PASADENA, CA – Oscar nominee Nia Vardalos will reprise the role of “Sugar” in the play Tiny Beautiful Things, a production of the California State Theatre, Pasadena Playhouse.

Vardalos will portray the play’s main character with the play’s direction coming from Tony award-winner Thomas Kail. The actress of Greek descent has adapted the play for the stage with co-producer Marshall Heyman and Kail. Tiny Beautiful Things is based upon Cheryl Strayed’s New York Times Best Selling book, Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar.

The New York Times characterized Vardalos’ performance as, “glamorous” and noted that “the show proves to be an endangered species due to the interaction of the public with the theatrical production. New York’s Time Out Magazine featured the play saying that the production is “incredibly moving” and New York Magazine called Tiny Beautiful Things, “a show full of surprises.”

Tiny Beautiful Things follows the story of “Sugar,” an anonymous editor on a website that gives advice to thousands of people who seek answers accompanied by words of wisdom, sincerity and hope. Initially, “Sugar,” insecure with her abilities to provide answers, begins to interweave her own personal life experiences with the real problems of her readers, thereby creating a beloved column that delves into the dark and light parts of every person’s heart.

Cheryl Strayed, 50, was born in Pennsylvania. She is the author of Torch, Tiny Beautiful Things, and the global best seller, Wild. Her short stories and essays have been published in many magazines and newspapers the world over including: The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post Magazine, Allure and Self.

Her essays have been included in the anthology of the Pushcart Prize and have twice been included in in America’s best essays. She currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

Performances of Tiny Beautiful Things start on Friday, March 8, at the Pasadena Playhouse in Pasadena, CA.

Here’s a link from the Pasadena Playhouse regarding the production: https://www.pasadenaplayhouse.org/event/tiny-beautiful-things/