{"id":794875,"date":"2026-07-11T11:07:16","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T11:07:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/794875\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T11:07:16","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T11:07:16","slug":"brownstein-top-10-just-for-laughs-picks-signal-montreal-comedy-fests-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/794875\/","title":{"rendered":"Brownstein: Top 10 Just for Laughs picks signal Montreal comedy fest’s comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWeird Al\u201d Yankovic is coming back for another free outdoor show at Montreal\u2019s Just for Laughs \u2014 and so it seems that this 44th\u00a0festival, running July 15 to 26, is also on the comeback trail after a rocky, near-calamitous ride a few years back.<\/p>\n

Yankovic, performing July 25 at 9 p.m. at Place des festivals, brought the venue down, despite inclement conditions, at the 2015 JFL. The fest that summer \u2014 the 33rd edition \u2014 also appeared to hit its highest gear yet, bringing down indoor and outdoor venues alike and featuring an unprecedented array of stars:\u00a0Mike Myers, Trevor Noah, Kevin Hart, Dave Chappelle, Bill Burr, Jane Lynch, Patton Oswalt, Colin Jost, Tom Papa, J.B. Smoove, Margaret Cho, Jimmy Carr, Gilbert Gottfried,\u00a0Sebastian Maniscalco, Janeane Garofalo, Hasan Minhaj.<\/p>\n

Fans are likely still salivating over that lineup. But times have changed over the ensuing years. Really changed.<\/p>\n

COVID came and took a devastating toll on JFL \u2014 and most other festivals \u2014 for several years, beginning in 2020. With live concerts verboten at the beginning, comedians took their acts online \u2014 with limited results. JFL didn\u2019t fare much better in the years that followed, with both performers and audiences somewhat leery about attending live events.<\/p>\n

Then competition unlike anything JFL had ever experienced came with the arrival of the biennial Netflix Is a Joke Festival, launched in 2022. This year\u2019s event, which ran May 4 to 10, was declared the biggest comedy event in history, featuring more than 475 shows and 500 artists performing in over 45 venues in Los Angeles. Hard to compete with that, all the more so since Netflix was also able to offer many of the comedians specials on its streaming network.<\/p>\n

Further exacerbating JFL\u2019s woes were financial issues and improprieties that brought down the original regime founded by Gilbert Rozon, who has also been facing a litany of allegations of sexual wrongdoings. There were grave fears this would be the end of the line for JFL.<\/p>\n

Then, out of the blue it seemed, came Quebec City ComedyHa! boss Sylvain Parent-B\u00e9dard to the rescue, taking over the troubled fest in 2024. JFL somehow managed to put together a relatively thin lineup at the last minute for the 2024 edition and a relatively stronger one last summer. But Parent-B\u00e9dard and Nick Brazao, the fest\u2019s head of programming and talent,\u00a0have come up with a lineup this summer that should appeal to almost all comic tastes.<\/p>\n

\"0712Nick Brazao, head of programming for Just for Laughs, picked out 10 of his favourites from this year\u2019s lineup. Dave Sidaway \/ Montreal Gazette<\/p>\n

Nothing shabby at all about landing the likes of David Letterman, Will Arnett, Jerry Seinfeld, Tiffany Haddish, Mike Birbiglia, Gabriel \u201cFluffy\u201d Iglesias, Mae Martin and, of course, \u201cWeird Al.\u201d\u00a0Back again at the fest are the ever-popular Nasty Show, Culture Show and Brit(ish) Show series plus the smash Smosh Reads Reddit Stories LIVE!<\/p>\n

Could the wind be back in JFL sails? Fingers crossed, because we could use the laughs and the city coffers could use the cash.<\/p>\n

Who better to ask than Brazao \u2014 a former standup comic and JFL programming veteran over the last 20 years \u2014 for his Top 10 suggestions among the 100-plus English-language shows to be presented in July. These are his picks to click:<\/p>\n

Heated Rivalry: The Unauthorized Musical Parody, July 17-19 at Espace St-Denis Studio Cabaret: \u201cThis is hot off the press: Our Canadian version of the Off-Broadway, sold-out hit, this parody show \u2014 based on just about the hottest series to stream this year \u2014 should hit all the right notes. We are debuting it at the festival with an eye to bringing it across Canada. It is hysterical and totally unauthorized.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"SiblingSibling Rivalry Live features\u00a0Bob the Drag Queen, left, and Mon\u00e9t X Change. JFL<\/p>\n

