Kinda Sorta Maybe Like a Podcast

If you've been following Canadian comedy over the last 15 years, you've probably seen Evany Rosen on TV, and you've definitely seen her work. Originally breaking out as part of the Halifax sketch comedy troupe Picnicface, she's since worked on the brilliant Baroness Von Sketch Show (writing for it and also appearing in many sketches over its 5 seasons) and co-created and starred in the Crave comedy series New Eden alongside Kayla Lorette.

She's now behind a brand new series, Davey & Jonesie's Locker, which is streaming on Prime Video in Canada and Hulu in the U.S. The hilarious show stars Veronika Slowikowska and Jaelynn Brooks as best friends thrust into a multiverse saga without ever leaving their high school, and besides showrunning, Evany also appears on screen as the school's principal.

Paul Little got the chance to catch up with Evany -- 13 years after their last interview for ShowbizMonkeys.com! -- to chat about combining the teen comedy with campy sci-fi, writing female friendships, working with the leads of Davey & Jonesie's Locker, and easter eggs.

Hunter March is a host, actor, producer, and comedian. He was one of the early faces of AwesomenessTV's collection of digital shows, hosted the game show Emogenius, and was one of the host of E!'s late night show Nightly Pop. After a successful run hosting Netflix's Sugar Rush, the streamer has brought him on board to host the 4th season of the popular glass-blowing competition series, Blown Away, which films in Hamilton, Ontario.

Matthew Ardill got a chance to talk with Hunter about his experience working on the show, how talented the glass-blowing artists competing are, his advice not just for contestants of Blown Away but for anyone entering new experiences, and some of the things he did with his spare time in the Toronto area.

At the start of their chat, Hunter also gives Matt some celebrity lookalikes to ponder, while Matt throws in some others he's gotten before.

Season 4 of Blown Away can be streamed now in its entirety on Netflix, along with all past seasons of the show.

You can find Hunter on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/huntermarch.

Many know Brandon T. Jackson from his film career starring in Tropic Thunder, Percy Jackson, and the upcoming I'm Beginning to See the Light. But before that, he was a young stand-up comic. When I say young, I mean young -- starting at the age of 14, catching the comedy bug after watching his father minister to his congregation. Brandon's career started on the stages of Detroit, but eventually he worked his way west to Hollywood, and for many years spent much of his time on screen.

But after recent events, Brandon decided to return to the stage with his "Still Detroit" tour. He launches his tour November 30 at the Comedy Loft in Washington, D.C., with more dates and cities to follow (tickets available at brandontjackson.love).

Brandon recently took the time to sit with Matthew Ardill for a chat, and they discussed this tour, his inspirations, and the weirdest experience he's had performing comedy.

During 2023's JFL Toronto, Matthew Ardill got to chat over Zoom with Toronto stand-up comic and producer Jessie Olsen to discuss her long-running live show "Hot Babe Energy" (part of JFL Toronto), her podcast "Your Place or Mine", and the many other shows she hosts around the city. They touch on creating safe, sex-positive spaces, what makes a good sexy joke, and the more non-traditional comedy opportunities that have arisen over Jessie's meteoric rise in the Toronto comedy world.

Catch Jessie on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jessie__olsen

Visit her website at https://jessieolsencomedy.com/

Listen to "Your Place or Mine" at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/your-place-or-mine/id1536752936 or https://open.spotify.com/show/6O8R4JluNeGa9iPfqezxAf

Ottawa's Graham Kay, who has called New York City home for years, has built up quite the comedy résumé. He's toured clubs around North America, appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and featured in festivals like Just for Laughs in Montreal and the Halifax Comedy Festival.

Recently, Graham has shifted his focus to a new one-man show called "Pete and Me: A Non-Depressing Look at Autism and Family", where he uses fuses storytelling with his incredible joke-writing to talk about his experiences growing up with an autistic brother, from childhood to today. The show, which was workshopped at small venues around NYC, tackles difficult subject matter head-on with plenty of levity, and has earned great reviews.

Now he's bringing the show to Toronto for JFL to end off September, with more dates at the Under St Marks Theater in NYC to follow in October. Before coming to Toronto, he chatted with Andrew Lizotte about what went into the show, the lack of support for adults with autism, how his childhood shaped his sense of humour, his podcast "Autastic" with fellow comic Kirk Smith, and the perfect set-up for a stand-up comedy venue.

