“Fearless, vulnerable, and accepting” on display as Susanna Lee’s standup returns to The Comedy Club of Kansas City
Flier for Susanna Lee and Friends. // Courtesy of Susanna Lee
Susanna Lee, joined by fellow KC comics Anna May Smith, DJ Hairston, and AJ Marroquin took over the intimate space of The Comedy Club of Kansas City’s projection room [1130 W 103rd St.] on Jan. 27. They grab the spotlight again tonight for two more shows at 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.
We spoke with the show’s organizer and headliner, Susanna Lee.
Originally from K.C.—and now a resident yet again—she followed life to LA where she performed stand-up, worked in the sex industry, taught yoga, and bartended. The grab-bag of lives lived simultaneously informs her diverse and unexpected material.
Life brought Lee back home to K.C. after her mom started to experience serious health complications, which Lee supported her through until her passing. Lee’s thankful to be back home and a part of the KC comics scene.
“There are some really wonderful comedians in Kansas City, and I’m fucking fortunate to be a part of a supportive comedy community here,” Lee says. “It’s diverse and high-quality.”
Lee’s newest material approaches unknown territory for her. “It’s stuff that’s not easy for me, which has been really exciting, after 25 years of performing—to finally get to a place where I’m more comfortable addressing things that are more authentic to me and where I’m at.”
Lee considers her comedic craft as an art form that’s completely free of others’ judgment and is solely a means to express herself and reflect on her life. “Art has to come from a place you care about, art has to come from a place deep inside of you, it has to come from a place of meaning.”
When asked to describe the new material she’s performing at The Comedy Club in three words, she responds: “Fearless. Vulnerable. Self-accepting.”
Susanna Lee & Friends are performing again twice tonight, with tickets here.
Be on the lookout for Lee’s new recurring monthly show, Big Fun at Big Mood at Big Mood Natural Wines [2020 Baltimore Ave, Suite 102] on the last Wednesday of every month.
