Jeremy Hotz wows audience
at the Beanfield Theatre

The stand-up comic’s Canada-wide “Marquis De Sad Tour” comes to Montreal

By Byron Toben

Updated October 5, 2023

Anxiety-ridden stand-up comic Jeremy Hotz performed in a crowd-pleasing one-nighter on September 30 at the Beanfield Theatre (former Corona theatre) on Notre Dame Ouest as part of his Canada-wide Marquis de Sad tour, which had been on hiatus for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This show was brought here as a joint venture of Evenko and Just For Laughs. Warming up the crowd for 15 minutes before Hotz’s entrée was Montreal-based Carly Baker, whom I had not been aware of before but bears following. In addition to her lively patter, she wiggled her normally-shaped upper arms as if they were fatter and flappable, to the amusement of all spectators. (I guestimate about 800 in the 925-capacity venue.)

Mr. Hotz duly entered and embarked on a lot of audience interaction, punctuated by his propensity to semi-squat or do semi-push-ups as he roamed the stage in response to his questions to first or second-row audience members.

As to age, one answered that he was 88, creating widespread applause and triggering Hotz age jokes and staggered movements.

As to children, a couple volunteered that they had two, both girls, for which they were castigated for not having the American dream of one of each sex.

Later, another couple volunteered that they had one of each, generating a return to the first couple with a “see it can be done” reminder.

… Hotz brought on stage his therapy dog, which he had purchased from a place advertising German Shepherd pups but turned out to be a long-haired Mexican Chihuahua and an anxiety dog, to boot!

Hotz’s observations were drawn to the unusual name of the Beanfield and that it could have been better (which I share) and comments on local sports teams like the Canadians and the lamented Expos, of which Hotz wore a T-shirt.

In closing, Hotz brought on stage his therapy dog, which he had purchased from a place advertising German Shepherd pups but turned out to be a long-haired Mexican Chihuahua and an anxiety dog, to boot!

After the closing, Hotz met stragglers in the lobby to converse and offer, as many performers do, some “merch.”

Feature image: jeremyhotz.com

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Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated websites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner, and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.