Fly

West Coast Premiere Musical

Fly

Mandell Weiss Theatre

Based on the novel Peter and Wendy by J.M. Barrie

Book by Rajiv Joseph | Music by Bill Sherman

Lyrics by Kirsten Childs and Rajiv Joseph | Choreography by Andy Blankenbuehler and Stephanie Klemons

Directed by Jeffrey Seller

Two major Tony Award-winning Broadway veterans team up with two of the most exciting writers in American theatre today to bring a cherished tale into the present. Wendy’s life is about to change forever when she meets a boy named Peter, a pirate named Hook, and a beguiling, beautiful Crocodile, who’s much more than meets the eye. In this thrilling, funny, dangerous look at J.M. Barrie’s novel Peter and Wendy, a whole new Neverland comes to life. Fly will take audiences on an adventure propelled by a powerful and percussive score, dynamic choreography and aerial acrobatics. A fantastical journey for ages 8 to 800!

Tickets start at $62

La Jolla Playhouse Announces Three-Time Tony Award Winner Andy Blankenbuehler (Hamilton, Bandstand, In the Heights) and Stephanie Klemons (Hamilton, In the Heights) as co-choreographers for Fly. Acclaimed actors Storm Lever and Lincoln Clauss to lead cast as “Wendy” and “Peter Pan” » Read the Press Release

Complete your evening at Fly by making a reservation at our onsite restaurant James’ Place, just steps away from the theatre, or stop by for a drink. Click HERE to reserve your table. James’ Place opens at 5:00 pm.


ACCESS Performance (ASL interpretation, audio description): Saturday, March 7, 2020 at 2:00 pm

Relaxed Performance: Saturday, March 28, 2020 at 2:00 pm

»Click here to purchase tickets for ACCESS Performances, Relaxed Performances and other Audience Engagement Events

» Click here to read the program online


“Wendy – a girl seduced by the mysteries of Neverland, and struggling with her own impending womanhood – is the focus of this singular version of the Peter Pan story that combines stunning choreography and an exhilarating, percussive score.”
– Christopher Ashley, The Rich Family Artistic Director of La Jolla Playhouse


Production Sponsors

US Bank Show Imaging

Una K. Davis
Brian & Silvija Devine
Dr. Howard & Barbara Milstein


Banner image: Storm Lever (center) and ensemble in Fly. Photo by Kevin Berne.

Cast & Creators
  • Creators
  • Cast
  • Design
Image of Rajiv Joseph Rajiv Joseph Book & Lyrics

His play BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO was a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist for Drama and also awarded a grant for Outstanding New American Play by the National Endowment for the Arts. He has twice won the Obie Award for Best New American Play, first in 2016 with GUARDS AT THE TAJ (also a 2016 Lortel Winner for Best Play) and then, in 2018, for DESCRIBE THE NIGHT. Other plays include ARCHDUKE, GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES, ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER, THE LAKE EFFECT, THE NORTH POOL and MR. WOLF. Mr. Joseph has been awarded artistic grants from the Whiting Foundation, United States Artists and the Harold & Mimi Steinberg Charitable Trust. He is a board member of the Lark Play Development Center in New York City, and a company member of the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. He served for three years in the Peace Corps in Senegal and now lives in Brooklyn, NY.

Rajiv Joseph Book & Lyrics
Image of Bill Sherman Bill Sherman Music

He won the 2008 Tony Award for Best Orchestrations for IN THE HEIGHTS and the 2008 Grammy Award as the co-producer of the IN THE HEIGHTS Original Broadway Cast Album. He has also won Emmy Awards for Outstanding Original Song-Children’s and Animation for SESAME STREET’s “What I Am,” “The Power of Yet” and “A Song About Songs.” Mr. Sherman is the Music Director of SESAME STREET, THE ELECTRIC COMPANY and NATURE CAT on PBS and HBO as well as JULIE'S GREENROOM on Netflix. He produced the HAMILTON Original Broadway Cast Album with The Roots for Atlantic Records, for which he won a 2016 Grammy Award. Sherman is a co-host of QUESTLOVE SUPREME on Pandora and a proud member of NY's premiere hip-hop, improv and comedy group, Freestyle Love Supreme. He is a graduate of Wesleyan University.

