Eight students sit on a path outdoors under trees, smiling, with “TBH: The Musical” text above them.

From Strangers to Friends: A Musical About Finding Your Place at Waterloo

Duration: ~60 minutes | Location: Humanities Theatre

To Be Honest ‘The Musical’ is the University of Waterloo’s Orientation production designed to foster a welcoming, inclusive, and empowering environment that supports students’ academic and social success. The year-at-a-glance musical, with an all-student cast, addresses key student experiences such as homesickness, mental wellness, academic integrity, consent, and more. With a focus on building community, promoting resilience, and raising awareness of campus resources, the play brings to life institutional goals and frameworks like the Okanagan Charter, WatSEE, and the President’s Anti-Racism Taskforce. Through uplifting performances, it aims to create a sense of belonging, empower students to advocate for themselves, and celebrate the diversity and values that define the University of Waterloo.

Download the 2025 TBH Program (PDF)

Check your UWaterloo email on September 8 for the password.
Email the WUSA Orientation team to request it if you didn’t receive the email.

About the Show

To Be Honest: The Musical follows a year in the life of Waterloo students and dives into real topics like homesickness, consent, academic pressure, imposter syndrome, and the challenges of finding your place in a new environment. Written and performed by UWaterloo students and alumni, this orientation experience aims to spark reflection, build resilience, and connect students with community and resources.

Campus Resources and Services

Cast and Crew

Cast

Person with short, dark hair with red highlights, glasses, and a septum piercing, standing indoors, smiling as if ready to share their thoughts—To Be Honest.

Zaneerah Zaheer (he/him) as Jesse

Zaneerah Zaheer (he/him) is a fourth year Honours Music and English RMPC (Rhetoric, Media, and Professional Communication) Major. He’s done theatre in middle and high school, as well as various choirs and music ensembles on campus. He’s an active part of the UW A Cappella Club on campus, having directed, arranged for, and been a member of many of the groups within it. This is his first post-secondary musical and he hopes that everyone can relate to and resonate with key moments in the show as he does.

Smiling person with curly hair wearing a University of Waterloo shirt stands in a bright hallway, arms crossed, as if ready to join the cast of To Be Honest: The Musical.

Jasmine Ward (she/her) as Grace

Hey ya’ll! Jasmine Ward (she/her) is a recent alumni from Waterloo with a bachelor’s in Communications. She has participated in several productions at Waterloo, was previously the Event Coordinator for the Theatre Students Union for the past two years, and is beyond excited to be a part of TBH this year! She hopes TBH will kick off a great start to your UWaterloo journey!

Smiling woman in a magenta shirt and black cardigan stands in a bright hallway with hands on hips, exuding the confidence of someone ready to step onto the stage of The Musical.

Sarala Edirisinghe (she/her) as Akasha

Sarala Edirisinghe (she/her) is a 4th year Electrical Engineering student. She’s been involved in many performances and musicals since the age of 9, including with UW Student Theatre, with favourite roles as Natalie Goodman (Next to Normal), Heather Chandler (Heathers), Sharpay (High School Musical), Moana (Moana) and Jack Kelly (Newsies). Her one piece of advice to first years is to not hesitate to get involved, and allocate time for the things you love.

Person with glasses and two-tone hair stands in a hallway wearing a University of Waterloo t-shirt, looking like they’re ready to star in “To Be Honest: The Musical.”.

Ada Liu (any) as Heather

Ada Liu (any) is a recent graduate of the Master’s in Accounting program with an undergrad in Accounting and Financial Management. She’s been a member of Animusic Ensembles for four years and is the founder of the school’s Pokémon Club! Though her musical theatre journey has been on pause during university, her release from the shackles of studying has given her extra time to dive headfirst into the arts, with performances in TBH and Rent with the KW Little Theatre.

Person wearing glasses and a University of Waterloo shirt, standing in a bright hallway with columns, as if on their way to rehearsal for The Musical.

Chauvin Zhou (he/him) as Curtis

Chauvin Zhou (he/him) is an alumni of the Arts Department at UW, where he studied English and French. He spent much of his university career engaged with many student clubs, including Warriors Esports, UW A Cappella Club, and starting his own barbershop quartet. This is his first acting role since elementary school, so he’s super excited to hit the stage for TBH 2026!

