The line-up for
this year’s Just For Laughs festival – like the excitement and anticipation
that goes with it – is growing steadily, as earlier this week, organizers
announced an additional 35 shows, which further enhances Just For Laughs not
only as one of the largest comedy festivals in the world, but also a festival
that promotes and nurtures local comedy talent.
To start off,
all-star Habs defenceman P.K. Subban, on the heels of his surprise appearance
(with the Stanley Cup) two years ago at the Seth Rogan gala, will now go to the
next level, as he hosts his very own gala called “P.K. Subban’s All-Star Comedy
Gala” on August 1 at Salle Wilfrid Pelletier of Place des Arts. Proceeds from
ticket sales will benefit the Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation.
And on the local
comedy front, Just For Laughs will feature the following shows: NDG-born actor/writer/director
Jay Baruchel, along with director Jeremy Garelick (“The Breakup”) will helm a
series of live readings of some of the best unproduced and unencumbered TV
scripts from the U.S. and Canada with the JFL/Thruline Television Staged
Readings on July 28 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel; Derek Seguin, who won last
year’s Sirius/XM Top Comic Competition, returns to Just For Laughs with a new
solo show called “Derek Seguin 43.0”; the OFF-JFL series will showcase a
selection of shows featuring Montreal comedic talent, such as Ali Hassan’s solo
show “Muslim Interrupted”, the “Best of Fringe”, “Life Lessons with Keith
Waterfield and Leighland Beckman”, Montreal Sketchfest Just For Laughs Award
winner “Ladies and Gentlemen”, “50/50”, a partially scripted, partially
improvised comedy show with members of the Montreal Improv troupe, a shoscase
of the city’s best storytellers with “Confabulation”, “The Stand Up Guide to Montreal”,
and the return of a long time Just For Laughs stalwart “The Montreal Show”.
Two Just For Laughs
favorites will be making their return to the gala stage this year. Sebastian
Maniscalco, who fronted a solo show that played 11 sold out performances last
year, makes his gala host debut on July 29 with the “Sebastian Maniscalco Are
You Serious?!? Gala”, and superstar comic Russell Peters returns after a
two-year absence to appear as a special guest at Howie Mandel’s gala, which
also takes place on July 29.
“Kids in the Hall”
member Scott Thompson makes two appearances at this year’s festival: first with
his OFF-JFL solo show “Scott Thompson: That Trigger’s Crazy”, and as the host
of the Homegrown Comics show on July 29 at Cinquieme Salle of Place des Arts.
And for fans of SNL, cast member Jay Pharoah, best known for his impressions of
President Obama, Will Smith and Denzel Washington, will host “JFL All Access
Live” for two shows on July 27 at Club Soda.
Finally, for those
devotees of comedy podcasts, Just For Laughs’ ComedyPRO series at the Hyatt
Regency Hotel’s Grand Salon will offer a series of popular comedy podcasts that
are going to be aired live and recorded live for future broadcast. The include
“Comedy Bang! Bang!” with Scott Aukerman and special guest Paul F. Tompkins
(July 29), “The Todd Barry Podcast” (July 28), “The Dork Forest” with Jackie
Kashian (July 29), “The Comedian’s Comedian Podcast with Stuart Goldsmith”
(July 30), “Truth and Iliza!” with Iliza Shlesinger (July 30), and “Guys We F****d:
The Anti Slut-Shaming Podcast” (July 30).
Tickets for these
and previously mentioned Just For Laughs shows are now on sale. For more
information or to purchase your tickets, go to www.hahaha.com. The festival runs from July 13 to August 1
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