(Also note: Fred Penner is a national treasure, and there is no secret dirt behind behind a paywall to be accessed.)

Comedian and Second-in-Command at Howl & Roar Records caught up on Zoom with the charming and talented Sydnee Washington ahead of her appearance at the Toronto Just for Laughs Festival.

You can catch Syndee's solo show "How to Start a Fire" at JFL Toronto every night at Comedy Bar from September 27-30. Find more info and get tickets at toronto.hahaha.com.

Among the first crop of winners at this year's Juno Awards was Jon Dore, who won the Comedy Album of the Year Juno for A Person Who is Gingerbread, the veteran Canadian comic's debut comedy album from Howl & Roar Records (headed by his sister, Allison Dore).

The Ottawa native has had a long career working on both sides of the border, first becoming a household name as a correspondent for 3 seasons of CTV's Canadian Idol before hosting The Jon Dore Television Show on the Comedy Network for 2 seasons. Jon was the first stand-up comic to appear on TBS' Conan when it debuted on November 11, 2010 (his first of many appearances on the late night show), and he hosted multiple seasons of HBO Canada's Funny as Hell, an alternative comedy showcase shot each year during Just for Laughs in Montreal. He's appeared multiple times on the Comedy Central sketch shows Inside Amy Schumer and The Kroll Show, as well as CBC's Baroness von Sketch Show, and in 2021 created and starred in CBC's Humour Resources, shot during the early days of the pandemic. (You can -- and should -- watch all the episodes now on CBC Gem.)

Leading up to this year's Junos, Andrew Lizotte got the chance to chat with Jon from his home in Juneau, Alaska about how his album got more personal than his previous material, growing up with a funny sister, the process of filming Humour Resources, what it's like living in Alaska, and work-life balance before and after having a baby.

Jon Dore's A Person Who is Gingerbread can be purchased from Howl & Roar Records and streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music.

If you don't know who Vir Das is by this point, that's on you, because he's very busy. Most recently, the stand-up comic released an all-crowd work special which was recorded over Zoom -- two phrases that make him a comedy daredevil. This marks his 4th special for Netflix. He was also in the latest Judd Apatow film, The Bubble, shot in the heart of the pandemic that's also about a major motion picture being shot during the pandemic.

In advance of his appearances this week at JFL Toronto, Andrew Lizotte chatted with Vir over Zoom about those two latest projects, and Vir spoke about how breaking into the North American market so successfully involved mostly happy accidents that forced him to be the most himself he could be.

Kurt Braunohler has been embracing the bananas since well before he had a podcast of the same name. A stand-up comedian, actor, and improviser, Kurt's material ranges from the conversational to the absurdist, and has always been willing to go to new places. Kurt has appeared at Just For Laughs in Montreal, hosted a comedy game show, Bunk, on IFC, and collaborated with Kristen Schaal on the long-running and critical favourite variety show "Hot Tub with Kurt and Kristen" (coming to JFL Toronto).

He most recently started an irreverent news podcast with writer and performer Scotty Landes, Bananas, on the Exactly Right Podcast Network. He'll be at Just for Laughs Toronto where he will be making multiple stand-up appearances as well as bringing "Hot Tub" to Toronto for the first time on September 24. Matt Ardill had an opportunity to sit down with Kurt before his Toronto dates to talk about "Hot Tub", Bananas, comedy, and Canadians' intrinsic love affair with the beaver.

Laurie Kilmartin has been making people laugh for a long time. She's been working as a stand-up for most of her adult life, putting out 3 albums (including 2021's Corset) and appearing on late night shows like CONAN, The Late Late Show with James Corden, and Jimmy Kimmel Live. She spent 11 years writing on CONAN on TBS, and in 2012 wrote the New York Times bestseller, "Sh*tty Mom: The Parenting Guide for the Rest of Us".

Since CONAN ended last year, she's been hitting the road for stand-up more often, including Just for Laughs in Montreal this past July, and several upcoming dates at JFL Toronto at the end of September. Paul Little got the chance to chat with her before her Toronto dates to talk about her time at CONAN, getting back on the road, and why she likes talking about just about anything on stage.

For JFL Toronto show info and tickets, visit toronto.hahaha.com.