Have you ever had one of those days where you just take a step back and say to yourself, “Holy smokes – what a day!” and then realise oh wait, it’s been more like a week…or month…or few months.
Anyways – that’s where I am at. Between planning the wedding, getting physically assaulted by someone I had welcomed into my close circle, to finding out we were expecting, to getting married, having two additional weddings to go to after ours, and then finally heading out on our honeymoon – it’s been a good minute since I have had a chance to sit back and just have a relaxing night.
So when I saw that Just for Laughs (#JFL42) was coming back to Toronto this year, to say I was excited was an understatement! I so needed a night (or two) of basically shutting my mind off and just letting go with a few full-belly hearty laughs, you know?
But really, who doesn’t need that every now and then?!
#JFL42 features some of the most hilarious, riveting and relevant comedians we could find, over a 10-day period in Toronto. Why 42? Because in addition to the headliners you have to choose from, there are 42 other amazing comedy acts that we selected for you to experience. Don’t miss ComedyCon! Our daytime series with In Conversations, Podcasts, Cast Panels and more! Now it’s up to you to choose what you want to see.
With hilarious comics like John Mulaney & Pete Davidson, Gabriel Iglesias, Nick Kroll, Eric Andre, the one and only Carol Burnett (!!), and more – how could one not want to check out #JFL42?
But wait, there’s more!
In addition to these awesome headliners, #JFL42 also opens the stage to some rising stars on the comedy world and for the 4th year – ComedyCon is back as well!
“Our daytime series features In Conversations with some of the coolest names in comedy, Q&A’s, Live Podcasts, Cast Panels and way more… all in an intimate venue!”
I was initially drawn to #JFL42 when I heard about the “A Serious Talk with Funny People” panel at ComedyCon.
“The sad clown paradox and the issue of mental health in comedy has always been present, however, discussing it on stage with an audience was not as common as it is today. But now, the landscape is changing, with anxiety and depression becoming a thematic anchor in comedy specials, TV shows and films. Join comedians Byron Bowers, DeAnne Smith, Andy Kindler, Jessica Holmes and more as they address the complex conversation about mental health in comedy – how to talk about it, how to cope with it, and how to laugh about it. Moderated by SiriusXM’s Allison Dore.”
My #JFL42 festivities kicked off last night when I took my friend Shannon to check out In Conversation with Broad City, and then it was time for date night with Mike to catch the headliner, Nick Kroll work his magic on stage. I got my night full of belly laughs, and then some!
The “intimate” (I mean, it was a sold-out show, but the chemistry between Abbi and Ilana, and Abbi and Ilana with the audience made it feel intimate) setting made for such a great experience. They chatted about the history of Broad City, how it started and the journey from web-series to TV sitcom. During the chat, Ilana and Abbi touched on something that hit home for me and how I feel about sharing my story. They felt that the best way to honour the privilege of being able to share their experiences as art and having an audience, was to be authentic. I still can’t believe that people want to read what I have to say when I share my experiences, but know – I am so appreciative of this opportunity.
Following up In Conversation with Broad City was the Nick Kroll headliner, and holy smokes – he’s hilarious. I’m so happy this mama-to-be pushed her usual 10pm bedtime in order to catch the show because I needed those full-hearted belly laughs, big time!
To be honest, I’m already counting down the days until I can catch another #JFL42 show – it’s like the perfect night out. You can go solo or with someone and either way – you’re going to have a blast.
#JFL42 is on from September 19 – 20, with events at multiple different venues. You can get your tickets and/or passes at jfl42.com
Disclaimer: I was gifted tickets to the shows I have/will be attending but I stand by everything I said because laughter really is the best medicine. So go on, get out there and get your giggle on!