JFL Update: Highlights From This Year’s New Faces
Marty Younge is a Toronto based comedy journalist and a fan of all things stand up comedy.Full disclosure I did not see all of new faces. There is a-lot of you and a-lot of festival. But here are some of the highlights from the performers I did see!
A major part of Just for Laughs is the New faces showcase. A showcase of 20 stand-ups who represent the new, now,next of the industry all styles all backgrounds. It is a career affirming thing to even makes new faces. The first show is held at Monument National one of Canada’s oldest theatres packed with young managers and industry cliqueing and talking shop. I made the trek up the hill on St Laurent for the second night held at the less grand but not any less packed Diving Bell social club.
Ever Mainard- Evan bounded on to the stage with a toughness and energy that was juxtaposed with vulnerability about gender and childhood obesity in rural Texas. They were in the moment and went alot of places in 7 minutes. It’s not easy to joke about a off kilter coming out story. There was something in there about Jeans at J.C penny that was quite funny also. I got the sense existing had been a act of defiance for Ever and comedy even more so.
Lara Beitz- Lara really knows what she is working with and could connect with the audience with ease immediately. She has a very unique voice no..I mean actual literal voice. On top of a Wisconsin accent she did almost absurdist material about Annie the musical and some beautifully blended material about her mother’s cancer she won me over and is definitely one to watch.
Sabrina Wu- There is a complicated showman ship to Sabrina Wu I got the sense I was seeing a very cool comic with the freedom of not having everything entirely figured out. It was a patch work of talents other then comedy like beat boxing and break dancing. The sting of America ignorance and navigating otherness was explored by such a unique individual in such a retable way.
Jared Goldstein- A Queer dream boat with solid writing rooted in misdirection and the coolest clothes (wide leg pants, mini kilts, and Mickey Mouse T-Shirts) Jared made me excited about the new directions comedy can go. Somebody give Jared a show deal, a fragrance and a fan club A.S.A.P so I can be president.
Marcello Hernandez- Has all the raw ingredients to be very famous and a comic with a long career and devoted following. He’s likeable he’s just the right sort of dramatic. He had very funny covid material. In the tradition of latin comics who make it really feel like a show. He was high energy down to earth and really brought you into his world.
Michael Rowland- As a Canadian I find comics interesting when they are simply vastly different then anything any comic is trying on stages I see regularly. Michael Rowland captivated my attention immediately. Southern charm with New York heat to his delivery he was doing jokes about childhood abuse, aging parents and alcoholism served along side sweet nothings about minions and Alabama yoga. A solid complicated closer about watching T.V with his grandma was one of the best jokes of the festival.
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Marty Younge
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