Headliner of Waitress, Marie-Eve Janvier could barely contain her excitement and relief when she learned that ComediHa! had taken over the production of the musical from the bankrupt Just for Laughs Group.
“I’ve been crying with joy since recently, it’s been a rollercoaster of emotion,” admitted Marie-Eve Janvier to Newspaper, Friday, minutes after a Superior Court judge authorized ComediHa! to take up the torch.
On March 5, the announcement of the bankruptcy of the Just for Laughs Group, which was to ensure the production of Waitress, has created uncertainty regarding the presentation of a good number of events across Quebec.
The singer and actress was on her way to the chalet with her family when she learned that the play Waitress risked being canceled.
“I was wondering so much what was going on. I felt like I was losing the most beautiful project of my life,” she remembers. “At the same time, being with my three beautiful healthy children at that time allowed me to put things into perspective.”
“The stars are aligned”
This new adaptation of the play Waitress has a particular meaning for Marie-Eve Janvier since it marks her return to the world of musicals after 10 years of absence.
“The stars have been aligned from the start for this show, it’s the one I chose to come back after 10 years […] Just for Laughs gave us confidence by working very hard to keep the project alive, so I was sincerely convinced that someone was going to take over the show,” she rejoiced.
- Listen to it‘interview with Sylvain Parent-Bédard, president and founder of ComediHa!, via QUB:
The president and founder of ComediHa!, Sylvain Parent-Bédard, also said he was very excited by the news on Friday.
“It’s very big for us to take up the torch of a musical as important as this one,” he proudly mentioned to the Newspaper.
Champagne
Waitress is based on the 2007 film of the same name, which was first adapted for the stage in 2016 on Broadway.
Before confirming that he was coming to his rescue, ComediHa! had to wait for the green light from the producers of the original play and from the Superior Court, in order to comply with the procedures related to the bankruptcy of Just for Laughs.
Julie Ringuette and Sharon James, who will complete a trio of friends with Marie-Eve Janvier in Waitress, are equally excited by the news.
“We texted each other a lot, girlsand there, the champagne is waiting for us so that we can celebrate this good news together!”, says the headliner.
ComediHa! ahead of the competition
ComediHa! had to stand out among numerous producers, both Quebecois and foreign, among the rights holders of the original play, to succeed in taking charge of its production.
“The fact that our goal was to resume and continue production with the entire team that was already in place meant that they decided to trust us,” explains Mr. Parent-Bédard.
This means that 200 workers will be able to keep their jobs under the ComediHa! banner, as part of the musical Waitress.
Mr. Parent-Bédard also salutes the great collaboration of the Just for Laughs Group in this matter.
“The teams that are still in place have done everything with us to allow the survival of the musical. Everyone was very positive, the solidarity and collaboration were extraordinary,” he praises, relieved that everything is now resolved.