Wanda Sykes' focus shifts after big life changes

March 01–Wanda Sykes fans should see something different from the comedian when she hits the Peabody Opera House stage next week.

Much has happened in her life the past few years. She came out as a lesbian in 2008, got married, and her wife gave birth to twins in 2009. And last year, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and had a double mastectomy.

All of that changed her focus.

“I came from this total independent woman running around doing her own thing to now being in this world, trying to balance the career, kids, being married and all,” she says. “It’s nuts.

”Right before the kids, I had just remodeled the house. … Now with the kids, it’s like hiring an interior decorator to come in and (screw) up your house, ‘Oh, we need crayon on this now.’“

She says that with all of the changes in her life, her shows are more relatable.

”Now that I have kids and everything, they just take over your life. It’s a game changer. Before, I used to be very political and knew what was going on. Now with the kids, I know more about what’s going on with ‘Sesame Street’ than Wall Street.“

Sykes says her life is providing more natural comic fodder, from having white babies to having a French wife.

”We got everything going on here, and it’s funny,“ she says. ”I’ve said I didn’t like ‘The Help.’ It was hard for me to cook fried chicken for my white babies after that movie. It was too close to home.“

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