Sugar Sammy returns for a second year to host the 17th Just for Laughs Canadian Comedy Tour. The tour begins on October 13, with stops in Surrey and Vancouver before heading to 10 more cities. This year’s edition also features Alonzo Bodden and Gina Brillon.
Sammy is not new to hosting large comedy events — he hosted twice to sold-out shows at the 35th Montreal International Just For Laughs Comedy Festival, which he’s performed at eight times. In his home province of Quebec, Sammy is well-known and his ability to speak multiple languages has afforded him the ability to appeal to a wider audience. He starred in a popular sitcom, Ces gars-là, from 2014–16 and although it was in French, it was just as popular with Anglophones.
You’re Gonna Rire, his bilingual Montreal show, sold out an unprecedented 421 performances and cemented his reputation as a Canadian comedy institution. In total, he has performed over 1,500 shows in 29 countries. It helps that he speaks English, French, Hindi, and Punjabi.
Joining Sammy on this tour is the winner of season three of Last Comic Standing, New Yorker Alonzo Bodden. With his cynical brand of comedy, he was a favourite at this year’s Just for Laughs festival. Bodden has appeared in Showtime’s Who’s Paying Attention, and has hosted Speed Channel’s 101 Cars You Must Drive and America’s Worst Driver on the Travel Channel.
On the big screen, he can be seen as a security guard protecting Steve Martin and Queen Latifah in Bringing Down the House and Leslie Nielsen in Scary Movie 4. This is his fourth appearance on the Just for Laughs Canadian Comedy Tour, and anyone Trevor Noah calls “One of the funniest people you’ll see on stage” must be funny.
Gina Brillon adds her bold, no-holds-barred humour to the mix. Another New Yorker, she is an experienced stand-up artist who is also a published poet and writer. She’s collaborated with Gabriel Iglesias for a one-hour special, Pacifically Speaking, and was also featured in Iglesias’ The Fluffy Movie. On the small screen, she can be seen on Chelsea Lately, Gotham Comedy Live, and The View. Coming up, she will have a recurring role in Kevin James’ Kevin Can Wait.
A little taste of Just for Laughs is coming to town, and we should all take advantage of that. For those of us living south of the Fraser, we don’t even have to trek downtown! I look forward to seeing this talented trio bring their individual comic styles to the west coast.
