Sunday Brunch issues," says Felber, 35, who also con- tinues his comic performances on the stage. "I'm a news junkie, so I keep tabs on what is going on, and I've noticed, for example, that people in the administration try to give simple reasons for going to war with Iraq." Felber, a member of the sketch com- edy team performing as the Irwin Smalls Trio, has written for the PBS program Wishbone and is working on development deals for his first screen- play, Women Are From. A graduate of Tufts University, where he majored in English, Felber performed with Improv Boston before moving to New York in 1993 and joining comedy troupes, which opened him up to being spotted for the radio program. "I've been more influenced by Jews than Judaism," says Felber, who joined Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me just a few months after its start about five years ago. "My idols represent the range of comedy — from the Marx Brothers to Neil Simon." Brad Vangrack, whose own work has ranged from dinner-theater performances to an episode of The West Wing, writes, performs and checks technical equip- ment for the Capitol Steps as the group goes on tour. The idea for the troupe, which also makes recordings, came from three senatorial aides in Washington doing a political song-and-dance parody during a 1981 Christmas party. 'We've been hoping that George Bush would get into a sex scandal, but we haven't been very lucky about that," jokes Vangrack, 43, who majored in theater at the University of Maryland and was introduced to the troupe through a friend some 10 years ago. "We read lots of newspapers and watch lots of television to come up with ideas for our show." Vangrack, whose wife is Catholic but is raising their children Jewish, has worked on the troupe's songs related to Israeli-Palestinian issues. He says the troupe tries to be nonpartisan in its humor and stays alert to sensitive issues as members turn popular lyrics into comedy messages about current events. "It's great to get applause, but laughs are what really count," Vangrack says. "I also realize that only a great country could have a group like this." ❑ The Ann Arbor Summer Festival runs June 13-July 7 at the Power Center (tickets required) and the Top of the Park (free). $25-$50. For more information, call (734) 647- 2278 or go to wvvvv.mlive.coin/aasf. For tickets, call (734) 764 2538 or go to wwwmlive.com/aasf. Festival Highlights Highlights of the Ann Arbor Summer Festival, all taking place at the Power Center in Ann Arbor, include. June 14-15 -- MOMIX in Baseball: a multimedia dance pres entation. June 17 — Orchestra Baobab: a fiision of Cuban and African sounds. June 18 The Django Reinhardt New York Festival: a tribute to the legendary Gypsy guitarist and jazz violinist Stephanie Grappelli. June 19 --- Preservation Hall Jazz Band: music of the New Orleans French Quarter. June 21 Trinity Irish Dance Company: traditional and contem- porary Celtic dance. June 22 The Flaming Idiots: juggling, whip-cracking and bal- loon-eating vaudevillians. June 25 Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Paul Keller Orchestra: an evening of.jazz. June 26 Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me: live taping of an NPR favorite. June 27 --- Peter Schickele Meets PDQBach: The Sequel with the Ann Arbor Symphony: twisted clas- sics. June 28 — Nadja Salerno- Sonnenberg, Sergio and Odair Assad: violinist and Brazilian classi- cal guitar duo join forces. June 29 Doc Watson (with opening act, the Alison Brown Quartet): the world's foremost flat- picker guitarist. June 30 The Nylons: a cappella ensemble. July 2 and 3 -- Dances with Piano with Mikhail Baryshnikov: an evening of solo, modern dance. July 4 — The Capitol Steps: politi- cal satire in comedy and song. 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