Laughing festival

July 7th, 2017

The 2017 edition of the Just For Laughs Festival is about to start in many venues around the city. From July 15 to 30, laughter will ring out from concert hall audiences and from crowds in the street around Place des Arts. From galas to standup acts performed by big names or newcomers, here are the shows you won't want to miss.

 

ONSTAGE

Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier

Festivities begin on July 13 with the Gala Incroyable hosted by Gilbert Rozon, in which he presents artists and performances that impressed him during the latest season of the television show, La France a un Incroyable Talent.

On July 14 and 15, the classic Événement JMP with Jean-Marc Parent celebrates its 10th anniversary and it promises to be as lively and unpredictable as ever.

After last year's rivalry theme, this year's Vidéotron Galas celebrate different comedy genres. From July 16 to 24, each of the six galas will showcase a specific kind of comedy act.  For example, Laurent Paquin and Jean-Luc Lemoine will host Juste Engagé, Réal Béland will host Juste Absurde, and Léane Labrèche-Dor, Virginie Fortin and Antoine Vézina will present Juste Sketchs.

On Juste Sketchs., the Just for Laughs Festival will pay tribute to Michel Côté in a gala hosted by François Morency. This stage show will review the 40-year career of this comedian who has performed both comic and dramatic roles.

As for the English-speaking side of the comedy festival, Just for Laughs, there will be five anglophone galas, all featuring big names, such as David Spade on July 26, Rick Mercer on July 27, and Sugar Sammy's International Gala on July 27 and 28. On July 29, Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier will host two galas: Howie Mandel at 6:30 pm and Laverne Cox at 9:45 pm. On July 30, Joel McHale will host a gala. The festival will wind up on July 31 with Montreal: An Intervention Gala, a show to confront our lovable but dysfunctional metropolis.

 

Maison Symphonique

André Sauvé will be back onstage on July 21 and 22 with new texts, performed with an accompaniment by the Montreal Symphony Orchestra. Classical works performed by the orchestra will support and illustrate the humorist's disjointed universe.

On the English-speaking side, standup comedian Ali Wong will perform on July 27. On July 28, the host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, and also Africa's most popular comedian, Trevor Noah will give two must-see performances.

 

Théâtre Maisonneuve

On July 13 and 14, Jean-Michel Anctil presents supplemental performances of his show, simply called Je4n-Michel. Then on July 15, Les Morissette, the duet of Véronique Cloutier and Louis Morissette, will present their latest show in Montreal. Finally, Claudine Mercier, one of Quebec's favourite comedians, will the 5th show of her career, on July 20.

 

Also Appearing

July 26 will be the most anticipated shows of this year's festival,  a double bill with comedy icon Jerry Seinfeld and France's best-known comedian, Gad Elmaleh, at the Bell Centre. Both comedians will present original material, for one evening only, to celebrate the 35th anniversary of Just for Laughs.

This year's musical, the classic Footloose, has been staged, translated and adapted for the Just for Laughs festival by Serge Postigo, who was also behind an adaptation of Mary Poppins. The show will run until August 5 at Théâtre St-Denis.

The stage at L'Olympia will be stormed by popular English-speaking comedians, starting on July 26 with Tom Segura, recognized for his Netflix specials and his participation in various podcasts. On July 27, Chris d’Elia will appear onstage after his success in the NBC series, Undateable. Finally, Emmy award-winning author and comedian John Mulaney will appear at L'Olympia on July 29.

You will find the All Access series at Club Soda, hosted by four comedians every evening at 7 and 10 pm, with different humorists at every show. July 26 will be hosted by Mike Birbiglia, July 27 by Moshe Kasher,  July 28 by Natasha Leggero, then Wyatt Cenac will conclude the series on July 29.

 

OUTDOORS

From July 15 to 30, Place des Festivals will come alive with entertainment every night, with comedy sketches, improvisation and even music.  On July 16, the Vidéotron stage will host Plastic Bertrand, a wild Belgian singer, followed on the 17th by the Village People. July 18 will be the 4th edition of the Mado’s Got Talent show and on July 19 the famous Just for Laughs Festival celebrates comical music with none other than the OSM.

On July 20, Guillaume Wagner will perform old and new pieces and he will be preceded by Romain Frayssinet as an opening act. On July 21, P-A Méthot will perform the final show of his tour, Plus gros que nature. On July 23, Patrick Groulx will also conclude a tour, accompanied by the P'tits pas fins: Maude Landry, Sam Breton and Matthieu Pepper. Jean-François Mercier will perform on July 24,  Les Appendices will celebrate Christmas on July 25 and Sèxe Illégal invites you to the world's smallest music festival with their comedian and musician friends. Finally, on July 30, Kool & the Gang is the perfect quartet to close this year's edition of Just for Laughs.

The outdoor Loto-Québec Stage will also present several other shows: Mario Tessier on July 15, Emmanuel Bilodeau on July 20, Sylvain Larocque on July 22, Julien Lacroix and his friends Yannick De Martino, Mehdi Bousaidan and Rosalie Vaillancourt on July 28, and finally Étienne Dano and his guests on the 30th. Punch club will also be held on site on July 23 and 27 at 7 pm and 10 pm and will present many contenders.

The unmissable Twins Parade is back for its 20th year, on July 22 at Place des Festivals, with a Latina Fiesta theme.

New at the festival this year, Cinéma sur l’Esplanade will broadcast two screenings of the same movie each night, starting at 9 pm. Among others, you will be able to watch Swiss Army Man, Maggie's Plan, Goon: Le dernier des durs à cuire, and Prank.

Complexe Desjardins will offer a meeting place for the next generation of comedians. Two daily shows, Mini-midi comédie at 12:30 pm and Drôle d’apéro d’ados at 5 pm, will present shows by graduates of the École nationale de l’humour in a cabaret format.

Juste pour Ados (Just for Teens) returns on July 29 and will include such favourites as Pascal Morissette, Sarah-Jean Labrosse, Félis-Antoine Tremblay, Mehdi Bousaidan and Claudia Bouvette.

Finally, this year for the first time, the anglophone side of the festival will have its own stage for performances by local and international comics, and for video projections of the best moments from Just for Laughs galas.

 

Info: 514 845-2322 | hahaha.com

 

Bouffons MTL

Once more this year, you will be able to snack throughout the festival at Bouffons MTL, an open-air gourmet village whose honorary sponsors are chef Marc-André Jetté and sommelier Jessica Harnois. Explore the dining possibilities offered by over a dozen food trucks and restaurant kiosks, along with a handful of mobile microbreweries. Look for them from July 15 to 30, open from noon until 11 pm, on Ilot Clark, just west of Clark Street between Sainte-Catherine Street and De Maisonneuve Boulevard.

bouffons.ca