West Coast premiere of ‘Fly Me to the Sun’

What do you get when you mix two young American brothers with one Salvadoran abuela, one late-night talk show, and one (if somewhat tarnished) American dream? Newly arrived Fountain Theatre artistic director Raymond O. Caldwell directs the West Coast premiere of Fly Me to the Sun, written by two-time Jeff Award-winner and two-time Drama Desk nominated playwright Brian Quijada and featuring remixes and beats by Marvin Quijada. Opening night is set for September 6 at the Fountain Theatre, where performances continue through October 12. Three Pay-What-You-Will previews take place September 3 through September 5. The run will also include four Spanish language performances.

When Abuela Julia arrives from El Salvador to live with her family in a Chicago suburb, her grandson learns to see America through his grandmother’s eyes — while also teaching her to enjoy simple American pleasures. Relaying the story in the style of a late-night talk show in which the young BQ (Gerardo Navarro) is the host and Julia (magically portrayed as a hand puppet) is his special guest, Fly Me to the Sun weaves Quijada’s beautiful, semi-autobiographical story about the moments that move us and what calls us home. Meanwhile, older brother Marvin (Noe Cervantes) deejays, with a playlist that pays homage to R&B, hip-hop, Latin-American music and American standards.

“Fly Me to the Sun examines all that is gained within multigenerational homes and relationships,” explains Caldwell, who previously directed the play in Washington DC. “Intergenerational relationships are vital to society because younger generations need access to wisdom and experience, while an older generation needs cognitive/social stimulation and connections to legacy. Above all else, these relationships reduce loneliness and improve self confidence — what we all need now more than ever.”

Join the Fountain team for a complimentary mini-pupusa (El Salvador’s national dish) and conversation in the upstairs café after every performance.

Fly Me to the Sun had its world premiere at DC’s Logan festival, where DC Theatre Arts hailed it as “beautiful and deeply touching.”

Fly Me to the Sun opens on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 8 p.m., with performances continuing through October 12 on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.; and one additional 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday, Oct. 11 (dark Monday, Sept. 8 and Monday, Sept. 29). Three preview performances are set for Wednesday, Sept. 3; Thursday, Sept. 4; and Friday, Sept. 5, each at 8 p.m. In addition, there will be four Spanish language performances on Sunday, Sept. 14; Sunday, Sept. 28; and Sunday, Oct. 5, each at 7 p.m., and on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 2 p.m.

Tickets range from $25–$45; Pay-What-You-Will seating is available every Monday night in addition to regular seating (subject to availability); all previews are Pay-What-You-Want.

The Fountain Theatre is located at 5060 Fountain Avenue (at Normandie) in Los Angeles. Patrons are invited upstairs to relax before and after the show at the Fountain’s café. For reservations and information, call (323) 663-1525 or go to FountainTheatre.com.