The Definitive Guide to Comedy
It’s time for one last look around the 2008 Montreal Just For Laughs festival, which Variety reports raked in $10 million (which is about the same in Canadian as it is in U.S. dollars these days!) this July. Which means this final recap must begin with the guy who buzzed …
The folks at Just For Laughs announced part of its 2008 slate for Montreal yesterday (proving once again, that a blogger cannot take a day off!)… This year, Montreal introduces its first "industry conference" — Just Comedy — with Ivan and Jason Reitman talking father-son comedy shop on July 17, …
Tom Papa frequently opens for Jerry Seinfeld on his nationwide theater tour dates, and Seinfeld is returning the favor this Thursday night by performing at a fund-raiser show Papa is throwing at Gotham Comedy Club for his sister’s charity, City Green. Papa explains via MySpace bulletin today: "A little background …
I mentioned seeing Chris Rock at the Comedy Cellar the other night, and while yes, that twas a highlight, twas not the only light sparkling on Jan. 2 in the basement of a beloved Greenwich Village restaurant. Mike DeStefano, whom I met a year ago in Aspen and immediately noticed …
As they say in France, que sera sera, je ne sais quoi — which translates into not one but two cliches. As for French Canada and Montreal, what better way to close out the 25th anniversary of Just For Laughs than with a gala hosted by native son William Shatner. …
The New Faces of Comedy showcase is Montreal's version of the Best New Artist Grammy. Most of the 16 stand-ups selected for this week's showcases have several years of experience onstage, but they're new in the eyes of industry scouts, because this is the first step up the festival ladder. …
Many comedians cover similar material in discussing relationships and observational humor. Tom Papa demonstrated that well enough in 15 minutes warming up the packed Wang Theatre crowd for Jerry Seinfeld last night. Of course, Papa’s NBC sitcom only lasted a few episodes, while Seinfeld’s has been heralded as one of …