ComediHa! salutes Montreal | The Quartier des spectacles is laughing again

The excitement generated by the ComediHa! salutes Montreal festival is promising. Concocted in a hurry in the spring, the city’s new comedy event certainly does not yet have the luster of its predecessor, the Just for Laughs festival, but a trip to the Quartier des spectacles, indoors and outdoors, on Friday, confirmed the essential: Montrealers still have the taste for laughter. They are already showing up.

“Buying Just for Laughs is like buying a house where there has been a suicide.” The joke is from Martin Petit, who began his act at the show There’s something to laugh abouthosted by Korine Côté, discussing the resumption of activities of the former iconic company, swept away by the debacle we know, by the new Quebec comedy empire, ComediHa!.

The image is strong, but fortunately, it doesn’t smell like damage being collected in the Quartier des spectacles at the start of the ComediHa! salutes Montreal festivities. Quite the opposite.

The event component of ComediHa! is not yet as well established in Montreal as it is in Quebec City — where the festival of the same name is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year — but the first hours of our new high mass of laughter suggest a new happy era signed ComediHa! and Sylvain Parent-Bédard.

It was enough to gauge the almost full Place des Festivals – not compact, but occupied up to rue Sainte-Catherine – for the collective Queer & Friendsby Katherine Levac and her guests, at 9:15 p.m., to easily convince yourself.

There’s something to laugh about : Not a gala, but…

The festivities began gently in chilly temperatures on Thursday, as Bleu Jeans Bleu headlined the main Videotron stage. The series of performances by stand up led by Pascal Cameron in the first part did not attract a huge crowd, but the Place des Festivals gradually came alive when Claude Cobra’s men took to the microphone at 9:15 p.m., to the sound of their tune Bacon in the belly.

Friday, some of the big candies from this first edition of ComediHa! Salutes Montreal were held inside Place des Arts. Around 7 p.m., the hall was teeming with people. The crowd was particularly lively at the doors of Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, where the ever-popular Jean-Marc Parent returned with his traditional JMP event. The Jean-Duceppe Theatre was crowded with spectators of the There’s something to laugh about by Korine Côté, and the Claude-Léveillée room welcomed Rachelle Elie as part of the “discoveries” series entitled It’s time to laugh.

To add to the atmosphere, right next door, at the Théâtre Maisonneuve, Jay Du Temple’s die-hard fans were going to cheer on their idol at the end of his crossing of Canada by running and cycling. This conclusion of the second one man show of the ex-helmsman ofDouble occupation, ENDhowever, had nothing to do with ComediHa! salutes Montreal.

Parties There’s something to laugh aboutled by Korine Côté and then Billy Tellier this Saturday, are the closest thing to a comedy gala on the ComediHa! salutes Montreal menu. The organizer rightly maintains, however, that these are not galas. Call the concept what you will: Korine Côté, yesterday, was at the helm, offered opening and closing monologues and introduced his guests in turn, who all gave (long) samples of their comedy material. stand up recent.

Martin Petit, in great shape, particularly hit the mark with his disgust for “causes” and thematic days. Josiane Aubuchon captivated the troops with the story of her breast reduction. Patrick Groulx and his screaming Curé Poirier, as dessert, were treated to a warm reception.

Actually, this first happening Y’a de quoi rire — nevertheless generous, two full hours, without intermission — reeked of low budget and lack of rehearsals, with its total absence of scenery (except for a stool) and of a common thread, and Korine’s memory lapses during his own laps. Clever, the comedian, who discoursed with his usual irony on the recent renovations to his home and her status as a single mother, made up for it by involving the audience in his forgetfulness.

Another notable difference with the late Just for Laughs galas (and Carte blanche evenings starting in 2018): those from the recent Rozon era were held at the Wilfrid-Pelletier Hall. In the wake of the pandemic (2020 and 2022), they were moved to the Théâtre St-Denis (now Espace St-Denis) and the Théâtre Maisonneuve. Few comedy shows are staged in the Jean-Duceppe venue, which was about half full, but very enthusiastic, for Korine Côté’s fiesta.

Kat Levac hits hard

Outside, with the bright sun shining over the city, there were obviously many passersby walking around the Quartier des Spectacles site on Friday, not necessarily coming especially for the festival. But many were slowing down, attracted by the posters in ComediHa!’s emblematic purple and yellow colors. Others, already ready to have fun as early as 6:30 p.m., were soaking up the atmosphere that would later become electrified.

In the past, Just for Laughs would begin revealing pieces of the programming for its festival the following summer before Christmas. This year, given the circumstances, ComediHa! announced the content of its Montreal proposal in early June. The deadline was short and left little time for promotion and the deployment of surprises.

Outside, only a few food trucks and promotional kiosks scattered around the Place des Festivals, as well as the banner “See life funny” at the height of Rue De Bleury, hint at the presence of ComediHa! on site.

But, already, this first greeting to Montreal manages to create memories: Katherine Levac, from the introduction of the sequence Queer & Friends (where Barbada, Alex Perron, Sam Cyr and Coco Belliveau paraded) managed, with its second-degree jokes about homosexuality, to scandalize a spectator in the front rows… to the point where she, shocked, left immediately. In front of an evening announced as having a theme queerlet’s admit it, there’s something to laugh about…

The ComediHa! festival salutes Montreal runs until July 28.

Visit the festival website