Entertainment Notebook: Just For Laughs Showcase events; Batshaw fundraiser & Cummings

The world’s most prestigious comedy festival has requested the presence of some of the Montreal island’s funniest comedians for a chance to earn a coveted spot at Just For Laughs 2026! And that is terrific news for “Mister Fantastic” Charles Daghlian and the team behind Kickback Comedy.

Laval’s Got Jokes, headed by Daghlian, is on the schedule for this Tuesday night, April 7 at the House of Jazz (1639 Blvd, de L’Avenir). Doors open at 7 pm, with showtime at 8 pm, sponsored by Aupale Vodka. “This is a monumental achievement,” an overly ecstatic Daghlian told me.

The lineup will feature 10 of Montreal’s best rising comedians (Oumer Teyeb, Wassim El-Munzer, Shosho Abotouk, Ben Cardilli, Julie Santini, Nick Benks, Joanna Selverajah, Youssef Ibrahim and Daniel Tirado) performing their sharpest, funniest material in front of industry bookers and talent programmers from the legendary Just for Laughs. “This is where careers are born,” Daghlian says. “Comedy superstars like Kevin Hart got their big break here, going from small stages to sold-out arenas. So years from now, when one of these comics is headlining Netflix specials or selling out theatres, you’ll get to say ‘Hey! I saw them before they were famous!’ I will be hosting.”

Live music will be performed by The Zack Sarkissian Band. Tickets: www.misterfantastic.ca

Meanwhile, I also had a nice talk with Eva Alexopoulos and Mona Maarabani from Kickback Comedy. They have been putting on some of Montreal’s top local comedy shows for over five years now, with monthly pop-up showcases, in addition to the occasional special event. This year, they’ve put together their first headliner series in collaboration with Toronto’s Comedy Bar and Ottawa’s Laugh Lounge. Most recently, they successfully wrapped up a weekly re-watch party of Heated Rivalry, co-hosted by cast member Benjamin Roy.

“As we wrap up the 2025-2026 season, we’ve realized that, this winter, there’s been a serious shift in Montreal’s comedy community,” said Pierrefonds native Maarabani. “We really see Kickback taking up more space moving forward, with much to be explored especially in the bilingual landscape. “

Their JFL Showcase will be held on Sat. April 18 (8 pm) at Café Cleopatra on St. Laurent Blvd.

Alexopoulos, a Kirkland native , said that she started Kickback because something was missing on the local comedy scene. “For us every client and audience member is a VIP,” she remarked, adding that they also have a local deejay performing at each of their presentations.”

Maarabani, who works as a producer and consultant, said that the moment she met Alexopoulos it became clear to her that Kickback Comedy could be come something big.

Alexopoulos said that her goal is to prove how Montreal is a hotspot all-year long. Kickback has already produced two new faces of comedy winners for JFL, Michelle Forrester in 2023 and Tom Murphy in 2025. They will also have 10 comics on stage.

Go to https://www.kickbackcomedy.ca for tickets.

 RISK TO RESILIENCE: The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation (Batshaw Foundation), whose mission is to empower the vulnerable children, youth and families served by Youth Protection and related services, today proudly announced ‘Risk to Resilience – A Party with Purpose’ – an event to raise funds for at-risk youth. This year’s fundraiser will take place on Thursday, April 16 (6 pm)at new venue Le Richmond (377 Richmond St.) in Griffintown. Guests will enjoy a sumptuous cocktail dinatoire, a performance by comedian Nazeer Khan – host and producer of Comedy Cave MTL, a raffle grand prize of two business class tickets to anywhere Air Canada flies in North America or the Caribbean and a silent auction, including Montreal Canadiens tickets directly behind the bench. “We are proud to present ‘Risk to Resilience – A Party with Purpose’ this year,” says Bisma Ansari, Board President, Batshaw Foundation. “Funds raised will directly support youth as they transition into adulthood – often without the safety net many of us take for granted. This includes tangible support, such as rent assistance, groceries, basic furnishings and public transit, as well as scholarships, certification programs and access to our Stay in School program and employment opportunities. With the growing number of youths served last year, the need is more critical than ever. On behalf of the Foundation, I would like to thank our sponsors, partners and supporters for coming together to make a meaningful difference.”

