Four Inane Questions with singer/actress Shon Ruffin
Shon Ruffin. // Photo by Dave Brick
Been to a wedding, corporate event, philanthropic endeavor, or musical since the pandemic? Odds are Shon Ruffin was there performing her heart out. The small-but-mighty Kansas City native is a dynamo on the stage and/or behind the mic. She tells us she has a slew of musical theater shows under her belt, including West Side Story (Spinning Tree), Hairspray (New Theatre Restaurant), and Dreamgirls in Concert (Black Rep Theater).
But for the last seven years, she’s also been belting out your favorite dance-tastic hits as a member of two popular (and ever-present) house bands, Lost Wax and 2Proud2Beg. As if that weren’t enough, she’s proudly the newest member of The Freedom Affair.
“They’re one of the funkiest original bands in KC! I will be hitting the stage with them on New Year’s Eve at the recordBar,” she says. “There’s nothing I enjoy more than spreading joy with my music and performing.”
We hit up the songstress extraordinaire—and human jukebox—between gigs to bombard her with our bonkers questionnaire. She rocked it. Pun intended.
The Pitch: What’s the single best line ever delivered on a TV show?
Shon Ruffin: I have watched How I Met Your Mother more than I can count. Lily’s character—who I relate to the most—was inconveniently wanting to go to art school but was confronted by her friend about abandoning her life as she knows it.
The beautifully delivered quote is, “Okay, yes, it’s a mistake. I know it’s a mistake. There are certain things in life where you know it’s a mistake, but you don’t really know it’s a mistake because the only way to really know it’s a mistake is to make the mistake and look back and say, ‘Yep, that was a mistake.’ So really, the bigger mistake would be to not make the mistake because then you’ll go your whole life not really knowing if something is a mistake or not …”
I love to remember this quote when I am scared of the unknown. And, boy, have I made some mistakes in life!
If you were a cookie, what kind of cookie would you be?
I’m usually not a sweets person—but Crumbl cookies have me in a chokehold. Any cookie that has salted caramel on it. I can be super sweet, and I give you a gleaming caramel glow every summer, but I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t have a little salt on top, honey! And make it a mini—because if you know me, I’m under five feet. [laughs]
Who’s your favorite villain of all time?
The villain that comes to mind and is fresh is Homelander from The Boys. I love that show. It keeps me on the edge of my seat, and the actor Antony Starr does an amazing job at the nuances of being selectively and secretly demented. It’s not lost on me that the image of this villain says so much. He’s the most non-threatening person but is one of the worst villains I’ve ever seen.
What song note could you only hit if you were a lil’ tipsy and doing karaoke, but not necessarily in real life?
Fun fact: I’m not a huge fan of karaoke, but I enjoy being with friends who do. So, when I’m hiding at home with friends or family, I will squeeze out some “Loving You” by Minnie Ripperton.
After a glass of Woodford Reserve neat in my mind, my whistle tone for “Emotions” will give Mariah a run for her money. If you have a recording of this, I will deny it’s me!
