A Worthwhile Cause I Am Honoured To Be a Part Of!

Once in a while I am invited to be a part of something that can really do good for those in need, this is a project i am really happy to be a part of, they are holding a wonderful even, please read about this and support this worthwhile cause... 10th ANNUAL FUNNY GIRLS AND DYNAMIC DIVAS A COMEDY AND MUSIC CABARET THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 2012 • 6 p.m. BLUMA APPEL THEATRE www.sistering.org Celebrating 10 years of laughs and spirited entertainment, Funny Girls and Dynamic Divas presents a cabaret of Toronto’s top comedians and musicians on Thursday, June 14, 6 p.m., at the Bluma Appel Theatre, St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, 27 Front Street East. Hosted by two-time Gemini nominee Elvira Kurt, the show boasts a talented line up of funny and brilliant women certain to bring the laughs, enjoyment and fun. One of Canada’s most celebrated comic artists, Gemini Award-winner Sandra Shamas captivates the audience with her cutting-edge wit and affectionate charm, sure to evoke consistent laughter and applause. Internationally acclaimed Canadian musician, Jane Bunnett, will transform the stage into a sensational latin-jazz showcase with friends – jazz & blues artiste Shakura S’Aida, Latin songstress Laura Fernandez and emerging Brazilian singer-songwriter Luanda Jones. Canada’s original diva, Grammy Award-winner Liberty Silver will light up the show with her soulful vocals. The soirée, presented by Sistering, promises to be a fabulous evening filled with laughter, music and delectable hors d'oeuvres and desserts! An exciting silent auction and raffle, featuring lifestyle packages and prizes will also add to the fun-filled evening. Tickets for 10th Annual Funny Girls and Dynamic Divas are priced at $75.00 and can be purchased online at www.stlc.com; by phone at 416.366.7723/1.800.708.6754; or in person at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts box office, located at 27 Front Street East, Monday to Saturday: Noon – 6 p.m.; all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by calling 1.800.265.5566 or can be purchased from the Sistering Office: 416.926.9762 ext. 243. Elvira Kurt is one of Canada's most accomplished comedians. She was voted Funniest Female Comic at the Canadian Comedy Awards and received a Gemini-nomination for her one-hour comedy special Elvira Kurt: I’m A Big Girl Now. The special also nabbed the Gold Award at the Worldfest International Film Festival. The Second City alumnus has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and her comedy specials have aired on Comedy Central, HBO, Showtime, CTV, CBC and The Comedy Network. Kurt was a frequent guest on the CBC Radio show The Debaters, and is currently a weekly guest on Q’s "Cultural Hall of Shame" segment. www.elvirakurt.ca Canadian comedic actress Sandra Shamas has been performing around the country since 1987, most known for her smash hit My Boyfriend's Back and There's Gonna Be Laundry, which debuted in 1987. Shamas has toured the country and even played the legendary Old Vic Theatre in London, England (the first Canadian show to have that distinction in the theatre’s long history). This sprung two sequels and Shamas was nominated for the Governor General's Award and the Stephen Leacock Award for the Laundry trilogy. She won a Gemini Award in 1991 for Best Performance in Comedy, and won the Best Theatre Award at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival in March 2003. Sandra is currently working on WIT’S END III: LOVE LIFE, the third installment of her WIT’S END series, which had a hugely successful run at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre last year. www.sandrashamas.com Multiple Juno Award-winner Jane Bunnett has showcased some of the finest talent from Canada, the U.S. and Cuba. She has been nominated for Grammy Awards, numerous Juno Awards, and most recently, was honoured with an appointment to the Order of Canada. An internationally acclaimed musician, Bunnett is known for her creative integrity, improvisational daring and courageous artistry. Her exploration of Afro-Cuban melodies expresses the universality of music and her ability to embrace and showcase the rhythms and culture of Cuba has been groundbreaking. She has toured the world bringing her own special sound to numerous jazz festivals, displaying her versatility as a flutist, saxophone player and pianist. www.janebunnett.com 2011 Maple Blues Female Vocalist of the Year and 2011 Indie Blues Artist of the Year, Shakura S’aida’s involvement in the Canadian music scene over the past 25 years has enriched the jazz, blues and classic R&B communities. She has performed on some of the most noted stages in the blues and jazz world including New York’s Apollo Theatre and has sung back-up for Patti LaBelle. She’s smart, articulate, funny and determined to take her music to audiences worldwide. www.shakurasaida.com Laura Fernandez, Toronto-based singer, songwriter, pianist and music producer launched her musical career in 2003. That year she won the Best Soft Rock Award at the 2003 New York International Independent Music Festival, which included performances at Madison Square Garden. She has performed at The Continental, The TD Toronto Jazz Festival and the World Music Festival in Varadero, Cuba. She has worked with numerous highly acclaimed musicians including the late Juno Award-winner Billy Bryans, co-founder of The Parachute Club and who is regarded as Canada’s leading Latin and world music promoter. www.laurafernandezmusic.com Emerging Brazilian singer/songwriter Luanda Jones has been captivating audiences for over a decade with her unique blend of suave, jazz inflected vocals and stylized guitar harmonies, passionately interpreting some of the South American nation’s most cherished popular musical traditions. Jones is quickly making a name for herself in the Toronto music scene as a staple at the city’s Lula Lounge, opening up for local and international artists including Badi Assad, Carmen Souza, Lady Son, and LAL. She was featured in Toronto’s Annual BrazilFest and has performed in each of the first two years of the city’s LuminaTO festival of music and culture. www.luandajones.com Liberty Silver was the first Black woman in Canada to receive a Juno Award in 1985, not to mention receiving an additional Juno the same night! Liberty Silver shaped the foundation of R&B/soul for an entire generation of black female singers in Canada! From the basement mini-concerts as a young girl to opening up for Bob Marley at Madison Square Garden, Liberty Silver has been singing around the world and touching lives with her musical stanza. Liberty has opened for many notable names including: U.S. President Barack Obama, B.B. King, Maya Angelou, Desmond Tutu, Celine Dion, Brian McKnight, The Temptations, Natalie Cole and Gladys Knight – to name a few. www.libertysilvermusic.com Ordinary women in extraordinary circumstances: Sistering has been supporting homeless, under-housed and low-income women in Toronto since 1981. The core services offered are basic needs for daily living, housing assistance, counseling, advocacy and self-employment programs. For more information, please visit www.sistering.org.