Just For Laughs festival returns to Montreal: Michelle Buteau, Chris Distefano, Robby Hoffman, Mae Martin and more
Nick Brazao, head of programming, told Yahoo Canada it's "satisfying" to be able to bring this impressive lineup to the Montreal festival. Adding that there's a lot of anticipation to see how fans respond.
"There's a lot of pieces that go into putting it together, and then once you see it all kind of happening and all being talked about, it's a good time of year," Brazao said.
For years, comedy fans haven't just seen their favourite comedians at Canadian JFL festivals, but they're unique opportunities to get exposure to talents you never knew about. Whether it's an opener you had never heard of, or the spontaneous late night stop you make hopping from show to show, it's an incredibly fun time.
"To manufacture as much as you can the discovery and the surprise aspect is, I think, a huge part of what makes festivals special and makes them worth doing," Brazao.
But with so many comedians gaining popularity and a fanbase on social media and other platforms, it all gets considered when it comes to, as Brazao described, the goal of having "something for everyone" at the festival.
"It's fun to see the effect of the internet," Brazao said. "The ability of people to reach specific pockets of audiences through social media, or through targeted platforms, whether it's Dropout improv or things like Smosh Reads Reddit stories, ... podcasting, ... through Instagram, through TikTok, or maybe more traditional comedy fans that are consuming Netflix specials and Amazon specials, ... [it's] trying to have as much of a varied landscape of that."
"People are finding ways to ... find audiences and find a relatability with people. And then now they have this opportunity in a fan base that wants to buy a ticket to see them do something. So now they have to kind of reverse engineer a show versus 15, 30, 42 years ago when the festival started, it was comedians starting with two minutes of material and going to an open mic night and turning that into five minutes of material, and turning that into 10 minutes. And if you're really good and really dedicated and brought yourself to so many audiences, you got seasoned enough to be a headlining act, and then you could hopefully be booked elsewhere."
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Just For Laughs Montréal (@jflmontreal)
Brazao also highlighted that it's significant for a comedy festival of this size to be in Canada.
"If you're in a comedy club anywhere in North America and even across the world, it's referred to as 'Montreal,' but they mean Just For Laughs, which is very cool that it's irreplaceable kind of currency in terms of brand recognition and value," he said. "So it's being able to hone that and respect that, to create something every year."
"I think any good comedy festival and any good event really embodies the DNA of the city. Montreal is a city unlike any other. ... There are a few festivals in the global footprint, like Edinburgh Fringe and Melbourne International Comedy Festival, ... but I think Canada being such a comedy home and Montreal being such a renowned stand-up place that comedians want to go to, ... now it's part of the zeitgeist."
While many of the bigger names in the history of JFL have been American, there's also a commitment to including locals, but Brazao highlighted it's about providing a space where comedians from different markets, at different stages in their comedy careers, can come together.
"When you are engaging in an activity with diverse groups of comedians that are at the top of their game, then everybody's talent level rises along with it," he said. "Ultimately, we do a lot of thinking, of trying to set people up for success. ... How do you present them in a way that sets them up for success and can help them elevate to that next level. So I think by blending everybody together, giving them the chance to rub shoulders together and to experience things together, their network is going to be built bigger."