Bill Sherman Music
Image of Kirsten Childs Kirsten Childs Lyrics

Her credits include THE BUBBLY BLACK GIRL SHEDS HER CHAMELEON SKIN (Obie, Kleban, Audelco, Richard Rodgers, Gilman Gonzalez-Falla Awards; Rockefeller and Jonathan Larson Grants; and Lortel, NAACP, Drama Desk Award nominations); BELLA: AN AMERICAN TALL TALE (Frederick Loewe Award, Edward M. Kennedy Prize Finalist, 4 Audelco Awards); WASHINGTON SQUARE with Ben Wexler; New Group commission with Gordon Greenberg; FUNKED UP FAIRY TALES; MIRACLE BROTHERS. Lucky Boy Penn State Commission; NEA, Larson grants; AMERICAN SONGBOOK series; NEW ELECTRIC COMPANY; Disney’s BELIEVE and Disney’s WISHES. Guggenheim Museum Works & Process. Dramatists Guild Council member. Songwriter for Dianne Reeves (with Billy Childs).

Kirsten Childs Lyrics
Image of Andy Blankenbuehler Andy Blankenbuehler Co-Choreographer

He is a three-time Tony Award winner for his choreography in the Broadway productions of BANDSTAND, IN THE HEIGHTS and HAMILTON, for which he also received London’s Olivier Award. The recent production of BANDSTAND (director/choreographer) also received the Drama Desk and Chita Rivera Award for Best Choreography. Other Broadway credits include BRING IT ON, 9 TO 5, THE PEOPLE IN THE PICTURE, THE APPLE TREE, ANNIE and the recent revival of CATS. On television, Mr. Blankenbuehler’s work has been seen most recently on the Emmy Award-winning FX series FOSSE/VERDON. As a performer, Mr. Blankenbuehler has danced on Broadway in FOSSE, CONTACT, MAN OF LA MANCHA, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, STEEL PIER, BIG and GUYS AND DOLLS. He is a recipient of a special 2015 Drama Desk Award for his achievement in the theatre and the 2018 Kennedy Center Honors for his work on the musical HAMILTON.

Andy Blankenbuehler Co-Choreographer
Image of Stephanie Klemons Stephanie Klemons Co-Choreographer

She is a Drama Desk Award-winning performer, choreographer and director who has worked on the pre-Broadway and Broadway productions of HAMILTON, IN THE HEIGHTS, BRING IT ON and IF/THEN. Her work can be seen currently on Broadway and around the world as the Associate and Supervising Choreographer of the smash hit HAMILTON. In 2018 she directed and choreographed the Broadway Center Stage production of IN THE HEIGHTS at the Kennedy Center to critical acclaim. She served as the director and choreographer of THIS IS SADIE, a New York City Children’s Theater Production that she developed alongside Barbara Zinn Krieger. Commercially she choreographed content for Victoria’s Secret, Vogue, Sesame Street, the new Netflix Series THE HUNT, and was the choreographer behind the viral “Time of Our Lives” Super Bowl commercial featuring Eli Manning and Odell Beckham.

Stephanie Klemons Co-Choreographer
Image of Jeffrey Seller Jeffrey Seller Director

He is the winner of four Tony Awards for Best Musical: RENT (1996), AVENUE Q (2004), IN THE HEIGHTS (2008) and HAMILTON (2015). He also produced and/or developed DE LA GUARDA (1998), Andrew Lippa’s THE WILD PARTY (2000), Baz Luhrmann’s direction of Puccini’s LA BOHÈME (2002), HIGH FIDELITY (2006), the Broadway revival of WEST SIDE STORY (2009), Sting’s THE LAST SHIP (2014) and last season’s THE CHER SHOW. Mr. Seller, along with former business partner Kevin McCollum, created the first Broadway lottery for RENT. Mr. Seller directed the first production of FLY at Dallas Theatre Center in 2013 and THE MAN IN THE CEILING, by Jules Feiffer and Andrew Lippa, at the Bay Street Theater in 2017. In 2018, he served as executive producer of the NBC series RISE. He is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan.

