Windsor, Ontario-born comic (and Juno Award winner) David Merheje last appeared at Just For Laughs in 2019.
Then the COVID pandemic came. And throughout the lockdown, Merheje moved from his home in New York City to Los Angeles, did a lot of writing, performed some stand-up in Toronto last September, and worked on some non-stand up related projects … and that was after two straight months of creative inactivity!
Now with things gradually getting back to some semblance of normalcy, and Just For Laughs returning in a live/virtual hybrid format this year from July 26-31, Merheje is returning to the festival after a two-year absence. And he couldn’t be happier about it.
“It feels great to get back and perform stand-up again. I was in L.A. during the pandemic, and I didn’t perform any stand-up at all for six months,” he said during a recent phone interview. “I cannot forget how it feels to do stand-up, but at times I forgot how great it is appearing at the festival. Coming back to Just For Laughs after the past two years has given me a newfound appreciation for the festival.”
And Merheje will make his presence known for his return, as he will appear in the line-up in one of the live tapings that will later air on Crave and CTV Comedy Channel, plus he will assume first time hosting duties, this time for the prestigious New Faces: Canada show.
“From a personal point-of view, I grew up watching Just For Laughs on TV. As a result, I realized that if you want to do stand-up comedy, you must do Just For Laughs,” he said. “It’s a great launching pad for up-and-coming comics and homegrown talent. The festival helps them out in many ways, including making those vital connections within the industry.”
Merheje realizes the importance of Just For Laughs has on a comedian’s career, especially from his personal perspective. He won the Homegrown Competition in 2011 and returned to that show as part of the line-up eight years later. Besides a full-fledged comedy career and his Best Comedy Album Juno win, he can also be seen in the HBO series “Ramy”, in which its third season airs later this fall.
“The New Faces shows are a very important showcase for young comedians. It gives them the recognition they deserve, they get to realize how great an accomplishment it is to appear on that showcase, and provides them with that much needed confidence,” he said.
With this year’s hybrid edition of the Just For Laughs Montreal Festival less than two weeks away, organizers have beefed up the line-up with more additional performers that will add more excitement and laughs for comedy fans everywhere.
First of all, the annual Just For Laughs Awards Show will honour Emmy Award winning actor Jean Smart, best known for her performances in the sitcom “Designing Women” and HBO’s dramedy “Hacks”, with the Comedy Performance of the Year Award. As well, Amber Ruffin, host of her self-titled late night talk show on the Peacock streaming service, has been named as the emcee of the virtual awards show, which airs on July 28 and available free of charge on hahaha.com.
When is Kevin Hart’s JFL show?
Also on July 28, Kevin Hart will sit down to have a conversation with veteran comedian, writer, producer, podcaster, and co-creator of Chappelle’s Show Neal Brennan for his interview show “Comedy Gold Minds”; veteran comedian and actor Cedric the Entertainer will be Earthquake’s guest for his comedy show “Quake’s House”; Josh Johnson, Emma Willmann and Ethnic Show veteran Jessica Kirson have been added to the line-up of Just For Laughs Live in N.Y., which will be taped live on July 26 and air on the festival website on July 28; shock comic Ari Shaffir returns to the always popular Nasty Show; and Sterling Scott will be part of the all-Canadian line-up for Comedy Night in Canada, which will be taped live on July 28 at Club Soda and air on July 30.
Another all-Canadian JFL roster of comedy talent
Another all-Canadian roster of comedy talent including Chantal Desjardins, Joey Elias, Heidi Foss, Derek Seguin, Tim Rabnett, Rodney Ramsey, Tranna Wintour, Elspeth Wright, Ines Anaya, Pantelis, Daniel Tirado and Mike Carrozza will converge at the legendary club the Comedy Nest on July 27 for a special night of stand-up comedy that will be recorded for an album that will be released this fall by Just For Laughs’ new record label JFL Originals.
And the festival’s outdoor shows return with three special Montreal Shows that are going to be hosted by the dean of Montreal comedy, Joey Elias. Performers slated for the series of shows include Chantal Desjardins, Paul Baluyot and Eddy King (July 21); Rodney Ramsey, Sylvain Larocque and Heidi Foss (July 22); and Daniel Tirado, Tranna Wintour and Derek Seguin (July 24). All three shows will take place at the Scene Beneva and start at 7 p.m. Reservations are required for all three shows and can be made at the festival website; the wearing of facemasks is mandatory.
For more information about all of this year’s Just For Laughs Montreal shows, or to purchase tickets, go to www.hahaha.com.
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