Posted on 12/14/2009 5:40:33 AM PST by billorites
The star may be Pee-wee, but his new live stage show is absolutely huge.
"The Pee-wee Herman Show," opening next month in downtown Los Angeles at Club Nokia theater, cost millions to mount. It boasts 11 actors, 20 puppets and marks the show's first production since 1982.
So, why now?
"Well, you know, I really want to make a movie version of 'The Playhouse,' my Saturday morning kid show," Paul Reubens said in an interview earlier this week in which he stayed in his exuberant Pee-wee persona.
"This seemed like a great way to do it: Reintroduce it, get back out there, introduce Pee-wee to the new generation that didn't know about it."
An impulsive, sometimes naughty child living a fantastical world, the Pee-wee character first made a big splash with the live "The Pee-wee Herman Show," which debuted at Groundlings theater in Los Angeles in 1981. An HBO broadcast of the show spread the Pee-wee gospel across the country later that year, and a 1985 Tim Burton-directed feature film, "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," was an acclaimed and popular success.
Then came the television series "Pee-wee's Playhouse" (1986-91), which ran for five seasons, earned 22 Emmys and attracted not only children but adults to Saturday-morning television.
Pee-wee was shelved after Reubens' July 1991 arrest for indecent exposure in an adult-movie house in Sarasota, Fla., resulting in a small fine. Reubens, now 57, continued to act, playing characters other than Pee-wee, scoring successes as the Penguin's father in "Batman Returns" (1992) and a 1995 Emmy nomination for a recurring guest role on "Murphy Brown." But Pee-wee would ultimately rise again.
"Well, I went back and forth between wanting to do it and not wanting to do (the new stage show)," Reubens said. "I had a producer that was calling me every two months for two years. And every two months, I would change my mind. And then, finally, one day I woke up and decided, 'This is it, I'm coming back.'"
As with the original stage show, the new production spins around Pee-wee's desire to fly. The menagerie of "Playhouse" characters is back, as are some of the original cast members, including Lynne Stewart as Miss Yvonne, John Moody as Mailman Mike and John Paragon as Jambi the Genie.
"I think I am grateful for my friends," Reubens said. "I am grateful for my fans. I am grateful that people still support me. I am grateful that people are going to buy tickets to come see my fabulous, fantastic, unbelievably incredible show at Club Nokia. ... I hope people have tickets and that is pretty much what I am thankful for."
"The Pee-wee Herman Show" is scheduled to run for a limited four-week engagement, Jan. 12- Feb. 7.
YUCH. Why even post a story about this sleezy guy? Must be big news in Buffalo..
It’s only fair....if “O” can be President, Pee Wee can have a come-back.
I am all Pee Wee Wee’d up!
Gotta give him credit. He doesn’t appear to target “children” as sex objects.
I actually enjoyed his show and i still love “pee wee’s big adventure”
but i saw him on leno and he seemed too old and creepy to
be bringing back character. now, jeffrey jones should be in jail.
he’s always been a less than charming creep.
The Adventures of Pee-Wee - coming....in a theater near you.
What Paul Reubens does in his free time is between him and the vice squad...
I remember about 12+ years ago when Pee Wee made his first live TV appearance after making himself notorious in the movie theater; He walked on stage, smiled at the audience and said, "So, heard any good jokes lately?"
I still remember that moment. It brought the house down.
Sleazy guy? I guess so, but my kids really enjoyed his movies, and on review, those movies stand up in time as being pretty benign with touches of innocuous, adult humor.
At a showing of his first movie in a packed theater with PW fans a grumpy couple stood up and as they shuffled out shouted "what do you morons find so funny!?"
We went from laughing to silent-scream laughing and they got even more huffy.
DON'T BUY TAG HEUER WATCHES or NIKE STUFF!! They are STILL standing by Tiger....YUK!
What ever happened in that case?
I heard about the cops finding homosexual child porn on his computer...then nothing.
You know, I’d be willing to give Mr. Reubens the benefit of the doubt here. I don’t think it is fair to judge him based on just one minor incident with the police back in 1991. It isn’t like he continues to do these things. I’d dare say he learned his lesson and I hope he continues to stay outside of the business end of law enforcement.
I never give anyone who SUCKS the benefit of the doubt...just hedging against P.T. barnums rule about the suckers who buy that as entertainment!
The new normal is “at least he doesn’t target children”.
I did not know that. I never have had HBO or showtime.
But i remember some guys at work would talk about him
so i should have picked up on the perv angle. plus,
i did realize that the actor’s in the kid’s show were likely
to be john water’s fans than john waynes.’
He was in the Pee-wee character well before his tv show started. I was a sophomore in college in 1979-80 and was watching the Dating Game (no comments please) and he was one of the three bachelors. I don’t remember if he was picked (I don’t think he was) but he was funny.
A lot of condemnation here against Pee Wee. I am sure these people who condemn him have never masturbated.
Yes: Pee Wee screwed up and was caught in an Adult Theater doing his thing, but people went there to see sex. Why were they so upset to see it live, instead of on screen.
Did Pee wee hurt a wife and kids with his hobby?
How many people will still pay to see Tiger Woods ?
I don’t condone his actions ,but in reality he only hurt himself. Personally I think he was set-up.
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