL STEPS, 3 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 26, Pantages Theater, 901 Broadway, $19-$69, 253.591.5894