The Definitive Guide to Comedy
That sound you hear whipping through Chicago this morning isn’t the usual Windy City breeze. Chicago’s comedy scene has produced some of our favorite sketch and improv comedy actors and actresses for more than 50 years — and many of today’s greatest current crop of stand-ups, too — but they …
Canada’s worldwide brand, Just For Laughs, now can beam audio funny ha-has your way around the clock via satellite radio, as its new Just For Laughs Radio channel debuted today on SiriusXM. If you’re a SiriusXM subscriber, you can find Just For Laughs Radio at Ch. 403. In addition, the …
If you want to know why the fuss about New Faces, it’s all about showing show business some new show for their business. All of the stories you’ve heard about six- or seven-figure development deals with broadcast and/or cable networks all come back to the simple fact that there are …
Did Andy Kindler make any self-deprecating comments during his State of the Industry at Montreal’s Just For Laughs festival? Did I need to include a year in that previous sentence? Rhetorical questions aside, Kindler’s annual rhetorical roast of the year in comedy and show business again delighted and amused the …
If you were expecting Colin Quinn to deliver a speech for his keynote address to Montreal’s Just For Laughs ComedyPro conference this year, then you needed to adjust your expectations. Quinn said Andy Kindler had approached him the day beforehand, advising him to memorize his speech. To which Quinn retorted: …
“I look forward to this speech every year. The State of the Industry — some of you have seen this, some of you are new — this is the best moment of the festival. This is where Andy Kindler goes through everything in comedy this year and tears it apart, …
If the atmosphere at the New Faces Characters showcase at Montreal’s Just For Laughs feels a bit more heightened than in years past, it’s likely because the opportunities for actors and actresses to break out in sketch comedy roles is that much obvious to both the performers and the industry. With …
We make a big deal in the comedy industry about “New Faces” in Montreal because the comedy industry makes a big deal about it. TV credits are nice, but “getting Montreal” still feels like the prize aspiring comedians are reaching for, whether or not the development deals (six figures or …
The scene at Montreal’s Just For Laughs can seem a bit overwhelming, whether it’s your first trip to the comedy festival or you’re a native who has lived through three decades of hahaha dot comedy. Your attention naturally may be drawn to the Galas, the biggest-venue, biggest-staged events with the …
Congrats to the new class of New Faces for Montreal’s Just For Laughs, showcased for the comedy industry this week. I’ll file full reports from all of the showcases later this week in Canada! NEW FACES Byron Bowers, Gina Brillon, Kevin Christy, Pete Davidson, Chris Distefano, Sean Donnelly, Derek Gaines, …
