Four questions with local comedy luminary Tanyalee Davis

By Julie Seabaugh

Thursday, Aug. 28, 2008 | midnight

How successful was your spinal surgery [see the Weekly’s May 29, 2008 “Small Wonder” feature], and how has the recovery process been?

The surgery was a success. After I woke up in recovery, my feet felt brand new, and I didn’t have any tingling in my legs, so I knew that part was good. It’s a long road to recovery, but I’m doing really well.

Any new outlook or lease on life or big goals that the surgery’s given you?

Uh, no. I didn’t have a big revelation or anything. But not being onstage for three months now has been driving me nuts. Mentally it’s been very difficult. Physically I’m doing great, but mentally I’m starting to lose it just a little bit, because I’m really affected when I haven’t been onstage. [My husband] Marty notices that I get really depressed even though I’m doing so well physically, and I’m really pushing myself. I just get in this funk that I can only cure by the endorphin release of being onstage, so I’m very anxious to get back.

This being your first time back onstage, any new material to look forward to or any other surprises you’ll be pulling out?

There’s definitely material from this experience. I don’t have any set jokes yet; it’s basically one of those thing where I’m just going to get up, talk about what happens and see what flows out of my mouth, how the nurses acted and how not being able to wash your hair for 15 days straight is really disgusting.

What else do you have coming up this fall?

My Little People, Big World I believe airs in October, I’m featuring at Fitzgerald’s September 11-16, I’m doing the Vancouver Comedy Festival between the 17th of September and the 21st, I have a doctor’s appointment in California on the 22nd, and then I go back overseas October 7-November 2. Back to the U.K., yee-haw!

The LA Comedy Club’s One-Year Anniversary Weekend. August 29-31, 7:30 and 9:30 p.m., $30. Trader Vic’s at Planet Hollywood, 275-3877.