Canada’s Got Talent judges hit Toronto ahead of Sunday premiere

The months of searching are coming to an end: Canada’s Got Talent will premiere coast-to-coast on Sunday night.

Ahead of its debut, the cast and crew hit Toronto Thursday for a special sneak peek of the Citytv show. The first episode covers the Toronto auditions and in that city alone, the diversity of the talent – and the diversity of the performers – impressed the judges and hosts.

“This is an amazing country that encourages eccentric behaviour and embraces it,” said judge Martin Short, no stranger to eccentricity himself.

“These kinds of multicultural acts…are not typically the acts you’d get in the United States,” producer John Brunton agreed.

“Canada’s Got Talent is a reflection of the Canadian culture.  You’ll never see this on the American show. You’ll never see this on the British show. You’ll never see this in any international version,” he said.  

There are contestants from all over the world, including a woman who was a circus performer in China, and a husband and wife balancing act originally from Minsk, Belarus. Their precarious stunt had the entire live audience holding its breath.

“Let’s just say they’re part of a much larger family,” host Dina Pugliese teased after the screening, referring to the couple’s children who were seen watching in the wings.

Yes, there are the usual contortionists and jugglers, but there’s also the unusual: a beatboxer who in addition to beats and scratches also conjures violins and banjos; a team called “Project Dunk” that use a trampoline and basketball hoop for high-flying stunts; and a lion dance performed on columns – and that’s just the first episode.

There are also several performers whose talent is no match for their bravado, judge Measha Brueggergosman said.

“The people who are the most brilliant, are always the most incredulous. That humility is quintessentially Canadian…You get delusional people too,” she said.

Contestants are competing for a grand prize that includes $100,000, a Nissan GTR worth $105,000, a Las Vegas show, and appearance at the Citytv New Year’s Eve bash — but judge Stephan Moccio cautioned the prize isn’t the end of the road.

“You’re not done after you finish this show. You’re just starting.”

Canada’s Got Talent will premier Sunday March 4 at 8 p.m. on Citytv.  The second episode airs Monday March 5 at 7 p.m. on Citytv.

680News music reporter Rudy Blair spoke with the show’s host Dina Pugliese. Click here to download that interview.

He also spoke with Stephan Moccio and Martin Short