Just for Laughs

Last night I went with Kait and her bf to Casino Nova Scotia to the opening night "Gala"of the Halifax 2010 "Just for Laughs" hosted by Shaun Majumder.

It was general seating so we lined up just before 7 as the doors were opening at 7:15.    Once in, we saw the layout was a combination of small tables with chairs near the front and then rows of chairs.  The tables were all reserved for guests of the company that produces the festival but the rest of the place was fair game.  Amazingly enough we got front row centre !  I think some folk shy away from the front row knowing they might get picked on.  That experience was largely reserved for the closer folk at the tables, though Kait was spoken to provocatively by one of the comedians.

Marc Critch warmed up the crowd and explained that the whole affair was being filmed for CBC.  We practiced laughing wildly and clapping as he introduced the show.  We practiced three times.  Cameras were everywhere.  The most impressive was on a huge boom that swung out over the audience and then would zoom in tight on the comedian.  It reminded me of some one-eyed alien monster from a creepy movie.   You sense it's behind you, but you can't turn around.  It's over your shoulder.  It's moving slowly.  DON'T TURN AROUND !   And whatever you do don't look into it's one glowing eye.   We were also told not to stand up as we might be decapitated.  I thought that a pretty stern punishment for having a weak bladder. 

Another camera was a hand-held in the wings behind the comedian looking out toward the audience.

It was a great evening and the nine comedians were all good, though some tickled my funny bone more than others.  I felt a great deal of pressure to laugh more than I naturally might and I valiantly resisted yawning or picking my nose for fear of ruining a shot.  If I wasn't laughing I was certainly ALWAYS smiling.  Smiling very big..  By the end of the evening my cheeks hurt.  I feared I'd permanently look like Jack Nicholson as the Joker.  I was a bit worried that when I woke up this morning this I'd still have that silly laughing-smile pasted on my face.  I don't.   Do I ?