Toronto's Just for Laughs starts with Strombo

Last week they laughed their way through Montreal and now, standup comedians are taking on Toronto.

The Just for Laughs Festival kicks off its second year in Toronto with an all-star showcase of ethnic comedians and a gala hosted by Hamilton-born Martin Short.

CBC personality George Stroumboulopoulos hosts The All-Star Ethnic Show Wednesday night at the Wintergarden Theatre.

The show features Canadian, U.S. and British comedians who mine their cultural heritage for laughs, among them:

• Italian-Canadian musical duo The Doo-Wops.
• Filipino-American Jo Koy.
• Indian-Canadian Sugar Sammy.
• Mexican-American and Comedy Central regular Al Madrigal.
• Nigerian-British star of Last Comic Standing Gina Yashere. 

Another CBC personality will launch the free events, starting Friday at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Shaun Majumder, the Newfoundland-born comedian who starred on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and Harold & Kumar, will be performing at the outdoor event.

Majumder, who has been courting roles on U.S. network TV, returns to his comedy roots for the festival.

He'll perform with Canadian standup comedian Derek Edwards and Greg Morton, known for his two-minute rendition of the Star Wars trilogy.

Two city blocks will be closed off in Toronto on Friday and Saturday for circus performances, standup and other comic events outdoors.

For those who prefer to laugh indoors, there are three galas featuring headline comedians.

The first, on Thursday, is hosted by SCTV veteran Martin Short.

The other galas are hosted by Seinfeld regular Jason Alexander and Jimmy Fallon, the U.S. comedian who will take over Conan O'Brien's Late Night.

The Toronto festival runs July 23-27. The Montreal Just for Laughs Festival, which closed Sunday, sold 100,000 tickets and pulled in about $10 million.