Comedy Salad with Buddah #16 Sonya White

Funny, pretty, personable...the complete package.

I'm gonna need to see some ID, please, young lady.

Where do you find a big city girl with a dash or two of southern sass? Chicago, the last time I checked. Originally from the south, Sonya White has graced comedy stages for years and she is extra special to me as she was the first headliner I ever worked with when I was offered a surprise guest set at Mason City Limits Comedy Club on a cold winter night back in 2008. Even though I slightly bombed you never would have known that when I met her immediately off stage. She was professional and gracious to me to say the least. Since that night I have hosted a pair of shows she has headlined and last year I was her feature act at that very same club, upon her request, which made me feel a bit fuzzy on the inside. Enough about Buddah. Sonya White has a star spangled comedy career which includes appearances on "Last Comic Standing" (season 4), CMT's "Southern Fried Chicks", "Star Search", Oxygen network's "Girls Behaving Badly", WGN TV, HBO and Comedy Central. And I am sure you have heard her voice over the airwaves on "The Bob And Tom Show". She has worked with comedic talents Lewis Black and Kathy Griffin among many others and over the years has several comedy festival appearances under her belt. Her unique comedy stylings have led her to sharing stages with musical acts such as Tina Turner, Bonnie Raitt, Naomi Judd, The Robert Cray Band, Gloria Gaynor and The Drifters. I caught up with Sonya and asked her six questions and then she threw a real thinker back at me. Read on to see what we had to say...



BUDDAH: What is the proudest moment of your standup comedy career, to date?



SONYA: My proudest moment? HMMMMM...when I realized I could make a living doing comedy- eat, drink, travel, buy a home, a car and meet nice people all under one umbrella...my job to make people laugh.



BUDDAH: What made Sonya White want to be a standup comic?



SONYA: What made me wanna do standup came by accident. I was an improv artist first, and once we were running late due to technical difficulty. I was asked to "entertain" the crowd with some jokes or impersonations until show time. I did and got a good response. I grew from the experience and thought wow, now I don't have to split my paycheck five ways! It was then I became a standup artist. (Growth came from doing a second show that same night years later. The troupe said "hey, go out and entertain the crowd again. That went well with you opening." I did and when I stepped out on stage IT WAS THE SAME AUDIENCE ALL OVER AGAIN- gulp!)



BUDDAH: When you go out on the road what is the one thing you always take with you and what is the one thing you leave behind that you wish you could take with you?



SONYA: When I go out on the road I always take my dog "Lovey" if I can- and if I can't I wish she was with me. She is my companion.



BUDDAH: We are making a movie about your life. So what would the title of this flick be and who would star as you?



SONYA: If we were making a movie about my life the title would be "Dancing Alone" and it would be a Dramedy. Someone who can make ya laugh and cry will play me...audition PINK.



BUDDAH: Where is your dream vacation spot and why?



SONYA: My dream vacation is staying home and being with friends or family cause all I do is travel.



Okay, maybe an all expense paid trip to Hawaii for a week of sun and surf and exotic food. A massage once a day and relax and let come what may...no sharks please.



BUDDAH: Where would you like a gift card from? (no I am not buying you one!...haha).



SONYA: I would like a gift card from any spa in the country as I love to relax with body pampering. I really enjoy infused water with lime or cucumber and love calming effects of pan flute music.



Sonya's turn...Question for you Buddah? Do you plan on moving to a bigger city to pursue comedy? Where do want to be in the next five years? For me it has been a "riding waves" ebb and flow where the tides kinda bend like a palm tree success story in comedy. Willing to try different venues mold to the type of crowd in these places. I never thought I would do cruise ships but have added them to my repertoire.



BUDDAH: I dig the big cities like Denver, St. Louis and Chicago but my current day job keeps me entrenched in central Illinois where our former governors learn how to do inmates laundry and make license plates (I believe Gov. Rod Blagojevich made my current vanity plate). If I am able to retire from my boring day life (IN THE NEXT 3-5 YRS) I plan to hit the road further away from home much more often, but unlike you I am leaving our dogs Dick and Dick Jr. (that's really what I call them) behind.



Sonya has had a busy summer working her craft on Royal Carribean Cruise ships during July-August. Lets hope her canine friend Lovey isn't sea sick. What's on deck for Sonya? Vegas, baby! And after that during October thru December 1st she will begin a theatre tour with Southern Fried Chicks. Go see her spot on impersonations of female country stars and other celebrities. Her show is a fun ride for all. Now cue the pan flute music.