Sarah Colonna returns to her home away from home to deliver relationship humor

Sarah Colonna chuckles when recalling the support Spokane’s public transit buses have for the Seattle Seahawks. “Spokane is at the other end of the state, but everyone roots for the Seahawks, which is so cool,” Colonna said while calling from her Los Angeles home.

The veteran comic, who went national a decade ago courtesy of her appearances on her pal Chelsea Handler’s popular chat show “Chelsea Lately,” embraced the Seahawks and the Pacific Northwest after she started dating her husband, Jon Ryan, who was the punter for Washington state’s NFL team. Ryan ardently pursued Colonna, 46, before ever meeting her.

Ryan asked a mutual friend, comic Ross Mathews, if he would set them up for a date. “After seeing me on ‘Chelsea Lately,’ Jon and I started talking and texting just before the Seahawks won the Super Bowl (in 2014). When the Seahawks won, he was sending me pictures from the field,” Colonna said. “I thought that it was insane. Here’s a guy who doesn’t even really know me, and he’s sharing this huge life event that’s once in a lifetime for most football players, and he only knew from what he saw on television.”

Colonna, who will perform Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Comedy Club, spent considerable time in Washington after her relationship turned serious. “Thanks to Jon, I got to know Washington,” Colonna said. “People are so cool throughout the entire state. There’s such a great vibe there. With Jon, people would come up to him on the street and thank him for being part of the Seahawks team. And then there are the players like Russell Wilson, who was always so kind to us. He’s like an angel for all he does with the community.”

Speaking of the Angels, Colonna became a devoted sports fan since her father covered the Los Angeles Angels for the Los Angeles Times a generation ago when the franchise was known as the California Angels.

“It was the coolest thing to watch the games and go to events and meet the players because of my dad,” Colonna said. But Colonna didn’t follow in her father’s footsteps. Instead, she pursued her passion, which is comedy.

The charismatic blonde is adept at delivering stories that are relatable. Colonna is at her funniest spinning yarns about dating and marriage. “I’ve always believed that if you can tell your own story as a comic, it will always be unique. No one has my story, and I think people can connect with a lot of what I do.”

Since the pandemic started a year ago, Colonna hasn’t played out much. The only venues she has primarily performed in are Adam Norwest’s clubs in Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Norwest also owns the Spokane Comedy Club. “I know that everything will be set up properly in Adam’s clubs,” Colonna said. “I’m looking forward to being back in Spokane since I have so much new material. I haven’t been there in so long.”

Much like her father, Colonna can write. Those who have read her books, 2012’s “Life As I Blow It: Tales of Love, Life & Sex … Not Necessarily in That Order” and 2015’s “Has Anyone Seen My Pants,” know how provocative, surprising and funny Colonna can be when it comes to relationships. “I love writing the books,” Colonna said. “It’s another avenue for my humor and perspective. What’s great about what I do is that I can express myself in many ways.”

Acting is another artistic outlet for Colonna, who became a regular in the hit Showtime series “Shameless.”

“Now that has been a career highlight,” Colonna said. “I’ve always been a big fan of the show. I watched it for eight years before becoming part of ‘Shameless’ in Seasons 9 and 10. It was so intimidating at first being around all of these amazing actors. But I was welcome from the start. I remember being at my first table read, and I was taken aback and how nice everyone was to me.”

Colonna possesses some of the qualities that have enabled her aforementioned pal, Handler, to become a star. Colonna is clever and direct. “Chelsea Handler is a straight shooter,” Colonna said. “She’s the same girl I knew since I was 23. We met early on in Hollywood. She has that sass, but she also has a heart of gold. Chelsea is one of the greatest friends I’ve ever had. She comes across as kind of harsh sometimes, but if you need something, she’s always there for you.”

Handler feels strongly about Colonna. “When I had my show, it was about letting people know about my funny friends,” Handler said during a 2018 interview. “So I wasn’t surprised that people like Jo (Koy) and Sarah (Colonna) took off after having an opportunity on my show.”

Colonna, who is a distant cousin to the late comic-actor Jerry Colonna, has earned the admiration of her parents. “They were always supportive of what I do, and they’re proud of me. I love my career. There is nothing as satisfying as being able to do what you love.”

Colonna appears Friday and Saturday at the Spokane Comedy Club, 315 W. Sprague. Tickets are $12 and $22. Show times are 7 and 9:30 p.m. For more information: (509) 318-9998 and spokanecomedyclub.com.