CUE MORE LAUGHTER
After ‘a Trying Period,’ The Largest Comedy Festival In The World Has Emerged With New Owners Pledging Allegiance To Montreal. But Has The Deal Created Enough Distance From Scandal-plagued Founder Gilbert Rozon To Reboot The French Side Of The Business? B
No, it isn’t an April Fools’ Day joke come early. Canadian cutup Howie Mandel has indeed hooked up with U.S. entertainment juggernaut ICM partners to purchase the Just for Laughs Group/Groupe Juste pour rire. But it’s no laughing matter on some levels.
Like the Montreal International Jazz Festival and the Cirque du Soleil (which now has significant Chinese and American investment), JFL is so very much a part of our cultural patrimony in this province. With Quebecor choosing not to exercise its right of first refusal to match or top the sale price, the JFL owners are no longer from these parts — although the new ownership team has confirmed it is in talks with “prominent local Quebec players to join the investment group.”
While early reports suggested the cost of the JFL purchase was in the “tens of millions of dollars,” financial terms relating to the sale have not been disclosed. Nor would Mandel divulge the extent of his investment, but did allow that it’s “significant from a cash as well as from a time and effort point.”
Nonetheless, Mandel and ICM Partners managing director Chris Silbermann have stated in no uncertain terms that JFL headquarters will stay put in Montreal, with the same personnel running both the English and French components of the festival.
That’s most reassuring news. But it can’t overshadow the grim raison d’être for the sale: Juste pour rire founder, former president and owner Gilbert Rozon had to unload his stake in the company after allegations of sexual assault and harassment against him surfaced last October. Although Rozon pledges to fight the charges — as yet unproven in court — there was significant backlash both here and abroad, which hastened his decision to sell.
Discredited though he is now, Rozon did create quite the incredible success story here, it must be noted. It began simply enough with a two-day, four-act franco fest in 1983. Two years later, an English component was launched. Now about to mark its 36th anniversary, this twoheaded spectacle is the largest comedy festival in the world. It has attracted the best stand-ups on the planet and, last summer, crowds of 1.5 million spectators to catch 1,000 shows over a two-week period. The festival is also a huge economic generator, estimated to have brought in $34 million to the city last year and 210,000 tourists from outside the province.
Thanks to the input over the years of JFL chief operating officer Bruce Hills, Robbie Praw (now programming Netflix’s comedy division) and former JFL exec Andy Nulman, the English portion of the festival has grown by leaps and bounds and has spread its tentacles, with satellite fests in Toronto, Vancouver and Sydney as well as tours worldwide.
TV distribution is widespread as well, with JFL shows being aired in 135 countries and by 100 airlines.
L’Affaire Rozon has had little impact on the anglo side, as few of the performers had any contact with Rozon. But the same cannot be said for the franco side. Even before these allegations against Rozon became known, Juste pour rire programming had become stagnant, relying on too many of the same performers and show models. Rozon had also played a much more pivotal role in the franco programming, and perhaps his input hindered change.
But it could be even more dicey now. One of the biggest blows of all caused by these charges against Rozon was the creation of another local franco event, Le Grand Montréal comédie fest (GMCF). Founded by 50 of Quebec’s best and brightest comedians, including Martin Petit, Mike Ward, Lise Dion, Anthony Kavanagh and Sylvain Larocque, the upstart festival, slated to run July 1 to 15, has pledged to be fully transparent in regard to “ethical management, social
responsibility and equal pay.”
The hope held by many was that apart from having a local owner in Quebecor, the company’s involvement could also have gone a long way toward bringing Québécois comics back into the Juste pour rire fold. That could be problematic now, particularly in light of the news Monday that Vidéotron, owned by Quebecor, was coming on board as a GMCF partner. Further compounding the situation was the news last November that ex-JFLer Nulman had become a GMCF consultant.
So to some outsiders, battle lines appear to have been drawn, especially with GMCF having a head start before JFL begins its run July 14 to 28.
JFL chairman of the board Pierre-Marc Johnson, however, is a little more optimistic, both in the short and long term. He points out that much of the Juste pour rire revenues are derived from franco musical comedy presentations, such as the coming Fame show in June.
“With the new ownership in place, we have stability and we have the resources to have a good festival,” Johnson said. “The (various levels of ) government told us they would support us if there was new ownership. There is new ownership now, and we expect their support. I don’t deny there was animosity from certain comedians toward Gilbert Rozon personally, but he’s not there anymore, so I don’t see why they should have animosity toward Juste pour rire now.
“We have lots of programming announcements to make in April and May, which are quite a bit different in nature from those of the other festival (GMCF). Some of the comedians participating in (GMCF) will hopefully be involved in Juste pour rire. Besides, (GMCF) announced there would be no exclusivity. So artists can go from one festival to the other.”
Johnson can’t comment just yet on the possibility of a future alliance with GMCF.
“All I can say for now is that all talented comics are welcome to participate in our festival,” Johnson said. “It’s all about talent, and putting out the best product for Montrealers. At this point, there are negotiations going on (with comedians involved with GMCF).”
Johnson was very quick to add there would likely be enticing benefits associated with the new ownership.
“We know that artists on the French side will have an interest in being part of the new (JFL) ownership, because the new owners have a huge international platform and they have excellent access to production and production facilities. Their network is around the world and in more than one language. It will be a plus for all artists here, regardless of the language they speak.”
Interestingly, Québécois standup sensation Ward, though associated with GMCF, has no qualms whatsoever about performing on the French or English sides of JFL.
“I would definitely do Just for Laughs or Juste pour rire again this summer,” said Ward, who is not yet booked to do either side of the fest. “I feel about (GMCF) the way I feel about the other two. Anyway, the more comedy festivals there are, the better it is for people like me. With (GMCF), we can get twice the work.”
Ward believes the departure of Rozon alters the picture.
“I think that changes everything,” said Ward. “On the English side, even if Rozon would have stayed, it wouldn’t have changed that much, because no one really knew him there — he would go to maybe one party a year.
“But on the French side, he was the face of the festival, and I think, with him still there, it would have been very hard for him to book comics. But now I think that everybody on the French side is going to go back.”
Ward is particularly buoyed by the fact that the new owners have stipulated that the JFL base will remain in Montreal and it will be business as usual for company employees.
“When the whole (Rozon) news came out, everybody was freaking out — and people were right to freak out,” Ward added. “But I felt for all the employees who had nothing to do with what (Rozon) did. So I’m happy now everyone’s job is safe.
“I’m sure that now Juste pour rire will come back to where it once was. And I’m also pretty sure that the other festival (GMCF) will end up merging with it. When it comes down to it, (JFL) has been part of our lives forever, and it’s impossible to think of Montreal without it.”
All music to the ears of JFL’s Hills, who would “love to have Ward back” at the fest.
“We’re open to have any conversation with any comic from Quebec about performing in French or English,” Hills said.
“Nothing has changed, no matter what has gone on. This has been a trying period for us, and we’re very happy this is all behind us.
“But we’ve remained open for business throughout. And with the new ownership group behind us, it only strengthens our position to build that business.”
Bottom line is, when Quebecor didn’t step up to the plate, other well-heeled players, including a Canuck comic, did.
“I think that comedy is international. French is the culture of Quebec, and we can’t forget that it was Juste pour rire before it was Just for Laughs,” Mandel said, noting his desire to get involved on the franco side of JFL.
“Let’s put this festival, both French and English, on the world map more than ever.”
With assurances that Montreal will remain the JFL capital with its workforce still in place, it bodes well for the continued evolution here of the planet’s biggest comedy extravaganza.
Because in this city, particularly, we can always use the laughs.