Russell Peters Hosts 9th Annual Gilda’s Club Event

It’s Always Something

For the fourth straight year Brampton-born LA resident Russell Peters flew in to Toronto to donate his time and talent to this annual fund-raiser for the benefit of Gilda’s Club, named for beloved and belated comedienne Gilda Radner. Comedian Russell Peters hosted this sold-out variety show, full of comedy, music and dance presented enthusiastically by some of the biggest names and emerging stars from the Canadian talent pool.

Gilda’s Club offers a much-needed emotional and social support haven for those living with cancer, and their friends and families. Canadian artists return year after year to donate their talents in aid of this cause, and this year was no exception.

Russell Peters hosted the line up including Eugene Levy, Colin Mochrie and Brad Sherwood (improv masters), Dan Levy (MTV), Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor (Blue Rodeo), Arthur Simeon (upcoming comedic star), Teresa Pavlinek, Robin Duke, Jayne Eastwood and Kathryn Greenwood (Women Fully Clothed), Peter Deiwick (Rock of Ages), Thom Allison (and the cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). Jann Arden was on the bill, but couldn’t attend due to illness, and a brilliant tenor Mark Masri (profile coming soon in Tempo Toronto) was able to stand-in for her at the last minute.. Denys Drozdyuk, winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada was also there to thrill the audience. CTV’s Beverly Thomson made an appearance to introduce Gilda’s Club Member speaker Paulette Lalancette.

Next year, November 2011, is the 10th anniversary event. You’d be wise to get tickets for this outstanding showcase of Canadian talent. And it’s all for a great cause.

Russell Peters hosts variety show for Gilda’s Club

Line-up of supreme Canadian talent, The Canadian Tenors close off the evening, all for Gilda’s Club

What an amazing evening! All-star, all Canadian, cast of entertainers kept the audience rapt or laughing out loud for two hours straight. This line-up of extraordinary Canadian talent donated their time for a great cause – Gilda’s Club. If you didn’t get tickets for this year, you’ll want to make sure you do in 2010.

Tickets for “Toronto’s Number One Night of Entertainment”, It’s Always Something, an evening of comedy, music and dance in support of Gilda’s Club, Greater Toronto, went on sale on Monday, September 28. This eighth annual Variety Show took place on Monday, November 23 at the Princess of Wales Theatre. It’s a benefit in support of Gilda’s Club, named after Gilda Radner of Saturday Night Live fame. Gilda lost her battle with ovarian cancer in 1989, but not before imagining a place where people touched by cancer could go for social and emotional support.

Back for his third consecutive year of hosting, was Canada’s number one comedian and Gemini Award winner Russell Peters, with another all-star cast of comedians, musicians and dancers all donating their talents to Gilda’s Club, Greater Toronto, a cancer care centre providing free emotional and support programs for kids, teens and adults living with cancer, and their families.

Joining Russell was legendary Second City and SCTV star Dave Thomas, former Barenaked Ladies lead singer Steven Page, three of the acclaimed vocal group of four – The Canadian Tenors (all four pictured above, but as one was unwell only three pictured at the left with Tempo Toronto Publisher Tina Rogers), comedian and musical theatre star Sean Cullen, Canadian R&B artist and 2009 Juno winner Divine Brown, stars of the Emmy-nominated “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” Colin Mochrie (pictured right) and Brad Sherwood, and comedian Irwin Barker. Eugene Levy also stepped on stage to address the crowd of 2000.

As one of the must-attend and always sold out events of the entertainment year, all proceeds  go to support Gilda’s Club, Greater Toronto. Over its first seven years, the show raised more than $2.5 million to fulfill Gilda’s wish that “no one should face cancer alone.”

If you missed it you may want to plan to go next year, November 2010. There’s more information  at www.itsalwayssomething.ca, and about Gilda’s Club, Greater Toronto at www.gildasclubtoronto.org. Media relations for the event were in the capable hands of dkpr Public Relations Inc. www.dkpr.ca