Kinda Sorta Maybe Like a Podcast

Born and raised in Windsor, Ontario, New York-based comedian Dave Merheje has had a pretty stellar 2019. He started the year off with a half-hour Netflix stand-up special as part of their Comedians of the World series, popped up as a series regular on the first season of the critically-acclaimed Hulu series Ramy (available in Canada on Crave), and he won the Comedy Album to the Year at the 2019 Juno Awards for his album Good Friend Bad Grammar. This in addition to performing around the U.S. and Canada, as well as wrapping up a long run last year as a recurring character on the popular CBC sitcom Mr. D.

While back in Toronto -- the city where he started stand-up -- for a series of headlining gigs at JFL42, Andrew Lizotte got the chance to catch up with Dave to talk about the wild year he's had, how he's grown on stage, how his dad reacted to his Juno win, and his new love for Lulu Lemon pants.

Seán Cullen is one of those rare Canadian performers who has fans across any age group. People were excited to shake his hand and give him a hug as he sauntered to the stage at one of his recent JFL42 shows.

For followers of the comedian's long career, the show at Toronto's Comedy Bar was a decidedly deeper and more intimate evening. As a comedian who is well known for pure silly, he was refreshingly open about... himself, for the first time. Cullen bared his soul, speaking to struggles with loneliness, depression, and weight. But it's still Seán Cullen, so it took the form of a song called "Shit-storm", wearing ghost pants, and reflections on dating a raccoon. The crowd was safe in his silly;he even stopped to have a conversation with a criminal defense lawyer about the pros and cons of depression vs. homicide.

It was honest, and present, and felt just for those in the room that night. Much like the conversation he and Andrew Lizotte had last week in advance of his JFL42 appearances. (Andrew wrote this intro, and is clearly the King of Segues...)

Seán Cullen is one of those rare Canadian performers who has fans across any age group. People were excited to shake his hand and give him a hug as he sauntered to the stage at one of his recent JFL42 shows.

For followers of the comedian's long career, the show at Toronto's Comedy Bar was a decidedly deeper and more intimate evening. As a comedian who is well known for pure silly, he was refreshingly open about... himself, for the first time. Cullen bared his soul, speaking to struggles with loneliness, depression, and weight. But it's still Seán Cullen, so it took the form of a song called "Shit-storm", wearing ghost pants, and reflections on dating a raccoon. The crowd was safe in his silly;he even stopped to have a conversation with a criminal defense lawyer about the pros and cons of depression vs. homicide.

It was honest, and present, and felt just for those in the room that night. Much like the conversation he and Andrew Lizotte had last week in advance of his JFL42 appearances. (Andrew wrote this intro, and is clearly the King of Segues...)

Robby Hoffman is an original comedy voice whose writing and delivery on stage puts her at the top of the stand-up game. Her bit for The Chris Gethard Show with Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski is one of the funniest things on YouTube, and her other television writing -- which includes CBC/IFC's Baroness Von Sketch Show -- has even won her a Daytime Emmy for Odd Squad on PBS. Last September, she recorded her Crave TV stand-up special, Robby Hoffman: I'm Nervous, at Toronto's JFL42.

Robby is returning to Montreal -- where she used to live and briefly began her stand-up career -- for the Just for Laughs Festival as part of the great line-up for "The Ethnic Show" (with shows through Thursday, July 25) and with her own "The Early Evening Show with Robby Hoffman", a unique take on the late night comedy format taking place at the Montreal Improv on Monday, July 22 and Friday, July 26.

She spoke with Paul Little about the development of her talk show, her experiences at other festivals in Canada, the difference between writing for the stage and television, and living in Los Angeles after time spent in Montreal, Toronto, and New York.

Robby Hoffman is an original comedy voice whose writing and delivery on stage puts her at the top of the stand-up game. Her bit for The Chris Gethard Show with Queer Eye's Antoni Porowski is one of the funniest things on YouTube, and her other television writing -- which includes CBC/IFC's Baroness Von Sketch Show -- has even won her a Daytime Emmy for Odd Squad on PBS. Last September, she recorded her Crave TV stand-up special, Robby Hoffman: I'm Nervous, at Toronto's JFL42.

Robby is returning to Montreal -- where she used to live and briefly began her stand-up career -- for the Just for Laughs Festival as part of the great line-up for "The Ethnic Show" (with shows through Thursday, July 25) and with her own "The Early Evening Show with Robby Hoffman", a unique take on the late night comedy format taking place at the Montreal Improv on Monday, July 22 and Friday, July 26.

