Casting Announcement: The Ward Cabaret

Kaisha Lee

"What an amazing city Toronto is! The strengths of every nation are present in these streets. Our ethno-cultural diversity has given Toronto a confident voice that is heard – especially in recent times with the Raptors championship, urban pop artist Drake, various athletes proudly representing for Toronto and all of Canada – on the world stage. The strength of our diversity makes us a key player regarding socio-economic issues as well. Hopefully our diverse nature continues to rise and can contribute to leading the world towards positive independent and unified works. A form of peace."

Aviva Chernick

"I am part of a group of citizens who have sponsored a Syrian refugee family. Our sponsorship group includes an Armenian woman, her Jewish husband and their son; a Chinese ESL teacher, her German husband and their kids; and a whole bunch of other folks from diverse backgrounds. We get together to eat with our beautiful new friends from Syria and the table is overflowing with flavours from around the world. (We speak many languages and have differing backgrounds, but we connect with ease and share a deep love of being in generous community.) This is Toronto!"

Cara Krisman

"When I spend my time walking around Toronto, I can feel the rhythmic difference between neighbourhoods. The hustle and bustle of Chinatown, the languid energy of Corso Italia… and I often choose where to spend my time by what rhythm I feel like plunging into that day. This rhythmic pastiche is what I think of when I think of Toronto. Torontonians are the privileged beneficiary of many generations of newcomers who together create the beautiful, mosaic of cultures."

Derek Kwan

"Food. Toronto is a good food city and we sometimes take it for granted that we can enjoy delicious foods from all over the world. When I'm away from Toronto, I miss being able to have good injera, jiaozi, pho, jerk, ramen, pupusas, pancit, and samosas within easy reach. With each new influx of newcomers, our palates, as well as our society, are enriched with new flavours and perspectives – how awesome is that?"

Jeremiah Sparks

"I believe Toronto's ethno-cultural diversity brings a great deal of value to Toronto! What happens when cultures come together? The benefits are amazing! We learn from each other! We learn about each other! We laugh with/at each other. Oh ‘n the food!! We are blessed to have authentic foods from all over the globe! That's what I call VALUE!! It's awesome living here!"

Mitch Smolkin

"Toronto's ethno-cultural diversity is a refreshing and poignant model of functional and rich civic life in the 21st century. Our flexible urban landscape is set against the backdrop of international geopolitical unrest where fear of the other has given rise to significant pockets of fundamentalism and paranoia. Through community, food, music and celebration, Toronto offers a deep intelligence around inclusion."

David Buchbinder

"I think you can say that Toronto's diversity has brought Toronto into its own. Partly by historical accident, partly by design, Toronto has found itself the most diverse city on the planet. So what does this mean, outside of a nice – and sometimes overly comforting – statistic? It means that we in this young burg have the daily opportunity to experience the challenge and pleasure of connecting across boundaries: of cultures, of language, of foodways, religion and tradition, and – of course – of music and song. If we choose to fully engage in authentic interactions with the incredible range of people who live beside us, our lives are immeasurably enriched. I know mine is!"