"The best comedians are evergreen in that they could perform in front of any audience with any sort of subjective experience from whatever community they live in, but you found a way to connect with them. ... We have a responsibility to try to bridge some of those gaps, or have them open for maybe more rare or a more currently famous foreign comedian. Maybe that leads to another opportunity of them going on tour or being exposed to their fan base, and now they get more followers from having opened for whatever bigger star could be here. And then those little pieces, I think, along the way, can build up to eventually, they can have their own headlining show on their own, and it can be part of their development."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
‘Ballard' Star Courtney Taylor On Taking On First Major Drama Role In Prime Video's ‘Bosch' Spinoff
From Abbott Elementary to Insecure, Courtney Taylor continues to evolve with each role she takes on. Although she feels the most at home with comedy, whether it's in online skits or playing around with her loved ones, Taylor has always had a fascination with drama, and she loves the transformation that actors undergo while taking on various roles. Now, she will step out of her comfort zone and into the world that she's long been captivated by as she joins the popular Bosch universe by way of the Prime Video spinoff, Ballard. 'As much as comedy feels like home, I'm so happy that drama has found a way into my career and I've been able to really exercise that muscle and drama,' Taylor told Blavity's Shadow and Act in a recent interview as the series launched. On landing her first drama role 'To be a part of Michael Connelly's universe, in any way, is always super special,' she continued. 'I've loved all of his work. [The] Lincoln Lawyer, and the Bosch series itself, was always to me, very good. I was excited to be a part of this series because I think it was something that was so beautifully written, I mean the books are so good, and now that I'm involved in this project, this woman-led cold case unit that is very adamant about finding justice and caring for people, I cannot imagine playing a better role. I'm so excited that they believed in me enough to take on this role, and that I had this wonderful team of people rallying behind me.' Who is Samira Parker in 'Ballard'? Bosch focuses on Detective Renée Ballard (Maggie Q) and her work in the LAPD's cold case unit, and Taylor plays Samira Parker, who, according to a character description, is a 'wary, impulsive and tough woman with a burning desire for justice.' 'I think what makes her the most unique is her passion,' Taylor said of her character. 'I think this cold case unit that we're talking about in Ballard, it talks about the underfunded. It talks about how [the] majority of the people are volunteers and not being paid. There's an episode where she basically says that she's the only paid staff member. Ballard is the only paid staff member. Everybody else is here, but just because they're passionate about it and they want to help people and people deserve to get answers — especially people who were waiting decades for answers about their loved ones.' She added, 'I just really thought that made it completely different from anything we've seen because you get to see the gritty of it, and how passionate people have to be to work on a cold case unit.' What her acting journey has taught her so far Whether the role is big or small, Taylor understands the art of pouring herself into various characters we've grown to love. Her recurring role on Insecure as Issa Dee's assistant Sequoia, showcased her as the 'I got it covered' girl, and she also shines as Janine Teague's close friend, Erika, in Abbott Elementary. Taylor, who also had a series regular role in Netflix's Neon, says each character causes her to lend more trust in herself. 'I think I've spent a lot of time doubting me,' she said. 'I think it's so easy, especially when you're young, to be like, 'I don't know if this is good. I don't know if this is right.' But, I think as I've gotten further into this career and gotten such wonderful opportunities to work with amazing people, it's just a validation that I needed inside of me to say, 'Courtney, you are good at this and because you enjoy doing it so much, and you want it to be good, it will be good.'' Taylor added, 'It was a lot of me trusting myself. That's what I learned, personally. Professionally, I learned to be extremely flexible, to be ready to change whatever I needed to change to serve the team, to serve the people around me, to serve the cast I need to work with. I was so ready to be flexible, so ready to help when it came to like ad-libs or fun moments and stuff like that, because I wanted to be of service to everyone around me. I think that's the goal really, just to be of service to the people you're working with, so they can be of service to you.' At the end of the day, Taylor's goal is to create, whether that's in front of the camera or behind it, particularly stories that center people of color and explore narratives that are different. Ballard Season 1is now streaming on Prime post 'Ballard' Star Courtney Taylor On Taking On First Major Drama Role In Prime Video's 'Bosch' Spinoff appeared first on Blavity. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Legendary '90s Singer Shows Off Dance Moves With Major News
