These politicians take the stage with no end of performances.
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history
From Zang Maoxun's 《元曲选后序》 (late Ming): '而关汉卿辈至躬践排场，而傅粉墨' - 关汉卿 and other playwrights even smeared on powder and ink to act in their own plays. Originally neutral theater vocabulary; the pejorative political sense developed in the 20th century.
usage
Modern usage is usually sarcastic. 'Putting on makeup to take the stage' implies pretense, especially on the political or bureaucratic stage. The literal theatrical sense survives but is less common.
