Baptism of fire Wednesday evening for Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais, who hosted his very first Just for Laughs gala, right for the 40th anniversary of the festival. To mark the occasion, the comedian had surrounded himself with a skewer of chosen friends, more or less known, with extremely varied numbers, although a bit unequal. But no matter: the public did not hide their pleasure, and all were warmly greeted.
Posted at 12:11 a.m.
For good reason: it was, at 6 p.m. sharp, the very first time in two years that Just for Laughs had the right to a “conventional” gala here, known as “garnished”. All dressed, to the maximum of its capacity, you will have understood it. And the spectators of the Maisonneuve Theater at Place des Arts seemed frankly happy to finally be so numerous to applaud loudly, giving each comedian a standing ovation.
Big kick-off, with this opening number, featuring the darling host, crowned discovery of the year at the Gala Les Olivier – among others, and he did not hesitate to remind us. Wearing a red tuque, to the sounds of the hip-hop rhythms of the brothers of the Ouellette Family, Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais (PY for his friends) had a field day dancing and singing energetically, daring a few rhymes as salacious as they are absurd, which made the audience laugh, of all ages, for that matter.
Special mention to its surprise guests, Élyse Marquis and Jay Du Temple, without forgetting Matthieu Pepper (at the start and then at the end of the show, in a recorded surreal video), the shy whipping boy of the evening.
Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais has energy to spare, we know that. It moves air, and this number did not lie its reputation.
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Pierre-Yves Roy Desmarais
That said, all the rest of this first gala (of a series of two, one at 6 p.m., attended by The Pressthe other at 9 p.m.), the comedian was much more discreet, contenting himself with presenting (admittedly energetically) his guests (sorry, his “friends”), on the right side of the room.
Maybe he was saving energy for the second show? Too bad, we would have taken more.
That said, the numbers that followed did not disappoint. On the contrary, several beautiful discoveries are worth noting. Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais first left the microphone to Charles Pellerin, very touching with his self-mockery number on his disease, alopecia (loss of hair and body hair). Surprising choice to start the evening, but why not. “Everyone thinks I have cancer, but no, I just look. »
Change of register, then, with the tiktokeuse Mégan Brouillard (and the surprise guest: Chantal Machabée!), who surfs rather on hockey, more precisely women’s hockey. And let’s say that the sport has perhaps found its best spokesperson in her. Both raw and slobbery, feminist, a little, a lot, then not at all, the young comedian has a lot to say on the subject.
We fell in love with David Beaucage, who landed a series of gags without links, neither head nor tail, and who above all succeeded in making Greta rhyme with Karla Homolka. It has to be done.
“They are good, my friends, eh? “slipped the host here. Affirmative.
Mixed feelings, however, for the number of Alexandre Forest which followed, a self-proclaimed “mononcle”, who at least has the merit of deflecting the jokes of “mononcles”. Marylène Gendron first launched into a few conventional butt jokes, before moving on to a more promising vein, on the side of her love-hate relationship with food. His drive-thru “play” from McDo will make us laugh for a long time.
Yacine Belhousse, French guest of Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais, then only picked up a few smiles here and there, and we understand why: his number on his least favorite billionaires (Batman, really?) stretched in length and frankly lacked rhythm.
Fortunately, then came Adib Alkhalidey, the highlight of the evening, unquestionably the strongest (and the craziest) number of this first gala.
In a few minutes, the comedian with the arch-bushy beard managed to transport us to his adoptive countryside, and his village of “psychopaths”, where he has just moved. And him, how is he? Nothing to report, except that he is addicted to cookies and talks to trees. You have to hear him imitate the foxes. They sound like “homeless people being murdered”. Let’s say that we guess that nature hasn’t calmed him down too much. And that’s good. Moreover, notice to those interested: the comedian will be at all the galas.
Please note that the series of galas (with two different galas per evening) continues this Thursday evening (21st with Phil Roy and Roxane Bruneau as host), Friday (22nd with Richardson Zéphir and Eddy King ) and Saturday (23rd, with Rosalie Vaillancourt).