Kinda Sorta Maybe Like a Podcast

After becoming a comedy and film superstar in France, 46-year-old Morocco-born Gad Elmaleh has spent the last couple years based out of New York, starting comedy in a brand new language and paying his dues again in rooms like the Comedy Cellar and Joe's Pub in NYC, and other smaller clubs across the United States. Of course, being an established performer -- even in another language -- meant Elmaleh's anglophone rise has been a bit quicker than for most comics.

Building off of appearances on Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee and late night shows like CONAN and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the one-time Quebeccer is now playing theatres around Canada and the U.S., and is on the verge of recording his first English-language comedy special.

In advance of some Canadian stops on his "Oh My Gad" tour, Paul Little got the chance to speak to Elmaleh about his original interest in performing and comedy after he moved from Morocco to Quebec, his discovery of Seinfeld, his recent adjustments to both the English language and North American audiences, and his desire to be seen as funny beyond the gimmick of "starting over".

Bronx-born comic, writer, and actress Gina Brillon made her first TV appearance over 10 years ago on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Since then, she's appeared on Chelsea Lately, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The View, and the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait in a recurring role. She also had a feature role in Gabriel Iglesias' comedy film, The Fluffy Movie, and put out a one-hour special, Pacifically Speaking.

This fall, Brillon has hit the road north of the border, as comedy powerhouse Just For Laughs has teamed her up with JFL tour mainstays Alonzo Bodden and Sugar Sammy for a cross-Canada tour. Paul Little spoke with Brillon shortly before the tour began, and we talked about her absolute love of stand-up comedy, her experiences working in TV, her plans for the future, and why she was excited to hit the road with Bodden and Sammy.

Bronx-born comic, writer, and actress Gina Brillon made her first TV appearance over 10 years ago on Comedy Central's Live at Gotham. Since then, she's appeared on Chelsea Lately, Late Night with Seth Meyers, The View, and the CBS sitcom Kevin Can Wait in a recurring role. She also had a feature role in Gabriel Iglesias' comedy film, The Fluffy Movie, and put out a one-hour special, Pacifically Speaking.

This fall, Brillon has hit the road north of the border, as comedy powerhouse Just For Laughs has teamed her up with JFL tour mainstays Alonzo Bodden and Sugar Sammy for a cross-Canada tour. Paul Little spoke with Brillon shortly before the tour began, and we talked about her absolute love of stand-up comedy, her experiences working in TV, her plans for the future, and why she was excited to hit the road with Bodden and Sammy.

SheDot Festival ("Toronto's Festival of Funny Women") is in its fourth year, and has grown from essentially a local festival in its first year to one featuring performers from all across Canada and the United States. SheDot co-producer Karen O'Keefe (who now runs the festival alongside founder Martha O'Neill) has been involved since its inception, and has also been performing stand-up for over 10 years along with other festival appearances and a writing stint on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Paul Little chatted with O'Keefe at a cafe across the street from SheDot's home base for the weekend, Comedy Bar, mere hours before this year's festival began. They spoke about the chaos of co-producing a festival, SheDots beginnings, future plans for the festival, some of the shows to check out if you're in Toronto this weekend (the festival runs through Sunday, May 7), and her own writing and acting aspirations.

SheDot Festival ("Toronto's Festival of Funny Women") is in its fourth year, and has grown from essentially a local festival in its first year to one featuring performers from all across Canada and the United States. SheDot co-producer Karen O'Keefe (who now runs the festival alongside founder Martha O'Neill) has been involved since its inception, and has also been performing stand-up for over 10 years along with other festival appearances and a writing stint on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.

Paul Little chatted with O'Keefe at a cafe across the street from SheDot's home base for the weekend, Comedy Bar, mere hours before this year's festival began. They spoke about the chaos of co-producing a festival, SheDots beginnings, future plans for the festival, some of the shows to check out if you're in Toronto this weekend (the festival runs through Sunday, May 7), and her own writing and acting aspirations.

Rebecca Reeds started her comedy career in Ottawa, performing at open mics and eventually being part of an Ottawa Fringe Festival show. She's since made the move to Toronto, where there are not only far more opportunities for her to get stage time and hone her craft, but where she can perform alongside touring comics who regularly hit up the city (such as a recent opening spot for Matt Braunger at Toronto's Comedy Bar).

Reeds has previously performed at the SheDot Festival and JFL 42 -- as well as made appearances on CBC Radio and SiriusXM -- but she's appearing at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival for the first time this year. Paul Little chatted with her about the early part of her career in Ottawa, the difficulties of moving to a much bigger comedy city like Toronto, her growth as a comic over the last couple years, and what she expects from her first big TV gala experience.

Rebecca Reeds started her comedy career in Ottawa, performing at open mics and eventually being part of an Ottawa Fringe Festival show. She's since made the move to Toronto, where there are not only far more opportunities for her to get stage time and hone her craft, but where she can perform alongside touring comics who regularly hit up the city (such as a recent opening spot for Matt Braunger at Toronto's Comedy Bar).

Reeds has previously performed at the SheDot Festival and JFL 42 -- as well as made appearances on CBC Radio and SiriusXM -- but she's appearing at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival for the first time this year. Paul Little chatted with her about the early part of her career in Ottawa, the difficulties of moving to a much bigger comedy city like Toronto, her growth as a comic over the last couple years, and what she expects from her first big TV gala experience.

Tim Gray and Matt Nightingale are both veterans of the Winnipeg stand-up comedy scene, and this year they're both a part of the local contingent at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Besides their accomplishments as stand-up comics (Tim's first comedy album comes out this June, and Matt is a regular host at Rumor's Comedy Club), they're also members of the sketch troupe HUNKS. Their work with HUNKS -- which also features Dana Smith, Quinn Greene, and Rory Fallis -- has taken them to festivals like Just for Laughs NorthWest, San Francisco Sketchfest, and the Montreal Sketch Festival. (They also have their own very funny podcast!)

Last weekend, Paul Little sat down with Tim and Matt to talk about their growth as stand-ups, their early success with HUNKS, and a whole lot more fascinating (and ridiculous) stuff. It's our longest podcast yet, but it's also a whole lot of fun!

Tim Gray and Matt Nightingale are both veterans of the Winnipeg stand-up comedy scene, and this year they're both a part of the local contingent at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. Besides their accomplishments as stand-up comics (Tim's first comedy album comes out this June, and Matt is a regular host at Rumor's Comedy Club), they're also members of the sketch troupe HUNKS. Their work with HUNKS -- which also features Dana Smith, Quinn Greene, and Rory Fallis -- has taken them to festivals like Just for Laughs NorthWest, San Francisco Sketchfest, and the Montreal Sketch Festival. (They also have their own very funny podcast!)

Last weekend, Paul Little sat down with Tim and Matt to talk about their growth as stand-ups, their early success with HUNKS, and a whole lot more fascinating (and ridiculous) stuff. It's our longest podcast yet, but it's also a whole lot of fun!

Amanda Brooke Perrin is a veteran of the Toronto comedy scene who recently moved to Los Angeles. Approaching 10 years as a stand-up comic, Perrin has appeared at festivals like JFL 42 and Bridgetown, has appeared on Match Game and written for This Hour Has 22 Minutes, and just released her debut comedy album (AKA Randy, available on iTunes) last summer.

Just prior to her first visit to the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, Paul Little caught up with Perrin while doing a string of shows in B.C. They chatted about making the jump from her hometown of Calgary to Toronto earlier in her career, the comedy writing opportunities in Canada, what she's looking forward to about Winnipeg, and why Colin Mochrie should watch his back!