Sibling Rivalry Live, July 22 at L\u2019Olympia: \u201cDefinitely not to be confused with the Heated Rivalry parody, but this one will be equally unforgettable, featuring two of the world\u2019s most famous drag queens \u2014 Bob the Drag Queen and Mon\u00e9t X Change \u2014 bringing a live version of their hit podcast. We had been trying for years to get them, and finally their schedules were able to align for this.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"TiffanyTiffany Haddish: One of \u201cthe best and brightest in the business.\u201d JFL<\/p>\n

Tiffany Haddish & Friends, July 25 at L\u2019Olympia: \u201cObviously not an under-the-radar comedian, but without doubt one of the best and brightest in the business, star of countless movies and specials and former JFL gala host. Thrilled to land her at the last minute.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Improvaneers, Off-JFL, July 25 at Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Ste-Catherine: \u201cOne of the truly feel-good stories of this and any other festival. The cast, together since 2018, is made up entirely by members with Down syndrome. They use improv to break down barriers and put on both a great show and provide a very inclusive experience. Among all the shows we have, it\u2019s so rewarding to find an act that finds other ways to tell its story.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Montreal Series, July 16-17 at the Comedy Nest: \u201cWe have a duty and responsibility to support and to celebrate our local comedians, who can hold their own with comics anywhere. There will be 24 locals in four shows this year, two each night, with one being an all-queer showcase. Again, it\u2019s about inclusiveness on all levels. And holding the shows now at the Comedy Nest, an English comedy-club institution in town, is perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DanDan Tiernan: \u201cSimply put: he\u2019s a mad genius.\u201d JFL<\/p>\n

Dan Tiernan, July 25 at Caf\u00e9 Cl\u00e9op\u00e2tre and appearing in Brit(ish), July 21-25 at Ges\u00f9: \u201cA New Face of Comedy star at last year\u2019s fest.\u00a0 Saw his award-nominated solo show at Edinburgh Fringe last summer, which was so funny yet personal. I love this dude. Montreal may not know him yet, but it certainly will after seeing him. Simply put: he\u2019s a mad genius. A must-see!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dukes (Jane Wickline & Liva Pierce), July 23 at Caf\u00e9 Cl\u00e9op\u00e2tre; appearing on Mike Birbiglia gala, July 24 at Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Maisonneuve: \u201cSaturday Night Live trouper Wickline and her comedy partner Pierce, a Second City star, bring their Off-Broadway hit musical comedy dealing with the hope, lust and dreams of two friends with one piano. Birbiglia is a huge fan, for good reason.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"PortraitAmerican comic Abby Wambaugh is performing a \u201cfantastic\u201d solo variety show. JFL<\/p>\n

Abby Wambaugh, The First 3 Minutes of 17 Shows, July 25, Th\u00e9\u00e2tre Ste-Catherine: \u201cThe American comic won the 2026 Melbourne Comedy Festival Most Outstanding Show award and the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Best Newcomer Award. Fresh off a four-week Off-Broadway run, Abby is coming to the fest with a solo variety show presented by Hannah Gadsby. It\u2019s fantastic!\u201d<\/p>\n

CP and Rebecca Reeds, The Nasty Show, July 15-19 and July 21, Club Soda: \u201cA new breed of Nasty here, with American host CP and Canadian Reeds performing. Both may fly under the radar, but they\u2019ve both been crushing it of late.\u00a0CP is having a real moment! He\u2019s been tabbed as the host of BET\u2019s re-launched ComicView show and recently performed on The Shortlist showcase at the Netflix is a Joke Fest. And Reeds, a former festival New Face who has done our Roast Battle of Canada, is making what should be quite the impressive Nasty Show debut.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"CultureThe Culture Show\u2019s Alfred Robles and Tara Cannistraci are \u201cpoised to become household names.\u201d
JFL<\/p>\n

Alfred Robles and Tara Cannistraci, The Culture Show, July 15-19, Club Soda and July 21, Studio TD: \u201cFrequent opening acts for Gabriel Iglesias and Jo Koy, respectively, and touring headliners in their own right, these are two comics, a Mexican and an Italian, respectively, making their Montreal debuts. Hilarious, they are both poised to become household names in the not-too-distant future.\u201d<\/p>\n

AT A GLANCE<\/p>\n

The 44th\u00a0Just for Laughs festival runs July 15 to 26.\u00a0 For tickets and schedule information, go to hahaha.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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