The ComédiHa team! will fully resume production work on the musical Waitressinitially produced by Just for Laughs, which took shelter from its creditors last week.
The highly anticipated show is thus kept alive and will be presented this summer in Quebec as planned. ComédiHa! reached an agreement with the rights holders and with Juste pour laughs to take over the production.
“In the current context, it was important for us and all stakeholders in the cultural sector to maintain this type of blockbuster which involves hundreds of entertainment professionals,” said Sylvain Parent-Bédard, president and CEO of ComédiHa! , by press release.
Waitress, a Quebec adaptation of the same musical comedy presented on Broadway (itself adapted from the film by Adrienne Shelly), stars Marie-Ève Janvier in the lead role of Jenna, a waitress stuck in a loveless marriage. Sharon James and Julie Ringuette are also on stage with her to complete the trio of waitresses that Waitress stages.
The musical has enjoyed great success across the world in several adaptations. Nearly 20,000 tickets have already been sold for the next 33 dates at the Théâtre St-Denis in the Salle Albert-Rousseau, where the Quebec version of the show will be presented. Waitress will take place in Montreal on June 22, before moving to Quebec from August 10.
Since the announcement of the insolvency of Just for Laughs and the cancellation of its next summer edition, the comedy and entertainment industry has had to adjust. Several productions from the entertainment giant were in danger. In interview with The Press A few days ago, Sylvain Parent-Bédard, of ComédiHa!, affirmed that his company was ready to “take more space” in the entertainment industry.