Born again just for laughter | Journalism

Leah Carrier
Journalism

Let’s just say it right away: It’s not a festival just for laughs as we know it.

Don’t meet tens of thousands of people at the Place des Festivals; The surrounding terraces are not crowded with customers (some restaurants have not even survived the 16 months of the pandemic).

But for now, Montrealans want nothing better than to laugh. At least that’s what was observed Journalism, who spent the evening among the festival-goers.

Take Olivier Filiu, for example, who moved to Montreal last summer between two waves of COVID-19. For the first time in a year, he feels like he’s getting to know his city. “I chose Montreal for it. The atmosphere, the culture and the excitement. There, I tell myself: ‘Finally, this is Montreal.’ There is hope,” said the young man.

Behind him, a few families stand in front of the giant “ha-ha-ha”. Others walk across a “fun path” between stilts for clowns walking. Just For Laughs He is reborn from his ashes, believes Patrick Rosen, president of the Grand Festival.

All evening, he could be seen walking (almost hilariously) on the site, an eternal smile on his lips.

For him, there is no doubt that the festival is off to a good start. “Yes, it’s a challenge. We’re learning to live with a healthy environment. But today is day one. It’s Thursday. Friday, Saturday night, it’s going to start rolling in. I don’t think we’ll get to a million visitors this summer, but if I can get to 100,000, 200,000 Person, it just takes to revive downtown. You just have to get people in the habit of buying tickets and going around again,” he explains.

He says most of the shows on the outdoor stage are already sold out or nearly sold out. Zoofest also programmed. “People were impatient. They tell us they are happy to be there.”

First Arrivals, First Serve

Since 5 pm, Diane Bechet and Mireille Chagnon have been preparing for the premiere of funny music show. First Arrivals, First Serve. “We had our first choice of seats and we all got irritated! We were like, ‘Do we sit here or there?’ We tried all the chairs!” Diane Bechet laughs heartily, a few moments before the curtain rises.

Directed by Alex Peron, funny music show It combines humor, singing, dancing…and the park’s fountains. In the cartoon, drag queen Barbada connects tongue-to-cheek lines, between two reminders of health instructions. “You have the right to get up to dance if you stay where you are!” She informed the crowd, on her heels.

Agatha Oona, she did not deny herself from him. “It’s good to dance, listen to music and be with the world. The atmosphere, that’s what we missed. We loved the show!”

At nightfall, comedian Preach opened the main outdoor stage to a few hundred spectators. Laughs traveled, generous, despite physical distancing, and for a moment, it felt like 2019. Or any other year before the pandemic. ” [Mercredi]During the rehearsal of the show, tears were in my eyes. I was like, “This is it. It’s just for fun.” Laughing together gives a little trembling,” concludes Patrick Rosen.