Jeffrey Seller Director
Image of Eric Anderson Eric Anderson Hook
Image of Hettie Barnhill Hettie Barnhill Ensemble
Image of Victor E. Chan Victor E. Chan Boris
Image of Lincoln Clauss Lincoln Clauss Peter Pan
Image of Alexia Sky Colón Alexia Sky Colón Swing/Dance Captain
Image of Audrey Cymone Audrey Cymone Slightly/Jane
Image of Dayna Jarae Dantzler Dayna Jarae Dantzler Ensemble
Image of Jeremy Davis Jeremy Davis Noodler
Image of Nick Eibler Nick Eibler Nibs
Image of Victoria Ann Fiore Victoria Ann Fiore Ensemble
Image of Lilith Freund Lilith Freund Swing
Image of Shonica Gooden Shonica Gooden Ensemble
Image of Amara Granderson Amara Granderson Ensemble
Image of Masumi Iwai Masumi Iwai Ensemble
Image of Collin Jeffery Collin Jeffery Curly
Image of Nehal Joshi Nehal Joshi Smee
Image of Emily Grace Kersey Emily Grace Kersey Ensemble
Image of Liisi LaFontaine Liisi LaFontaine Crocodile
Image of Jimmy Larkin Jimmy Larkin Swing/Dance Captain
Image of Storm Lever Storm Lever Wendy
Image of Isabelle McCalla Isabelle McCalla Tink
Image of Jake Millgard Jake Millgard Swing/Fight Captain
Image of Sean Pope Sean Pope Twins
Image of David Price David Price Slightly
Image of Daniel Quadrino Daniel Quadrino Tootles
Image of Daniel Stewart Sherman Daniel Stewart Sherman Max
Image of Kamille Upshaw Kamille Upshaw Ensemble
Image of Naomi C. Walley Naomi C. Walley Ensemble
  • Will Van DykeMusic Supervision, Arrangements and Orchestrations
  • Anna LouizosScenic Designer
  • Paul TazewellCostume Designer
  • Howell BinkleyLighting Designer
  • Nevin SteinbergSound Designer
  • Pichón BaldinuAerial Design
  • Charles G. LaPointeHair and Wig Designer
  • Joe Dulude IIMakeup Designer
  • Steve RankinFight Director
  • Gabriel GreeneDramaturg
  • Telsey + Company;
    Patrick Goodwin, C.S.A.
    Casting
  • Anjee NeroProduction Stage Manager
  • Ashley R. Martin,
    Lee Micklin
    Stage Managers
  • Benjamin SeibertProduction Manager
  • Andy Señor, Jr.Associate Director
  • Taylor McMahonAssociate Choreographer
  • Patrick SulkenAssociate Music Director
  • Kayla NaultAssociate Scenic Designer
  • Amanda ZieveAssociate Lighting Designer
  • Connor WangAssociate Sound Designer
  • Angela PhillipsAssociate Aerial Designer
  • Jamie Leonard,
    Joe McGeough
    FOY
  • Alexia Sky Colón,
    Jimmy Larkin
    Dance Captains
  • Jake MillgardFight Captain
  • Rachael GeierAssistant Wig Designer
  • Dorottya VinczeCostume Design Assistant
  • Justin BeetsLighting Design Assistant
  • Amanda SalmonsRehearsal Stage Manager
  • Abby VitonProduction Assistant
  • Amber R. DettmersStage Management Assistant
  • Kiko Muzi LuStage Management Intern
  • Brad MatthewsPhysical Trainer
  • Bob FreelsStudio Teacher
Venue Info

Mandell Weiss Theatre

The Mandell Weiss Theatre is a 492-seat proscenium arch theatre, with two front rows of removable seats allowing for a greater stage length. The theatre also maintains an upstairs wooden deck for parties, receptions and outdoor gatherings, and a small outdoor amphitheatre for pre-show entertainment.

View Seating Chart

Mandell Weiss Theatre

R
2024 September
2024 October
2024 November
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