Changes include switching Miss Yvonne's affections from Captain Carl, played by the late Phil Hartman, to Cowboy Curtis, and the addition of Playhouse residents such as Chairry, Conky the Robot, and Magic Screen. New characters include Sergio (Jesse Garcia) the repairman and the pantomime Bear. All the adult elements have been removed so parents don't have to worry about the puppet Dr. Mondo and Pee-wee hypnotizing a woman from the audience and getting her to undress.
The production design is brilliant. The sets are amazingly colorful and there's something eye-catching everywhere you look. The puppets are lifelike and interact well with the actors and vice versa. Kudos to the puppeteer team. The story's conclusion was created by a good bit of theatre magic.
The Pee-wee Herman Show had originally been planned for November and December at the smaller Henry Fonda Theater, but demand encouraged the move. To make up for the aggravation, those who bought tickets to both venues were treated to Reubens holding a Q&A after the show, in which he sought criticisms to help improve it. He was very sincere in his appreciation to all in attendance, and revealed that the play's return was to prove he had an audience in an effort to seek investors for a movie. While that sounds great, I hope he extends the run and even takes it on the road because this show should be shared with as many people as possible.
The Pee-wee Herman Show runs through Feb. 7 at Club Nokia @ LA Live. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster and the Club Nokia box office.
Article comments
1 - Josh Hathaway
I read about him bring the Pee-wee character back to life. I had sort of a love/hate with the whole thing during the initial run. Still, sounds like an interesting show.
2 - El Bicho
what's too hate? oh yeah, you don't do drugs.
3 - Dan(Miller)
El Bicho,
Re Comment #2, "what's too hate?" Unless that reflects an esoteric grammatical usage in reviewing theatrical productions, it should probably be "what's to hate?" Although I hadn't recognized the point, I now understand the guiding principle so well stated in your Comment #19 here that
If you can't get the easy stuff right, it does undermine the reader's confidence in the writer's ability to handle more difficult critical thinking.
Dan(Miller)
4 - Bicho's Defense
Butt Dano,
I can only assume that YOU too (to?) do not do drugs or you would have totally gotten it!
5 - El Bicho
if that's my defense, you better not be sending a bill.