Any concerns about the recent Just for Laughs ownership shift should be somewhat quelled with Wednesday's announcement that three of the hottest comics on the continent, as well as one of the hottest on the other side of the pond, will perform at the fest this summer. Welcome back Trevor Noah, Tiffany Haddish, Jo Koy and Brit wit Jimmy Carr.
There's more: Orny Adams, Francisco Ramos, Matteo Lane and Montreal's incomparable Derek Seguin are also slated to let loose. And Kevin Hart, Robert Kelly, Maz Jobrani, Brad Williams and Gina Brillon had already been booked for JFL shows.
Organizers have promised that more big surprises beckon with the fest's major press conference next month, when much of the rest of the roster will be announced.
Just a month ago, news came that American entertainment juggernaut ICM Partners and veteran Canadian comic Howie Mandel had acquired the Just for Laughs Group/Groupe Juste pour rire. The sale was finalized after Québecor chose not to exercise its right of first refusal to match the offer put forward by the purchasing group.
The entire stake of the company had been held by Gilbert Rozon, the festival's founder and president, who unloaded the company after allegations of sexual assault and harassment surfaced against him in October.
To allay fears, the new JFL ownership group pledged right away that it would be business as usual for the festival, with its headquarters remaining in Montreal and its staff still in place. "The Montreal Just for Laughs festival is part of Montreal's DNA, and we are looking forward to perpetuating this great cultural legacy," Mandel and ICM Partners managing director Chris Silbermann said in a joint statement.
"The festival will continue to be held in Montreal each summer, and jobs and offices will remain in Montreal. … JFL's history of success will be continued: its outdoor component, its French and English components, and the amazing talent, both from Quebec and from around the world, that makes this festival so unique."
JFL COO Bruce Hills confirmed this week that nothing has changed on the operations level since the sale.
"It's been full steam ahead, as it had been prior to the sale when we booked Hart, Kelly and Jobrani. Now we wanted to announce some other big names, like Noah, Haddish, Koy and Carr, to get the word out that things are really rolling.
"Noah and Haddish have been on quite the roll around the world, and Koy's career has taken off to another level since he was last here. His sales have been through the roof with an act that's clean, clean, clean, and he's now doing arenas."
Hills was emphatic that the sale hasn't been an issue in signing talent. "Honestly, it hasn't impeded anything," he said. "If anything, we're ahead of the pace of last year. Frankly, the sale hasn't come up at all in conversations with the comics and their agents. And there's much more to come."
Hills also refuted skeptics who believe Mandel is a figurehead owner.
"He is very much involved," Hills says. "I was just at his office in L.A., where we spent hours talking about the festival. And I continue to speak to him regularly. He's been giving us lots of input and has come up with some great ideas. He's full of energy and so passionate about the brand."
Noah was last here doing his one-man show at the 2017 fest, and will host two JFL galas this year, July 28 at 6 and 8:30 p.m. at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier of Place des Arts. Recently re-signed as host of the Daily Show through 2022, the award-winning South African comedian and bestselling author should be on fire with his take on all things Trump and the global political scene.
Prepare for one riotous evening on July 28. Following the Noah galas, Haddish will host a late-night one, at 11 p.m. at the same venue. Apart from the standup circuit, the fast-rising American comedian/actress has also made her mark in such TV series as If Loving You Is Wrong and the Carmichael Show, and in movies including Girls Trip.
Koy brings his aptly titled Break the Mold Tour to Maison symphonique on July 28 at 9:30 p.m. Count on the crowd-pleaser to riff cleanly yet hysterically with material related to his family.
And count on Carr to riff — not so cleanly yet hysterically — on material related to everything from his sexual exploits to those of the Royal Family. For his 13th JFL visit, he will present his understatedly titled show Jimmy Carr: The Best of, Ultimate, Gold, Greatest Hits World Tour for nine performances, July 21 to 29 at the Gesù — once a devout place of worship.
On the subject of blue performances, Nasty Show host Kelly will be joined by the equally outrageous Williams, Seguin, Nikki Glaser, Mike Britt and — love this — Ms. Pat. The show runs from July 21 to 28 at MTelus.
More suitable for sensitive palates is the Ethnic Show. Returning host Jobrani will delve into multicultural humour with Brillon, Adams, Ramos and Lane. There will be 16 performances at Club Soda, July 11 to 22, plus three shows at MTelus, July 24 to 26.
And can't forget Hart's Irresponsible Tour, July 27 at 8 p.m. at the Bell Centre.
On the free front, iconic surf band the Beach Boys will croon in an outdoor Place des Festivals concert on July 23. Also in the outdoor mix are the teen-idol spectacle Juste pour ados!, the fifth edition of the ever-eclectic Mado's Got Talent and the frenzied musical extravaganza Melting Pot.
