SCHMANCY Highlights

Feature Presenter: George Stroumboulopoulos

If there was ever a guy who was born to talk, it's George Stroumboulopoulos. With more than eighteen years the business, George is one of the most admired and beloved journalists in Canada. Starting out on what was then CBC Newsworld, over six seasons he quickly grew The Hour from a fledging current events program to a critical and popular success from coast to coast on the main CBC Network. As the program grew, so did George's reputation as one of the most insightful and dynamic broadcasters in North America. Now he's entering his seventh season with the latest stage of that success: George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. George took home the best Host or Interviewer in a General/Human Interest or Talk Program or Series for The Hour with George Stroumboulopoulos at the 2010 Gemini Awards.

George is also a highly respected longtime radio personality. Canadians have tuned into The Strombo Show for four years now; a commercial-free music program on CBC Radio 2.

You'd think this kind of intensely busy life would render George a virtual slave to the office, but amazingly, nope. During all this, he's somehow managed to travel to the Arctic for a well-received special on literacy, youth culture, and the loss of Inuit identity. He's been to Sudan with Raine Maida of Our Lady Peace and Dr. Eric Hoskins of War Child Canada, and to Zambia for a World AIDS Day special documentary.

In his free time, (yes he does have some) George can be found on the open road, riding one of his motorcycles, on-ice playing hockey, or pulling for his beloved Habs.

We're delighted that George has agreed to be this year's Feature Presenter at SCHMANCY. This time around, though, we're turning the tables, making George the interviewee instead of the interviewer. George will be in conversation with theatre creator and film and television actor Rebecca Northan. Rebecca is best known for her touring show, Blind Date, which has played to sold-out houses across Canada, and had a successful run off-Broadway in 2011. She has been a Guest Host on CBC's This Hour Has 22 Minutes and appeared in several episodes of Being Erica. Rebecca is the recipient of two Canadian Comedy Awards for "Best Female Improviser", and "Best Comedic Play", and has been nominated for a Gemini Award. She can be seen regularly at the Loose Moose Theatre where her smash-hit, Kung Fu Panties, is running Feb.6 - March 9th, 2013.