Review Roundup: THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW

Based on Reubens' 1981 cult classic stage production, The Pee-Wee Herman Show, with new elements from the ground-breaking CBS show "Pee-wee's Playhouse" added generously, this new production is written by Paul Reubens and Bill Steinkellner, with additional material by John Paragon. Directed by Alex Timbers (Bloody, Bloody Andrew Jackson), The Pee-Wee Herman Show will feature music by Jay Cotton and the work of renowned puppetry artist Basil Twist. Direct from its acclaimed, sold-out run in Los Angeles, The Pee-Wee Herman Show began its 48-performance limited run on Tuesday, October 26, 2010 and officially opened on Thursday, November 11 at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre (124 West 43rd street). The engagement will run through January 2.

Based on the Saturday morning television show that became a cultural phenomenon, The Pee-Wee Herman Show reunites the one-and-only Pee-Wee Herman (Paul Reubens) with many of the original Playhouse cast of characters - including Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Pterri the Pterodactyl, Jambi the Genie, and Chairry - for an all new celebration of sophisticated silliness. An eye-popping 90 minutes of subversive humor and childlike wonder, The Pee-Wee Herman Show charts a day in the life of our bow-tied hero, one of the most inspired comic personas of our time.

Charles Isherwood, NY Times: But mostly this is a straight-up re-creation of the off-kilter world of the original series, which managed to succeed as both a sincere, pedagogical children's show and a winking sendup of one at the same time. It was a remarkable magic trick that won the show an avid following both among real tykes and adults who warmed to Mr. Reubens's kitschy, mildly subversive take on a vintage formula.

Steven Suskin, Variety: Show has been slickly staged by director Alex Timbers, who after a long career in the downtown theater made a dynamic Broadway debut four weeks ago as author/director of "Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson." Actors, voices, and video are well integrated; the last include a very funny mock-authentic film on lunchroom manners, featuring a humongous slice of chocolate cake, and a stop-motion clay animation cartoon from Nick Park of "Wallace and Gromit" fame. However, there are moments -- like when, after almost an hour, Reubens spends two minutes blowing up and deflating a balloon -- when the ninety-minute show seems like it will never end.

Elysa Gardner, USA Today: The result is a nostalgia trip that will appeal most immediately to those who followed Pee-wee in his heyday - they were well represented at a recent preview, where audience members hooted in rhapsodic recognition each time a character was introduced. But to their credit, Reubens, collaborating writers Bill Steinkeller and John Paragon and director Alex Timbers recapture the gently subversive goofiness that made the brand work, and add contemporary flourishes.

Linda Winer, Newsday: The secret word, we're told early on, is "fun." If knowing that makes you want to yell and cheer - and use your outside voice - you are probably already primed to return to the otherworldly inside joke now called "The Pee-Wee Herman Show."

John Simon, Bloomberg: Typical scenes concern Pee-wee's love affair with Chairry, the female armchair our boy sits on, embraces and is hugged by; Jambi, the bodiless swami's head that lives in a box; and Pterri the Pterodactyl, who flits about arousing Pee-wee's yearning to fly. The plot, such as it is, hinges on the possible wiring of The Playhouse for Pee-wee's computer, which turns out to be a very bad idea indeed. 

Scott Brown, NY Magazine: Amen! The Pee-Wee Herman Show is a candy land parade of familiar faces, memes of Christmas Past, and play-along-at-home sketches: Jambi the Genie grants a wish! Pterri the Pterodactyl flies in for a visit! Conky the Robot spits out "the secret word"! Lick it, and you'll uncover coat after coat of sweet meta-ness, with one great, governing joke at its chewy-center: Pee-Wee Herman (comedian Paul Reubens) is a child in a grownup's body--and now, that grownup is All Grown Up.

Joe Dziemianowicz, NY Daily News: If there's a compelling reason for "The Pee-wee Herman Show" to be on Broadway beyond delivering its gleeful dash of sunny but slightly subversive fun, it's to remind us that things can stay the same in our hearts and heads.

David Rooney, Associated Press: Three decades have done nothing to blunt the edges of Reubens' inspired characterization of the ADHD poster boy, channeling both the joy and bratty capriciousness of childhood.

Elisabeth Vincentelli, NY Post: To watch all this live feels supremely familiar and comforting, like eating a huge ice-cream sundae topped by a mountain of whipped cream and exploding sparklers.

David Cote, NY1/Time Out: Besides the fact that Paul Reubens looks like he's hardly aged -- at least from the audience -- "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" is amazing for how it recreates the old TV show while being a satisfying live event too. Pee-Wee will never grow up, and for 90 minutes at least, you won't have to, either.

Michael Sommers, NJ Newsroom: From its Pledge of Allegiance opening to a typically moonstruck ending, "The Pee-Wee Herman Show" is certain to blast 20-and-30-somethings back to their youth for their very first taste of nostalgia, complete with a "Penny" cartoon in the middle. Newcomers to the Pee-wee cult are likely to be dumbfounded by it all, but fans of Reubens' whimsical artistry should expect a lot of dandy fun - infinity.

Matt Windam, am New York: This is essentially an updated version of Reubens' original stage show, which in turn inspired the film "Pee-wee's Big Adventure" and the Saturday morning television series "Pee-wee's Playhouse." There's not much of a plot, but the show is overloaded with atmosphere and laughs.

Mark Kennedy, Canadian Press: A big part of why the stage show works isn't Pee-wee, though. It's the puppets and David Korins's set under the direction of Alex Timbers. There are a lot of moving parts here and visual jokes that must be precisely orchestrated: Some of the Basil Twist-led puppets are marionettes - like Pterri - while some are operated by remote control - like Magic Screen - and still others are manipulated from inside the puppet - like Conky. Voices are done from people offstage and Jambi the Genie (John Paragon) spends most of the performance with only his head showing from within a box.

 

To post a comment, you must register and login.