Join Canada, Eh! Live on Stage, promises laughter, tears, and cravings for ketchup chips!

Over a Million Americans Cast a Humorous Vote on Becoming Canada’s 11th Province, Captivating Hearts and Inspiring a Theatrical Debut!

Now this should be funny… for Canadians anyway. Just in time for Canada Day, in a clever twist on the current political climate, Starvox Entertainment, a Canadian-based global live entertainment company, has emerged as the creative force behind the satirical online campaign “Join Canada, Eh“! 

This playful cheeky campaign inviting Americans to embrace their Canadian neighbours, showcases the charm of Canadian culture and whimsically suggesting a move north. With its catchy slogan and engaging content, it has captured hearts across borders, with over a million Americans humourously “voting” to join Canada as its 11th Province! Join Canada, Eh! Live on Stage, celebrates Canadian resilience and humour, promising laughter, tears, and even cravings for ketchup chips!

The narrative

The site playfully spotlights the perks of joining the True North, from unlimited maple syrup to free healthcare! With a whopping 1,062,230 votes, Michigan leads with 120,140 eager to join Canada. Embracing Canadian life means mastering the metric system and perpetual politeness—imagine saying “sorry” daily and chatting about the weather for hours! Corey Ross, CEO of Starvox Entertainment, said, “Celebrating Canadian identity and pride is crucial, and our U.S. neighbours have responded enthusiastically.” Over a million Americans have joined the fun in just a few months.

Inspired by meme culture and the comedic antics of politicians, creators leaned into absurdity to spotlight Canadian stereotypes, highlighting the differences between Canada and the US. This sparked an unexpected outpouring of love for Canada and thoughtful dialogue between Americans and Canadians, much to the surprise of Ula Van Zyl, Starvox Entertainment’s digital creative lead. “Our aim was to embrace the absurdity of the times from a Canadian perspective, proving that even in dark moments, humour can prevail without compromising our values or joy,” Ula explains. “We ended up crafting a space where people could voice concerns and share laughs. Amidst uncertainty, we found common ground, celebrating our differences and fostering unity.”

All Canadian content, actors and creators

Ula Van Zyl tapped Owen Weir, a Canadian content creator and owner of Fathom Media, whose work aligned perfectly with the campaign vision was asked to create original content for the campaign. Six months post-launch, the digital campaign evolved into a stage show, thanks to writers Reid Janisse, Natalie Metcalfe, Kyle Dooley, and Jan Caruana. Audiences can expect beloved Canadian stereotypes and tropes used to invite Americans to “Join Canada, Eh,” with familiar concepts like the Heritage Minutes given a humorous twist. The show promises laughter and tears as it lovingly and humorously embraces Canadian culture (and yes, we meant to put the U in humour).

Here is a closer look at the cast and creative team for Join Canada, Eh!:

• Aurora Browne (Performer): Aurora has appeared on many a stage and screen but is most known for being one quarter of the hit comedy Baroness Von Sketch Show. She is okay with poutine but would drink maple syrup with every meal if she could.

• Dale Boyer (Performer): A veteran of sketch and stage with a knack for comedy, Dale is thrilled to dig into this proudly Canadian script! Her resume includes mainstage revues with The Second City Toronto, and comedy festivals across Canada and the U.S. She’s the co-writer of the hit theatrical comedies Night of the Living Dead Live and Clotheswap. On screen, Dale has appeared as Mrs. Mercer in Cows Come Home (Bell), and Marcia Wortham in Doc (Fox).

• Alastair Forbes (Performer): An award-winning actor and writer, and three-time nominee for the Canadian Comedy Award’s Best Male Improviser, two-time CSA nominee, and a Second City Mainstage Alumni. You may have seen him in What We Do In the Shadows, The Beaverton, or probably too many annoying commercials.

