And… Out of the Blue

[NoHo Arts District, CA] – Writer-composer-performer Eli Hans portrays 25 characters in the swift-paced musical journey, “And… Out of the Blue” at this year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival.

Writer-composer-performer Eli Hans portrays 25 characters in this swift-paced musical journey. Eli is a gay Mexican-Polish-Jew living in America. Oy vey! After a dire cancer diagnosis, Eli must learn to make peace with his past as a gay kid on a quest for love. As he navigates his several identities, learning to accept himself through shame and fear, dealing with his parents, coping with tragic loss, and struggling with cancer, he miraculously finds The One (his true love) and manages to turn all of those challenges around. Infused with humor and original music, And… Out of the Blue is a heart-warming and inspiring true story celebrating the resilience of the human spirit. Eli takes the audience on an intimate ride filled with love, laughter, heartache and miracles. When all is said and done, everyone deserves a chance to create a beautiful life worth living.

An alumnus of the Stella Adler Academy of Acting, Eli’s the co-founder of The Improv People (San Miguel de Allende’s well-loved improv troupe) and enjoyed a 20+ year career as a voiceover actor. In San Diego, at the Old Globe Theater, Eli assisted directed Richard Seer in the production of Blue/Orange, and was director of a bilingual theater education program called Teatro Meta for teenagers at-risk. At La Jolla Playhouse, Eli assisted director Mark-Wing Davey with the Spanish production of Garcia Lorca’s “Blood Wedding;” at The Fritz Theater, Eli  co-directed “Extreme Unction” in New York with Duane Daniels. He has produced and directed national and regional TV commercials and numerous plays. As an actor, Eli has appeared in Neil Simon’s “Chapter Two,” Donald Margulies’ “Dinner With Friends” and Michael Hollinger’s “Opus.” His true love is performing in musicals and musical revues, including “Fiddler On The Roof,” “A Funny Thing Happened,” “How To Succeed in Business,” “The Pajama Game,” and “Closer Than Ever.” His favorite role: Emcee in a musical revue of “Cabaret.” He resides in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Eli is joined onstage by Joseph Bennett, his husband of almost twenty-two years, who appears later in the show as Eli’s ultimate life partner. Joseph, also co-founder of The Improv People, is the stage manager of “And, Out of the Blue.” He danced with the Wilmington Ballet for eight years and has appeared in numerous plays and improv shows. He co-hosts (with Meridith Grundei) the podcast Are You Waiting for Permission?

Meridith Grundei directs And, Out of the Blue. The New York-based director is an Associate
Member of SDC. Her numerous credits include “The Father Project,” “MOVE,” “There Is a
Happiness That Morning Is,” “Under Construction,” “Beowulf: A Thousand Years of Baggage,” “Futura,” “Moulin Scrooge,” her favorite, “BITE-SIZE: An Evening of Micro Theatre,” many more.

Choreography: Christie Olvera. Musical arrangements: Konrad Pluta. The Hollywood Fringe
performances are produced by Jessica Lynn Johnson.

“And… Out of the Blue” is a moving and uplifting show with an engaging musical score, and a happy ending. After the recent sold-out world premiere performances in San Miguel de Allende, audiences said: “A triumph!” “A tour de force new musical.” “A Courageous, joyful ride!” “Stupendous in every way. A perfectly engrossing play. Loved it!” Enjoy.