She spoke with Paul Little about the development of her talk show, her experiences at other festivals in Canada, the difference between writing for the stage and television, and living in Los Angeles after time spent in Montreal, Toronto, and New York.

Nick Nemeroff is a Montreal comic who has been a mainstay in the Toronto comedy scene for the past few years, winning Best Newcomer and Best Breakout Comic at the 2017 and 2018 I Heart Joke Awards. His comedy has been described as "aggressively deadpan" -- and if you're wondering what that means, just watch his set from last fall on Conan. It's a joy.

After visiting Winnipeg for the Oddblock Comedy Festival a couple years ago, Nick is making his first appearance at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival this weekend. Paul Little chatted with him ahead of his visit, and they spoke about his "Square Pegs" gala taping, his experience on Conan, and what's in store now that he's made the move to Los Angeles.

Nick Nemeroff is a Montreal comic who has been a mainstay in the Toronto comedy scene for the past few years, winning Best Newcomer and Best Breakout Comic at the 2017 and 2018 I Heart Joke Awards. His comedy has been described as "aggressively deadpan" -- and if you're wondering what that means, just watch his set from last fall on Conan. It's a joy.

After visiting Winnipeg for the Oddblock Comedy Festival a couple years ago, Nick is making his first appearance at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival this weekend. Paul Little chatted with him ahead of his visit, and they spoke about his "Square Pegs" gala taping, his experience on Conan, and what's in store now that he's made the move to Los Angeles.

Chris Gethard is comedy's favourite underdog. He is the fine wine that other comedians cannot recommend enough. His years of study as an improviser at the UCB Theatre in New York have made him a great listener and a truly empathetic storyteller. During this interview in advance of his appearances at JFL42, Chris gave Andrew Lizotte some of the most emotionally open and thoughtful answers of his career -- all while driving!

Chris is a ringmaster of chaos. The man loves a sincerely weird experience. His beloved program, The Chris Gethard Show -- which has run on NYC cable access and a pair of basic cable networks -- is best described as if early MTV went truly punk and had no artistic censorship. His podcast, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, gives you honest and thoughtful looks into the lives of complete strangers. Chris also released an HBO stand-up special last year, Career Suicide, which gets us to laugh and understand his struggle with mental health.

He is a complex and interesting man. If this interview jumps around a bit, it's only because there is so much to talk about.

Chris Gethard is comedy's favourite underdog. He is the fine wine that other comedians cannot recommend enough. His years of study as an improviser at the UCB Theatre in New York have made him a great listener and a truly empathetic storyteller. During this interview in advance of his appearances at JFL42, Chris gave Andrew Lizotte some of the most emotionally open and thoughtful answers of his career -- all while driving!

Chris is a ringmaster of chaos. The man loves a sincerely weird experience. His beloved program, The Chris Gethard Show -- which has run on NYC cable access and a pair of basic cable networks -- is best described as if early MTV went truly punk and had no artistic censorship. His podcast, Beautiful Stories from Anonymous People, gives you honest and thoughtful looks into the lives of complete strangers. Chris also released an HBO stand-up special last year, Career Suicide, which gets us to laugh and understand his struggle with mental health.

He is a complex and interesting man. If this interview jumps around a bit, it's only because there is so much to talk about.

Shortly after Donald Trump decided to run for President, improviser and actor Anthony Atamanuik -- a veteran of UCB Theatre in New York who had worked on 30 Rock for years and wrote for and appeared in a number of other comedy television shows and specials -- was asked to do a one-off show as Trump after playing an exaggerated version of then-candidate Trump in an improv scene.

That original live show led to more shows, an eventual "Trump vs. Bernie" debate tour alongside James Adomian as Bernie Sanders, appearances on @midnight and FuseTV as the character, and then after the seemingly unlikely election of Donald J. Trump as President of the United States, starring in a Trump-themed talk show on Comedy Central called The President Show.

In advance of a pair of apperances as Donald Trump for this year's JFL42 in Toronto, Paul Little spoke with Atamanuik over the phone about his career before taking on the Trump character, getting into the mind of someone like Trump, his overall take on the state of politics in the United States these days, and a very early teaser about a new President Show special coming up soon.