The spirits of divas, from Billie Holiday to Sheryl Crow to Beyoncé were summoned to perform at the Berkeley Church in downtown Toronto for the 5th annual Simply Divas affair. The event is held to support F.A.M.E., the Family Association for Mental Health Everywhere.
Guests were entertained by students from the Etobicoke School for the Arts, and enjoyed food and drink from a number of generous sponsors, while enjoying the celebratory atmosphere and overall “diva” feel of the day. Guests were greeted by strapping young gentlemen students from ESA who escorted us into the stunning Berkeley Church space, which, with soft lighting and subtle decoration, definitely had a diva feel. Volunteers were found passing the various appetizers prepared by the kitchen crew under the direction of Charlene Rowland and Lauren Wilson. Among the offerings, the salumi wrapped red peppers were a hit, as well as the sliders featuring Buster Rhino’s custom smoked brisket. We were treated to one complimentary glass of Rosehall Run wine (or Steamwhistle beer) and there were also cutom “divatini” cocktails available. Guests mingled and surveyed the wide variety of silent auction items, with everything from theatre tickets to home cleaning services to food and drink galore, there was truly something for everyone. Guests also had the chace to purchase a “Swag Bag” with additional donated items. The dessert bars featured a stunning cake by Elizabeth Rumebe of Amaranto Creations, which sadly we did not get to sample, and cupcakes from Barb Accogli of CakeStarz, which were deliciously indulgent but not too heavy, mini-bites of chocolatey goodness.
The show featured the students performing in character as the various divas. Accompanied by Chris Tsujijuchi, the ladies are all clearly talented, and did a great job of keeping the crowd engaged. We were particularly struck by the talent of Daniela Garcia, only a grade 11 student, and Katie Ingram, both of whom performed twice as very divergent artists. We felt some performances were clearly more challenging for the singer, by having back-up karaoke style tracks instead of the flexibility of the piano, but they all performed with professionalism beyond their years. We felt the show and the overall experience was truly diva-riffic, and in support of a great cause, we can’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday afternoon!
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