Fountain Theatre presents West Coast premiere
of charming, magical ‘Fly Me to the Sun’

LOS ANGELES (REVISED August 12, 2025) — 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 beats and remixes by Marvin Quijada and Brian 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 (Noé 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.”

The creative team at the Fountain includes scenic designer Michael Navarro; lighting designer Alison Brummer; sound designer Andrea “Slim” Allmond; media designer Deja Collins; costume designer Jeanette Godoy; and properties designer Jenine MacDonald. The production stage manager is Kimberly Sanchez Garrido. Barbara Herman executive produces for the Fountain Theatre.

The Fountain Theatre creates, develops, and produces new plays that bring to life the urgent social, political, and cultural issues of our time, reflecting the vibrant diversity of Los Angeles and the nation. Its educational outreach programs inspire young people to become engaged citizens and leaders of tomorrow. The L.A. City Council commended the Fountain for “achieving a position of leadership in the Los Angeles theatre community… producing meaningful new plays of social and political importance that enrich the lives of the citizens of Los Angeles.” The Fountain is the recipient of the Los Angeles Drama Critic Circle’s Margaret Harford Award for sustained excellence in theater, presented for “outstanding productions of meaningful new plays and first-class performances spanning three decades.” Los Angeles Times theater critic Charles McNulty hailed the Fountain, stating, “No L.A. theater has done a better job of asking us to reexamine our lives through the lens of acute contemporary drama.” Recent productions include the Los Angeles premiere of Alabaster, a Pulitzer nominated new play by Audrey Cefaly about healing and the power of women which Stage Raw called a “deeply poignant psychological and emotional thriller”; and White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour, deemed  “important theater” by On Stage Los Angeles.

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.

Details for Calendar Listings
‘Fly Me to the Sun’

WHAT:
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? The Fountain Theatre presents 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. 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 is the host and Julia (magically portrayed as a hand puppet) is his special guest, Quijada weaves a beautiful, semi-autobiographical story about the moments that move us and what calls us home.  Join the Fountain team for a complimentary mini-pupusa (El Salvador’s national dish) and conversation in the upstairs café after every show. The run will include four Spanish language performances.

WHO:
• Written by Brian Quijada
• Featuring beats and remixes by Marvin Quijada and Brian Quijada
• Directed by Raymond O. Caldwell
• Starring Gerardo Navarro and Noé Cervantes
• Executive Producer Barbara Herman
• Presented by The Fountain Theatre, Raymond O. Caldwell artistic director

WHEN:
Previews: Wednesday, Sept. 3; Thursday, Sept. 4; and Friday, Sept. 5, each at 8 p.m.
Performances: Sept. 6 through Oct.12
• English language performances:
Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays at 8 p.m.; Sundays at 2 p.m.; one Saturday matinee on Oct. 11 at 2 p.m. (dark Monday, Sept. 8 and Monday, Sept. 29)
• Spanish language performances:
Sundays at 7 p.m.: Sept. 14; Sept. 28; Oct. 5
Saturday at 2 p.m.: Oct. 4

WHERE:
The Fountain Theatre
5060 Fountain Ave.
Los Angeles CA 90029
(Fountain at Normandie)

TICKET PRICES:
$25 – $45:
• Premium Seating: $45
• Regular Seating: $40
• Seniors 65 or older: $35 (regular seating only)
• Students: $25 (valid ID required)
• Monday nights: Regular seating ($40) and Pay–What–You–Want (subject to availability)
• Previews: Pay–What–You–Will

PARKING:
• Secure, on-site parking: $5
• Street parking available in the neighborhood north of Fountain Ave.
• No parking after 6 p.m. on Mariposa or Alexandria Avenues south of Fountain Ave.
• Allow extra time to find street parking; make sure to read all parking signs

HOW:
FountainTheatre.com
(323) 663-1525

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