Puerto Rico has been in the news a lot recently. The hurricane season has brought much angst to this usually joyful Caribbean island.

So, when I heard that actress and playwright Lala Costa was re-mounting "Calling Lala" as part of the kamakailan SoloFest in Los Angeles – I was intrigued.

She originally created the live solo ipakita back in 2016 as a love-letter to her Mom and fellow Puerto Ricans. Now, in the wake of all the devastation on the beloved island where she was born, would her upbeat, interactive exploration of Boricua flavor be even madami powerful to audiences?

To find out, I asked Lala...