Paul Reubens revives Pee-Wee Herman Show
A funny thing happened to Paul Reubens on the way to his twilight years: He rediscovered the child within.
After an absence of almost two decades, the actor is re-creating his inspired comic creation, the silly but sly-like-a-fox Pee-Wee Herman, a moppet diva trapped in a man's body. The mid-1980s Saturday-morning show Pee-Wee's Playhouse and two feature films were as much adult guilty-pleasure fare as they were kid-friendly. That remains the case, as evidenced by the ages of fans who flocked to L.A. Live's Club Nokia on opening night.
It didn't matter that the material mostly is recycled, culled from Reubens' early-1980s stage show and TV series. The crowd was ready to hoot and holler with unbridled glee at the goofy visual and verbal gags, sometimes a few seconds before they arrived.
Structured as a series of episodes, the show settles into a plot device that brings it to an exuberant conclusion, having to do with Pee-Wee's unselfishness and the way it liberates him. Don't expect a lump in the throat, but wait for a deliciously cheesy final visual gimmick, capping an evening of stunning special effects.
(Via Reuters)
After an absence of almost two decades, the actor is re-creating his inspired comic creation, the silly but sly-like-a-fox Pee-Wee Herman, a moppet diva trapped in a man's body. The mid-1980s Saturday-morning show Pee-Wee's Playhouse and two feature films were as much adult guilty-pleasure fare as they were kid-friendly. That remains the case, as evidenced by the ages of fans who flocked to L.A. Live's Club Nokia on opening night.It didn't matter that the material mostly is recycled, culled from Reubens' early-1980s stage show and TV series. The crowd was ready to hoot and holler with unbridled glee at the goofy visual and verbal gags, sometimes a few seconds before they arrived.
Beyond tongue-in-cheek moral lessons (highlighted by an uproarious short film extolling the virtues of well-mannered children) and off-the-wall satire, the script by Reubens, Bill Steinkellner and John Paragon and the direction by Alex Timbers seem dedicated to creating a show that's impossible to pigeonhole. It's probably best described as Sesame Street by way of The Twilight Zone.
Structured as a series of episodes, the show settles into a plot device that brings it to an exuberant conclusion, having to do with Pee-Wee's unselfishness and the way it liberates him. Don't expect a lump in the throat, but wait for a deliciously cheesy final visual gimmick, capping an evening of stunning special effects.
(Via Reuters)
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