Person smiling, wearing a University of Waterloo shirt, standing in a modern hallway with columns—capturing a moment that feels straight out of “The Musical,” to be honest.

Kylie McCracken (she/they) as Sam

Welcome warriors! Kylie (she/they) is a recent graduate of the Environment, Resources and Sustainability program, and is very excited to share this year’s rendition of TBH with you! This is her second year as a cast member and can’t wait to reprise her role as Sam! During her time at Waterloo, Kylie was very involved with the UW A Capella club, including the Water Boys! She encourages you to enjoy all you can in your first year, it’ll go faster than you think!

Water water water loo loo loo!!

Person in glasses and a black, yellow, and white University of Waterloo shirt standing in a bright hallway, looking like they’re ready to break into a scene from a musical—To Be Honest, the vibrant energy is unmistakable.

Renee Walker (she/they) as Dani

Renee Walker (she/they) is a 4th year Theatre and Performance student. She’s been involved in many musicals and performances over the past 10 years, and has also had the chance to work behind the scenes in some productions within her program. Renee is excited to be back on stage for TBH, and can’t wait for everyone to see this amazing show!

Smiling person in a black jacket with yellow UW letters, standing in a bright hallway, as if ready to audition for The Musical.

Agraj Joshi (he/him) as Nick

Agraj Joshi (he/him) is a 4th year Accounting and Financial Management student at UW. He has been heavily involved with the UW Student Theatre Club over the last two years playing roles like Dan in Next to Normal and Seymour in Little Shop of Horrors. He is also overly proud of having played Baljeet in the Phineas and Ferb virtual parody musical M.W.C.A. Outside of theatre, he is very passionate about terrarium building. He hopes you’ll laugh, sing, cry, dance, and enjoy TBH this year!

Crew

Eric da Costa (he/him) – Director
Paula Bornacelli (she/her) – Stage Manager & Assistant Director
Lauren Simmons (she/her) – Choreographer
Dani Jazzar (he/him) – Intimacy Coordinator
Carlos Fernandez (he/him) – Technical Coordinator
Katie Hickey (she/they) – Technical Lead
Catrina Albee (she/they) – Lighting Designer
Rafik Alsamkary (he/him) – Sound Designer
Sam Hillifer (he/him) & Noah Stolee (he/him) – TBH Interludes
Areebah Akhtar (she/her) – Photographer, WUSA
Miho Nagayama (she/her) – Creative Lead, WUSA
Sonia Tessaro (she/her) – Marketing Specialist, WUSA

Producers

Sandra Gibson (she/her), Manager, Health Education and Promotion, Campus Wellness, University of Waterloo
Becky Wroe (she/her), Orientation & Member Transitions Manager, Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association

Director

Woman in a red hat and denim jacket sits confidently in a black chair against a dark textured background.

Amanda Kind (she/her)

Amanda Kind (she/her) is a singer, songwriter, actor, director, and voice teacher (commercial music, musical theatre). She is a proud alumnus of University of Waterloo and Conrad Grebel University. Director credits: TBH, Rent, Spring Awakening, Broadway Our Way, and more. Performer credits: Drowsy Chaperone (Drowsy), Into The Woods (Witch), Masterclass (Sophie), Death of a Salesman (Woman from Boston), Anne of Green Gables (Miss Stacey), Annie (Miss Hannigan), The Telephone (Lucy), and more. As a teacher, Amanda works with professional singers, indie artists, and aspiring young performers in many genres. She teaches commercial voice at Wilfrid Laurier University and is the Artistic Director of Pop Nation Canada. Her work in the arts community has garnered her a Waterloo Region Arts Award, the Rogers Television Woman of the Year Award, and recognition as one of the region’s Top 40 Under 40. Amanda has recorded and released many songs including Slow Dance (#1 on SiriusXM Top of the Country), “Another Round” with James Downham, and many more. She is half of the CMA Ontario-nominated country duo Amanda & James. Learn more about her at Home or Amanda & James .