Legendary '90s Singer Shows Off Dance Moves With Major News originally appeared on Parade. has teamed up with Swedish DJ and music producer Sebastian Ingrosso to create a song unlike any she has ever released. For her latest tune, the "My Heart Will Go On" hitmaker is combining her past with a new style. Taking to Instagram, Dion shared a video of her showing off her dance moves in a recording studio. Dion couldn't hide her excitement as she danced to Ingrosso's new tune "A New Day (feat. Celine Dion)."It's a remix of her iconic 2002 hit single, "A New Day Has Come." ''A NEW DAY' IS OUT NOW. THANK YOU CELINE DION FOR LETTING ME BRING THIS INTO A NEW SHAPE. @celinedion,' read the caption on her joint Instagram post with Ingrosso. Fans flooded the comments section with excitement over the new collab. 'This will go down as an all time legendary edm track,' shared one fan. A different fan wrote, 'pure magic, pure bliss!' Another fan said, 'This is giving so much LIFE! 😍🤩😭.' One fan stated, 'A new day… a new story!' while a different fan expressed, 'Celine stronger than everything! ❤️.' More comments included, 'THE ICON 👑🔥🚀', 'Good vibes only,' and 'Wicked tune! 🔥👏.' According to Beatportal, Ingrosso has always been a Dion fan and especially loved her hit song "A New Day Has Come." 'I've always loved that song. I wasn't trying to remake it, just felt like that moment could live in a darker, more euphoric space," he told the outlet. Dion and Ingrosso's collab can be heard on Apple Music, Spotify, and more. Legendary '90s Singer Shows Off Dance Moves With Major News first appeared on Parade on Jul 25, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 25, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Comedian, soldier, and mathematician Tom Lehrer dies at 97
Tom Lehrer, the social satirist and mathematics professor who used music to poke at the world, died this weekend at the age of 97. Known for songs such as 'The Vatican Rag,' 'Poisoning Pigeons in the Park' and 'The Elements,' his music remained comedy staples for decades after he recorded them and influenced performers such as Weird Al Yankovic. He also was a former enlisted soldier, whose time in the U.S. Army influenced much of his musical repertoire. The mathematician and satirist died on Saturday, July 26 at his home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, according to his friend David Herder. Thomas Lehrer was born April 9, 1928. He studied piano as a child and, as a prodigy, attended Harvard at the age of 15. He earned a bachelor's and a master's degree in mathematics and became a teacher, along with working as a researcher at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory. He also began recording music, often comedy songs with a satirical bent, selling copies as word of mouth began to pick up. And then he was drafted. The songwriting mathematician with a master's degree joined the U.S. Army as an enlisted soldier in 1955. He spent his two years in the Army secretly working for the National Security Administration, which was classified at the time. He reached the rank of Specialist Third Class — or as he later remarked, 'corporal without portfolio' — and left the Army in 1957 to go back to teaching and recording. Lehrer began touring and recorded more albums, featuring some of his most iconic songs, such as 'The Masochism Tango,' 'Send the Marines' and 'We Will All Go Together When We Go.' He also worked as a songwriter and performer for several television shows before stepping back from the music scene in the 1970s to focus on academics. He wrote comedic songs, but almost all of them had a dark edge. Death and conflict played a common role in his lyrics, with the threat of nuclear war and annihilation in particular hanging over his work. During the Space Race he also took the time to lambast Werhner von Braun, the Nazi rocket scientist brought over by the military in Operation Paperclip and a major leader at NASA. 'Once the rockets are up, who cares where they come down?'/'That's not my department,' says Wernher von Braun,' Lehrer sang. Top Stories This Week Culture Top Air Force enlisted leader apologizes for uniform slip-up Top Air Force enlisted leader apologizes for uniform slip-up By Jeff Schogol Culture An Army pilot and mechanic switched units for a week. Here's how that went. An Army pilot and mechanic switched units for a week. Here's how that went. By Patty Nieberg News Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death Air Force Global Strike Command suspends use of M18 pistol after airman's death By Jeff Schogol His time in the Army influenced his works. In his 1959 live album 'An Evening Wasted with Tom Lehrer,' he joked that, now a civilian again, he is 'now, of course, in the radioactive reserve'; it was after all the 1950s and soldiers were regularly involved in rather large nuclear tests. 'And, the usual jokes about the Army aside, one of the many fine things one has to admit is the way that the Army has carried the American democratic ideal to its logical conclusion, in the sense that not only do they prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race, creed, and color, but also on the grounds of ability,' Lehrer said as an introduction to his song 'It Makes a Fellow Proud to Be a Soldier,' which he said he wrote during his service and claimed to have submitted it as a contender for the Army's official song. The track poked fun at all walks of soldiers, from intellectuals to school dropouts to career-minded officers and bad mess cooks. His military career also had one notable distinction. While in the Army and assigned to a naval base in Washington, D.C., Lehrer claims to have helped invent the modern version of the Jell-O shot. Versions had existed for years, but according to Lehrer, he combined alcohol with pre-flavored Jell-O mix. It was Christmas and he helped through a party. 'The rules said no alcoholic beverages were allowed. And we wanted to have a little party, so this friend and I spent an evening experimenting with Jell-O. It wasn't a beverage,' he told SF Weekly in 2000. 'We finally decided that orange Jell-O and vodka was the best,' he continued. Lehrer retired from teaching in 2001. He viewed his musical career as brief, noting he only wrote and recorded 37 songs in two decades. However his songs inspired several comedians and musicians, including Weird Al Yankovic. On Instagram, Yankovic wrote 'My last living musical hero is still my hero but unfortunately no longer living. RIP to the great, great Mr. Tom Lehrer.' Solve the daily Crossword