Tickets are $250 (with $175 tax receipt) and $150 (with $75 tax receipt) for those aged 35 = and under and Batshaw staff. Log on to https://batshawfoundation.kindful.com/e/risk-to-resilience-a-party-with-purpose

Batshaw Youth and Family Centres (now part of Santé Québec) provide services to children and their families in situations of neglect, abuse, abandonment and when youth display extremely troubling behaviour. All services are mandated by the Quebec Youth Protection Act and other applicable legislation. Most children are helped in their own home, while others are entrusted to extended family, placed in foster families or in residential care, and some are adopted. Batshaw Centres serve Anglophone and Allophone communities on the island of Montreal, the Montreal Jewish community in both official languages and provide residential placement services to English-speaking youth from all regions of Quebec.The Batshaw Youth and Family Centres Foundation is a charitable organization whose mission is to empower the vulnerable children, youth and families served by Youth Protection and other services for youth in difficulty, by providing them with funding, tools and opportunities so that they can unlock their potential and achieve success — now and into the future. Founded in 1978, the Foundation has a long history of providing financial support, where public funds are not available, to those served by the Batshaw Youth and Family Centres. For more information, please visit www.batshawfoundation.ca

ART EXPOSITION: The Cummings Centre Fine Arts and Crafts Department will present its 2026 Art Exposition: Fleurir / Flourish, on Wed. April 22 (11am – 7:30 pm) and Thursday April 23 (10 am – 3 pm) at the Gelber Conference Centre (5151, ch. de la Cote Sainte-Catherine). A vernissage will be held the same day from 5 pm to  7:30 pm. Over 150 arts and crafts projects created by students and teachers of the Fine Arts & Crafts Department and Cummings Centre Staff will be on display and for sale. One of the highlights of this year’s show is the inclusion of works created by students from Herzliah High School and L’Annexe Workshop who participated in Crafting Legacies: Bridging Generations through the Art of Woodworking, an intergenerational initiative with funding provided by Canadian Heritage. There is no cost to attend. For more information call 514.343.3510.

THE RUBIN REPORT ON LADY GAGA: This week my correspondent Stewart Rubin brings us a review of The Lady Gaga concerts  at the Bell Centre.

The stage was set, and the Bell Centre was packed to the rafters. Fans arrived dressed for the occasion, fully embracing the spirit of the Mayhem Ball in elaborate costumes, ready to celebrate their “Mother Monster,” Lady Gaga.

The name Lady Gaga itself traces back to a moment of serendipity when her producer texted her a reference to the song Radio Gaga by the band Queen and autocorrect transformed it into “Lady Gaga.” The name stuck, and by 2009, with the re-release ofthe Fame Monster. the door to superstardom was blown wide open.

This was my first time seeing Gaga live, but it felt long overdue. With the release of her Mayhem album just over a year ago and the explosive success single Abracadabra, this tour had already cemented itself as something special. The Mayhem Ball: The Art of Personal Chaos is not just a concert it’s a massive theatrical production told in five distinct acts and an encore.

Before the show began, fans could text messages that appeared on the giant screen everything from “my first show” to heartfelt reunions and even marriage proposals. Then, the tone shifted. The screen cut to Gaga, cloaked in red, writing with a quill pen setting the stage for the spectacle to come.

When the lights dropped, the arena erupted.

A towering red dress at least ten feet high emerged, with Gaga perched at the top. Following a shortened operatic version of Bloody Mary she launched into Abracadabra, the crowd instantly leapt to their feet. No one sat down again. The audience didn’t just watch they moved, swayed, and seemed to float along with the music, illuminated by synchronized stage lighting and glowing wristbands handed out to every fan.

Each act unfolded with stunning visual contrast. Costumes evolved from deep reds and dark hair to stark whites and platinum blonde, eventually culminating in a striking grey symbolizing a journey through duality: light and dark, joy and sorrow. It perfectly embodied the show’s theme: The Art of Personal Chaos.

The hits were all there, and the crowd was never disappointed. Drawing from her work in film, Gaga delivered a haunting rendition of Shallow from A Star is Born, sending chills through the arena. Between costume changes, her “Little Monster” dancers commanded the stage with razor-sharp choreography, while her band delivered a thunderous and tight performance including a standout drum solo that electrified the room.

One of the most powerful moments of the night came during Paparazzi. Gaga appeared with metal crutches and a dramatic wedding veil stretching from the back of the arena to center stage a striking visual metaphor for the pressures and pain that fame can impose.

Toward the end of the show, everything stripped back. Gaga sat alone at the piano, letting her voice carry the weight of the moment raw, emotional, and utterly captivating.

The final song before the encore, Bad Romance turned the arena into a full-on dance floor. Fans filled the aisles, jumping and singing in unison.

For the encore, Gaga returned completely transformed no makeup, no theatrics just authenticity. She closed the night with two songs delivered au naturel, reminding everyone of the artist behind the spectacle.

I walked away deeply impressed and proud to finally count myself among her Montreal “Little Monsters.”

“Get Your Paws Up!!”

Have an item to share? E-mail mcohen@thesuburban.com