Nia Vardalos News

BroadwayWorld Toronto is pleased to bring the first video in a series of acceptance speeches from our 2014 BroadwayWorld Award Winners! The BroadwayWorld Awards are an award decided by the fans - from nominations all the way to selecting the final winner.

BroadwayWorld is pleased to announce that the winners for the Toronto regional awards have been announced exclusively on our Facebook page! I wish to congratulate all of the winners!

Disney Channel announces January 2015 Programming Highlights. *All programming subject to change

BWW earlier reported the sad news that EGOT winner and entertainment icon Mike Nichols passed away suddenly on Wednesday. Friends and colleagues have already turned to Twitter to express their sorrow at the unexpected news. BWW will continue to update the reactions as they are posted.

I am pleased to announce the nominees for the 2014 BroadwayWorld Toronto Regional Awards. The response this year from Toronto's theatre community and fans has been incredible. The BroadwayWorld Awards are an award decided by the fans - from nominations all the way to selecting the final winner.

A new installment of 2002's hit comedy MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING may be in the work at Universal Pictures. According to the report, 'Nanny McPhee' helmer Kirk Jones will direct.

Celebrity Name Game, which premiered this fall in homes across America, enters the November sweeps leading the pack for new, nationally syndicated shows in the advertiser-coveted demo of Women 25-54. The daily program continues to add viewers each week, making it one of the breakout fall launches this season.

The all-new production of Roger O. Hirson and Stephen Schwartz's Pippin had it's L.A. Premiere direct from Broadway at the Hollywood Pantages Theater October 22 and Broadway World TV's own red carpet Los Angeles Co-Producer and on-air Host Michael Sterling and Co-Producer Jordan Santacana were there to get up close and personal with the stars. Among those attending the opening were Martin Short, Nia Vardalos, Sean Hayes, Catherine O'Hara, Dan Bucatinsky, Jai Rodriguez, Christopher McDonald, Oscar Nunez, Bo Derek, Cloris Leachman, Patrick Cassidy, Obba Babatunde, Maisela Lusha, Kevin Chamberlin, Anne Jeffries, JoAnne Worley and Scott Hoying (Pentatonix)... to name but a few.

The 2013 Tony Award winning Best Revival of a Musical Pippin made its premiere earlier this week at L.A. Premiere at the Hollywood Pantages, where it will play through November 9th. Tickets are now on sale to the general public online at www.HollywoodPantages.com orwww.Ticketmaster.com, by phone at 800-982-2787 or at the Hollywood Pantages Box Office located at 6233 Hollywood Boulevard (Opens daily at 10am.) Check out a look back at the opening night's red carpet below!

The cliche with actors is that they all 'really just want to direct,' and while there is little doubt that Rita Wilson would probably be great at that too, her career has seen her seamlessly bounce between roles as an actress, producer, and singer and back again. Always looking to conquer another professional hurdle, Wilson is set to follow in the footsteps of the late Elaine Stritch, and set up shop at the famed Cafe Carlyle in New York's Upper East Side for two weeks, starting this Wednesday.

Theatre20's production of COMPANY is now playing at the Berkeley Street Threatre in downtown Toronto, and the production - which opened on June 27 hits most of the right notes, but I found it to be lacking the finesse it needed to be the first class production it had the potential to be. The story should be a familiar one to many - a man in his mid thirties with commitment issues struggling to find meaning in his life. The plot is so standard, in fact, it's practically a cliche. In COMPANY, however, the single lifestyle is scrutinized under a microscope in a series of scenes focusing on the the protagonist, Bobby, and his interactions with his coupled friends. Bobby even quotes Socrates at one point, stating that 'the unexamined life is not worth living.'

Theatre 20's highly-anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company will play the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs from tonight, June 21 to July 13, 2014. This show has not been seen in Toronto in almost 30 years.

Following the tragic death of her friend Paul Walker, whose final film she penned the title song for; Singer/Songwriter Natalia Safran vowed to give back to the community whenever possible. Recently she hosted the first ever Salon Series at her Beverly Hills residence. The evening featured an intimate performance by students from the Music Unites Centennial High School Jazz Ensemble, a program started last summer in the Compton Unified School District. Safran was joined by Actor/Director David Arquette (pictured left), “Rock of Ages” star Diego Boneta, KIIS FM's DJ Skee and others.

The world premiere of comedian Yannis Pappas' first half-hour stand-up special, The Half Hour is set for Friday night, June 20 at 12:30am on Comedy Central.

The stars and producers of the 2002 box office smash My Big Fast Greek Wedding will reunite for a sequel.

The NO MORE campaign, and the cast of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” to hold a 16-hour “No More Excuses” marathon

Rita Wilson and "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" star Nia Vardalos headed into the cellar this week with star Christopher J. Hanke and playwright Jonathan Tolins at the smash hit comedy (and 2014 Lucille Lortel Award nominated solo play), Buyer & Cellar at the Barrow Street Theatre. Check out photos of the duo backstage with Hanks and Tolins beRita Wilson and 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' star Nia Vardalos headed into the cellar this week with star Christopher J. Hanke and playwright Jonathan Tolins at the smash hit comedy (and 2014 Lucille Lortel Award nominated solo play), Buyer & Cellar at the Barrow Street Theatre. Check out photos of the duo backstage with Hanke and Tolins below!low!

Theatre 20's highly-anticipated production of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth's Company will play the Berkeley Street Theatre Downstairs from June 21 to July 13, 2014. This show has not been seen in Toronto in almost 30 years.

'Loukoumi And The Schoolyard Bully' has won the Mom's Choice Award for Excellence. Oscar Winners Morgan Freeman, Olympia Dukakis and Oscar Nominee Nia Vardalos lead an all-star cast in the audio narration of the new book, Loukoumi And The Schoolyard Bully by Nick Katsoris. The book not only spreads the message of kindness and tolerance to children this holiday season but also gives back with proceeds from the book benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

'Loukoumi And The Schoolyard Bully' has won the Mom's Choice Award for Excellence. Oscar Winners Morgan Freeman, Olympia Dukakis and Oscar Nominee Nia Vardalos lead an all-star cast in the audio narration of the new book, Loukoumi And The Schoolyard Bully by Nick Katsoris. The book not only spreads the message of kindness and tolerance to children this holiday season but also gives back with proceeds from the book benefitting St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.