• Kris Siddiqi (Performer): A versatile comedian and actor, Kris is the winner of the 2015 Canadian Comedy Award for Best Male Improviser and NOW Magazine’s 2014 Best Of. A Second City Mainstage alum, he co-wrote three revues and has since voiced projects like Because News, Star Wars Outlaws, and White/Brown. His award-winning series Bit Playas earned two Canadian Screen Awards and international festival acclaim. TV/film credits include Molly’s Game, The Boys, Baroness Von Sketch Show, Titans, and Law & Order Toronto.
• Natalie Metcalfe (Writer/Performer): A two-time Canadian Comedy Award-winning comedian and alumni of Second City Toronto’s mainstage. She is the Creator and Showrunning Executive Producer of Made For TV with Boman Martinez-Reid (CRAVE) and is a regular Fifth Chair guest on CTV’s The Social. She runs her own YouTube Channel called Christian & Nat and is a mom to the most beautiful and funny three-year-old in the world. Natalie grew up watching YTV’s Hit List and this is where her obsession with Alanis Morissette began.

• Christopher Bond (Producer/Artistic Director): Best known for his work on Evil Dead, the Musical, a show that he developed with his partners and has directed since 2002, including the show’s US debut Off-Broadway (nominated for an Outer Critics Circle Award for Best New Musical) and its return to Canada at the Diesel Playhouse (winner of the 2007 Dora Mavor Moore Audience Choice Award). Christopher’s writing and composition credits for the big and small screen, with co-writer Trevor Martin, include A Little Bit Zombie (Best Feature award at the 2013 Canadian Film Festival, Best Feature Fantaspoa Brazil, Canadian Comedy Award for Best Screenplay) and PatchTown (Best Feature at the 2014 Canadian Film Festival) and Acting Up (a Marble Media production).

• Nicole Byblow (Music Director): A Canadian Comedy Award-winning musical director and pianist, is a Canadian Comedy Award winner (2018). Her work includes musical direction for Second City’s She The People and She The People 2.0 (CAA Theatre).

• Reid Janisse (Writer/Director): Originally from Kingsville, Ontario, he is an alumnus of The Second City, where he wrote and performed in several Canadian Comedy Award-winning mainstage revues. Reid spent ten years as the Creative Director of Mad Science Productions. His credits include: Rebel Without a Cosmos (Second City Mainstage), Tinder on the Toilet and Other Bad Ideas (Toronto Fringe), Mad Mission to Mars (MSP/Kennedy Space Centre). Writing credits include: Toronto Circus Riot (Lookup Theatre), In the Game, and The Naughty Listers (SC).

• Kyle Dooley (Writer): Kyle started his career by co-founding the multiple Canadian Comedy Award-winning sketch troupe Picnicface, which drew tens of millions of YouTube hits, and garnered praise from the likes of Will Ferrell and Adam McKay on FunnyOrDie.com. The troupe also produced 13 episodes on the Comedy Network. Kyle wrote and performed four Main Stage Revues at the Second City Toronto, where he more recently directed the Globe and Mail Critics’ pick All Messed Up and Nowhere to Go.

• Jan Caruana (Writer): A mainstay of Toronto stages, is best known for her quick mind and quicker wit as an improviser. She is a multiple award-winning actor and television writer, and her work appears internationally on screens big and small. She can often be heard on CBC Radio’s Because News with Gavin Crawford, saying things that are just shy of being too rude to be on the air.

Where it is staged and how to get tickets

Join Canada, Eh! Live on Stage is set to debut just in time for Canada Day at the Lighthouse Black Box Theatre, 1 Yonge Street on Thursday, June 26, 2025. Tickets go on sale to the public today at www.starvoxent.com. Don your toque, stock up on poutine, and get ready to embrace the humour as we celebrate the delightful blend of politeness and fun that defines Canadian culture!

Don’t miss out on the excitement—visit our website or follow us on social media to join the conversation and stay updated as we prepare to welcome our neighbours from the south. More maple syrup and hockey for everyone!

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