ComediHa! Stand-up comics deliver big laughs at the Casino de Montréal

The ComediHa! Club tour hosted by veteran comedian François Boulianne showcases four up-and-coming Quebec French-language stand-up comics each week at the Cabaret du Casino de Montréal, in a fast-paced show modelled on American stand-up and comedy clubs.

A popular performer at Montreal’s famed Just For Laughs international comedy festival, Boulianne says, “As host I have fun with the audience and introduce the comedians. The Cabaret du Casino is an ideal setting for our show because of its ambience. It’s a bigger room than your typical comedy club, but it’s a cabaret room, and is still quite intimate.”

Fact is, the Cabaret du Casino looks and sounds great: the acoustics are outstanding, with its state-of-the-art 3D psychoacoustic system; the cabaret-seating sits up to 325; and admission to each weekly show is free.

ComediHa!’s March 9 opening night featured guest comedians Gabrielle Caron, Ouellet, Martin Perizzolo and Québec’s hugely popular music-comedy act Sèxe Illégal. The audience laughed loudly and cheered enthusiastically.

Produced by Québec City’s renowned ComediHa! Festival, which turns 18 this summer, ComediHa! is booking Québec’s funniest French-language stand-up comedians for their Montréal Casino shows.

“Our guests will only be announced at showtime each week, but I can tell you that ComediHa! chooses and books the funniest up-and-comers on the Québec comedy circuit today,” says Boulianne. “These comics are good. We will be seeing more and more of them in the future.”

Boulianne does plenty of his own stand-up to open each show, and loves pleasing his audiences.

“Stand-up comedy is important because we need a comic take on the social issues in our lives,” Boulianne says. “Life can be tough, and sometimes we just need to lighten the load. People find comfort in humour, and our job as stand-up comedians is to make people happy, make them laugh, even if just for a night.”

François Boulianne hosts ComediHa! Club at the Cabaret du Casino on March 23, and April 6-13-20 at 8:30 pm nightly. Running time: 90 minutes. Free admission. General admission seating. The Casino de Montréal offers free coat check, free parking and is also easily accessible via Jean Drapeau Métro station. Click here for directions.

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