Some of comedy's biggest names will be making their way to Vancouver in February.
Just For Laughs Vancouver is returning from Feb. 16 to 23 and organizers have just announced the event line up including some of stand-up comedy's biggest names along with veteran funny folks and live podcast recordings.
Western Canada's biggest comedy festival will see the likes of Sarah Silverman, Patton Oswalt, and Jack Whitehall take to the mic. Along with the big stars are veterans of the stage, like Margaret Cho, Pete Holmes and Tim Dillon.
While longtime stand-up comedians are a major focus of the festival, comedy and comedians of all sorts are showing up. Jonathan Van Ness, one of the stars of the rebooted Queer Eye has a show, as does Bassem Youssef, a former surgeon known for his political satire show in the Middle East and appearances on The Daily Show. TikTok stars and Metro Vancouver locals Darcy Michael and Jeremy Baer will be jumping from short videos to a long live show.
A solid Canadian contingent is showing up as well, led by polylingual Sugar Sammy (who was a judge on France's version of America's Got Talent and has done shows in four languages) with the likes of Steph Tolev and Dave Merheje getting their own shows as well.
There will also be some faces that seem familiar, though their name might not ring any bells. Adam Pally, who you might recognize from Happy Endings or The Mindy Project, will be there, as will Steve Rannazzisi, one of The League's alumni, and Baron Vaughn, who Grace and Frankie fans will recognize as Bud.
Speaking of sitcoms, the Office Ladies will be recording a live podcast episode as part of the festival. Hosted by Jenna Fischer (Pam) and Angela Kinsey (Angela) the show takes audience members behind the scenes at Dunder Mifflin.
Other live podcasts coming to Just For Laughs include Bad Friends with Bobby Lee (you may remember him from Mad TV) and Andrew Santino, And That's Why We Drink with Em Schulz and Christine Schiefer mashing true crime and comedy together, and That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast.
Here's a list of all the shows currently booked as part of the Just For Laughs Vancouver festival. Some comedians are doing two or three shows on back-to-back nights as part of the festival.
Thursday, Feb. 16:
Bad Friends with Bobby Lee and Andrew Santino — Orpheum Theatre at 8 p.m.
Sarah Sherman — Biltmore Cabaret at 9:30 p.m.
Gianmarco Soresi: I’m So Lonely I Always Pick The Middle Urinal Tour — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Dave Merheje: MY DEAR ANXIETY — Rio Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 17:
Sugar Sammy: Canadian Tour 2023 — Bell Performing Arts Centre at 7 p.m.
Darcy and Jer IRL (that means in real life, please don’t touch us!) — Vogue Theatre at 7 p.m.
An Intimate Evening with Adam Pally — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Sarah Sherman — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Baron Vaughn — Biltmore Cabaret at 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18:
Margaret Cho: Live and LIVID! — Vogue Theatre at 7 p.m.
Ryan Hamilton— Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Jordan Carlos — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Pat Regan — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Sugar Sammy: Canadian Tour 2023 — The Playhouse at 7 p.m. & 9:30 p.m.
Benito Skinner & Mary Beth Barone — Vogue Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Hannah Berner — Rio Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Joe DeRosa — Biltmore Theatre I 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 19:
A Conversation with Phil Rosenthal — Vogue Theatre at 5 p.m.
Ryan Hamilton — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Pete Holmes — Vogue Theatre at 8 p.m.
Becky Robinson — Rio Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Ali Macofsky — Biltmore Cabaret at 9:30 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 20:
That’s Messed Up: An SVU Podcast — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 21:
Joe Pera — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 22:
Chris Distefano — Vogue Theatre at 7 p.m.
Bassem Youssef — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Jared Freid — Rio Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Matt Rife — Biltmore Cabaret 7 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 23:
Sarah Silverman: Grow Some Lips — Queen Elizabeth Theatre at 7 p.m.
Jared Freid — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Steve Rannazzisi — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Nick Thune — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Bassem Youssef — Rio Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Matt Rife — Biltmore Cabaret at 9:30 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 24:
An Evening with the Office Ladies — Queen Elizabeth Theatre at 7 p.m.
Steph Tolev: Canadian Darling — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Tim Dillon — Queen Elizabeth Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
And That’s Why We Drink: On The Rocks Tour — Vogue Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Dan Soder — Rio Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Nick Thune — Biltmore Cabaret at 9:30 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 25:
Patton Oswalt — Queen Elizabeth Theatre at 7 p.m.
Podcast but Outside — Biltmore Cabaret at 7 p.m.
Dan Soder — Rio Theatre at 7 p.m.
Jack Whitehall — Vogue at 7 p.m.
Fun & Slutty, A Night with Jonathan Van Ness Queen Elizabeth Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Ari Shaffir — Vogue Theatre at 9:30 p.m.
Girl God with Grace Freud and April Clark — Biltmore Cabaret at 9:30 p.m.
