Woman from Tülau makes it to Las Vegas with her own show

Tulaulan. It is an incredible success story full of fateful encounters, a legendary friendship, show business and a meteoric rise after a serious bout of cancer – the eventful life of Sonja Leunig from Tülau will have an unexpected happy ending just before Christmas. A show she invented and produced herself with the artist Jens Berger alias Gina de L'Amore, known from TV shows, will be shown in Las Vegas and New York at the beginning of December – “that's never happened before,” says the manager happily. There are many reasons why the trip to America is so spectacular.

A large show stage with her company SL Artistcompany, a small, tranquil Tülau with ponies, donkeys, cats and more: Welcome to the world of Sonja Leunig. She has loved the contrast since she moved to the village in the district of Gifhorn more than ten years ago. Born and raised in Augsburg, she studied psychology and also worked for a few years at the State Criminal Police Office in Munich. Then, after her first experiences at a record company, she ended up in show business. Young rock bands support her, and she has toured Germany with the rock legends KISS at times.

Dreams are her driving force. Years ago, that meant being involved in Ballermann as a manager or tour companion for artists. A dream that came true. The woman from Tülau played in the field of the big players. She is still on friendly terms with Schäfer Heinrich, who she still has under her wing in the agency. And there are even more show celebrities with whom the woman from Tülau has worked in recent years: Alex Christensen and the Berlin Orchestra, Mickie Krause, Mia Julia, Kiss, Bert Wollersheim, Schäfer Heinrich, Menderes, Meat Loaf, Markus, Original Milli Vanilli and Ayman are among them.

By chance to the next dream

A coincidence then led to the next dream: About seven years ago, Sonja Leunig was privately in a restaurant in Fallersleben and saw a show by Gina de L'Amore. And she was gobsmacked. “What is someone like that doing in Fallersleben – they belong on the big world stage,” she said of her skills. Voice, charisma, showmanship – all of this fascinated her so much that she sought contact with the drag artist. He is not an expert at dressing up like a woman who then cracks rude jokes. No, Jens Berger alias Gina makes the crucial difference. And that's why she made him a promise back then: “I'll make you big. If I get you under contract, you'll always be able to pay your rent.” The artist, who was already a candidate on Voice of Germany, is now a friend of the family. As Gina de L'Amore, she has been on numerous Aida cruises, and the duo has put on appearances at renowned theaters with various show programs.

And now it gets sad: About three and a half years ago, Sonja Leunig became very ill. Cancer, tumors that made us fear the worst. Sonja Leunig took on the fight for survival – and won. Also because a dream became her driving force again. “I asked myself what else I wanted to do.” Off to the world stage, off to Las Vegas. Not just any old way, but with a show program she wrote herself, “Gina's Christmas Comedy Show – Live!”, tailor-made for the artist.

How does that work? Do you just call Las Vegas? “Oh yes, I really did call all the casinos where the big shows are on. I spent a year knocking on all the doors,” she says, laughing. “We have everything here,” was the most common response. “No, you don't, not a drag show from Germany,” she countered. They didn't give up until she was happy. In Las Vegas – and, as the artist herself had wished, on Broadway in New York. Being allowed to tour from Germany to America with her own solo show is unique, says Sonja Leunig. To do this, she had to get a special permit from the artists' guild in America through a law firm. It arrived last week. “I had to take a deep breath first.”

The German ambassador in New York has also announced his attendance. Before the show can be admired, people will be able to gather in Barwedel at the beginning of December. “My home game,” says Sonja Leunig with a laugh. On November 16, Don Tango will be the setting for the program, this time in German. There will be two shows in the Las Vegas Downtown Notoriety Theater and six shows in New York at the Soho Playhouse Off-Broadway Theater, as well as two shows in the world-famous Broadway Comedy Club. “Gina's Christmas Comedy Show” takes the audience into the world of the magical Christmas spirit with German Christmas flair, stand-up comedy, live singing, and imaginative costumes. Just in time for Christmas, the woman from Tülau will return home to her farm with the animals – “my balance to the world of shows,” she says.

AZ/WAZ