Director’s Note

Welcome to TBH: To Be Honest – The Musical! We’re so glad you’re here. Starting university is a wild ride – new place, new people, new pressures. Between figuring out friendships, navigating academics, building relationships, and managing the demands of expectations (your own and everyone else’s), it can feel overwhelming. TBH dives into all of that with heart, humour, and honesty to help first-year students feel seen, supported, and set up for success.

The show explores experiences that are totally normal but often not talked about because they can be awkward, uncomfortable, or just plain hard. We touch on big feelings: anxiety of moving away from home, trying to make friends, feeling unprepared or unworthy, dealing with academic stress, and figuring out who you are in the middle of all of it. It’s a lot, but you can do it.

And the best part? It’s a musical – so we tackle all this real-life stuff with awesome songs, high-energy dancing, and a whole lot of fun.

Each year, we work with an incredible team of student performers, campus groups, and university departments to make sure the show reflects a range of perspectives and stays relevant to the real lives of today’s students. Our goal is for every audience member to walk away feeling a little more connected, a little more empowered, and a little more ready to make the most of their university experience.

The title song, TBH: To Be Honest, kicks off the show and gives voice to the hopes, fears, and uncertainties that come with starting something new. The original cast and I created the lyrics together through open conversation. We pulled out words and phrases that captured how it really feels to step into the unknown for the first time at university, and from that, the music and the show began to take shape.

Last year, we were honoured to receive the prestigious Innovative Program Award from NODA Region VII. NODA is the Association for Orientation, Transition, and Retention in Higher Education and Region VII includes institutions in Ontario, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio). We are proud to have this show recognized for its impact.

Thanks so much for joining us! We hope you laugh, learn, and have a little fun along the way. Instead of sitting through a PowerPoint packed with slides, we are going to entertain you while helping you get to know UWaterloo a little better. If you take just one thing from this show, let it be this: You belong here, and support is always available. You might not remember every department, support network or campus club we mention in this show, but remember to reach out when you need help. We’re here to help you thrive. Enjoy the show … Go Warriors!

— Amanda Kind, TBH Director & Script Writer
UW Alumni, Honours BA, 2006

TBH cast walking across campus

TBH: To Be Honest – Lyrics

Verse 1
Everything feels like it’s moving so fast
Can’t keep up but I can’t go back
Away from my small town for the first time
On my own, leaving home, hope I get it right

Pre-Chorus
Who am I? Who do they want me to be?
Who am I? Do I even know me?

Chorus
To be honest, I don’t know
Exactly how this is gonna go
To be honest, I’m a bit of a mess
I don’t have it figured out just yet
But I’m trying, redefining
Stumbling to find my way
To be honest, I’m afraid
Hope everything’ll be okay
TBH

Verse 2
Waves of anxiety come and they go
Scroll through my phone, breathe, and try to cope
Wondering if I fit into this crowd
Are you new? Yeah me too? Are we friends now?

Bridge
Excited, nervous, feeling the pressure, can I keep it together?
Where am I going? Feel like I should know this.
Am I good enough? I wanna be good enough.

Final Chorus
To be honest, I don’t know… [Repeat]

🎵 Now streaming! Listen and download the original TBH: To Be Honest song at: Spotify or Apple Music.

Campus Partners

Thank you to our campus partners for their support and collaboration in bringing To Be Honest to life. Your contributions—whether through resources, expertise, or encouragement—play a vital role in the success of this production. We are grateful for your commitment to fostering creativity and community at University of Waterloo: Waterloo Orientation, Student Success Office, WUSA, Campus Housing, Campus Wellness, W Store, and the 1000+ student volunteers who make Orientation possible!

Thank you to the W Store for providing a discount on the cast costumes. Check your Orientation kits for your own discount coupon under campus partners.

Evaluation & Recap

We’d love your feedback!

Now that you’ve experienced To Be Honest: The Musical, the production team would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts.

Please scan the QR code to complete a short survey — it should only take 3–5 minutes.
Your feedback will help shape future New Student Orientation performances.

Thank you, and have a great semester!

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TBH cast selfie in front of the University of Waterloo sign