"The Pee-wee Herman Show," starring Paul Reubens, will begin a limited engagement starting January 12, 2010, at Club Nokia @ LA Live. This theatrical production is rated PG!
Tickets are available by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
This brand new version of "The Pee-wee Herman Show," has been adapted from the original production by Reubens, Bill Steinkellner and John Paragon. Alongside Pee-wee are classic characters Miss Yvonne (played by Lynne Stewart), Mailman Mike (John Moody), Cowboy Curtis and Jambi the Genie (John Paragon), as well as Pee-wee's talking chair, Chairry, Pterri the pterodactyl, Conky the robot, Magic Screen, Randy, and many more. David Korins, the show's scenic designer, will work with Gary Panter, the award-winning designer of both the original stage production and CBS's Pee-wee's Playhouse. The show's original musical composer is Jay Cotton, has returned and is writing new music.
Pee-wee dreams that one day he can fly. The play follows Pee-wee's quest to see this lifelong wish fulfilled. Pee-wee is torn when he has to choose to have his wish granted or better the lives of his friends. Along the way he embarks on hilarious adventures filled with his playhouse friends and some new ones. Throw in some funny pop culture references, and of course, your favorite Pee-wee-isms.
"I'm really excited that fans are responding so incredibly to Pee-wee's return," said Paul Reubens. "Thanks to our friends at Goldenvoice, we are able to bring our enormous production downtown to Club Nokia. I'm thrilled to have the talented Scott Sanders join the production as lead producer and Alex Timbers come on board as director."
"We're honored to have such a creative force like Paul Reubens to bring the first theatrical production to Club Nokia," said Susan Rosenbluth, Senior VP Goldenvoice.
To the generation that grew up with his groundbreaking Saturday morning television show, Pee-wee Herman is an icon. Revered by media theorists and studied in colleges, his enormous cultural influence continues to reverberate in fashion, film and television.
Follow Pee-wee Herman on: Twitter @peeweeherman on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/PeeweeHerman
Official Website: http://www.peewee.com
BIOGRAPHIES
Pee-wee Herman
The original "The Pee-wee Herman Show" debuted at The Groundlings Theatre in 1981 then moved to the Roxy Theatre on Sunset Strip for five sold out months. Taped as part of HBO's On Location series, the show catapulted Pee-wee into the national consciousness. It lead to Pee-wee's many appearances on "Late Night With David Letterman," followed by a 22-city tour that included Carnegie Hall. In 1985, Warner Brothers brought Pee-wee to the big screen with "Pee-wee's Big Adventure," Tim Burton's feature film debut. (Co-written by Reubens,) it featured Danny Elfman's first original film score.
The CBS television series "Pee-wee's Playhouse," premiered in 1986. During its five seasons, the show garnered 22 Emmy Awards. Pee-wee's second film, "Big Top Pee-wee" was released in 1988. While "The Pee-wee Herman Show", and "Pee-wee's Playhouse" were an homage to an earlier generation's television classics -- "Howdy Doody," "The Mickey Mouse Club," "Captain Kangaroo," "Kukla, Fran, and Ollie," and "The Shari Lewis Show" - Pee-wee himself became one of the most original and beloved stars in all of television history and late-century American culture.
By the late 90s, even fashion was not immune to the style of Pee-wee as fashion designers like Christopher Bailey, Ennio Capasa, Miuccia Prada, Viktor & Rolf, and Thom Browne imitated the high armholes, short inseams, and tight cut suits that Pee-wee made as his trademark. In 2007, Nike created a version of the Nike SB sneaker loosely inspired by Pee-wee.
When Cartoon Network aired the series in 2006, 1.5 million viewers watched every night; the next year TV Guide named the "Playhouse" among the top 10 cult classics of all time.
All of the episodes of "Pee-wee's Playhouse" have been issued on DVD and iTunes and are consistently best sellers. And as Pee-wee was influenced by the television classics that came before him, it is hard to imagine that "Blue's Clues" or "SpongeBob Square Pants" would be quite the same without him.
Alex Timbers (Director)
Alex Timbers is an OBIE Award-winning director. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (also co-writer; Public Theater and Center Theatre Group), Peter and the Starcatchers (Disney Theatricals/La Jolla), Gutenberg! The Musical! (Drama Desk nom.- Best Director of a Musical), Hell House (also adaptation; Drama Desk nom.- Unique Theatrical Experience), ...Scientology Pageant (conceiver; OBIE Award and Garland Award- Best Director), The Language of Trees (Roundabout), Boozy, Heddatron, Dance Dance Revolution (Les Freres), Beyond Therapy (Williamstown/Bay Street). Alex is the Artistic Director of NY-based company Les Freres Corbusier.
Scott Sanders (Lead Producer)
Scott Sanders Productions is a leading theatre and film Production Company whose projects have grossed nearly $1 billion worldwide and have involved world-class and award-winning talent from across the broad spectrum of the film, television, music, theatre and arts communities. The company's Film division has a first-look deal with Walt Disney Pictures and maintains its West Coast office on the Disney lot in Burbank. The company's Theatre and Live Entertainment division is partnered with a private equity investor group consisting of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, David Kraft and investment bankers Roy Furman and Jim Fantaci. In addition to his credit as lead producer of the 11 Tony Award-nominated hit Broadway musical The Color Purple, Sanders is widely credited with the historic turnaround of Radio City Music Hall. Additional credits include Elaine Stritch: At Liberty, which won the 2002 Tony Award, and the HBO special of "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty," which won two Emmy Awards, including one for Sanders for Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy SpeciaL. Sanders partnered with Queen Latifah and AEG in a groundbreaking music partnership to record and produce her first vocal album, The Dana Owens Album, which is approaching platinum sales status and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. He also produced the Tony Award-nominated Broadway production Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance and pop star Josh Groban's Broadway debut in a concert version of Chess at the New Amsterdam Theatre. Sanders also launched film and television powerhouse Mandalay Entertainment with partner and chairman Peter Guber and served as president of Mandalay Television, executive producing six network series - in association with Columbia TriStar - including ABC's "Cupid" with Jeremy Piven and the WB's "Young Americans" with Kate Bosworth. Mr. Sanders first met Pee-wee Herman in 1983 when he was seated in the 'hot seat' during one of Pee-wee's early performances at Caroline's in New York City.'
Jared Geller and David J. Foster (Associate Producers)
Jared Geller recent LA productions include: "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW" at Royce Hall, "Rufus Wainwright sings Judy Garland at the Hollywood Bowl." Geller's credits on and off Broadway include "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW" (2009 Tony Award Nomination), "Kiki & Herb: Alive on Broadway" (2007 Tony Award Nomination), "C'est Duckie," "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW" (2005 Drama Desk Award), "Lypsinka! As I Lay Lip-Synching!" Recent productions at Carnegie Hall include: "Family Guy Sings!," "Jerry Springer The Opera," "Kiki & Herb: The Second Coming," "Wainwright Christmas Hour," "Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland" (2009 Grammy nomination), among others. He also produced the tours of "Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland" (London Palladium, Paris Olympia), "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW" (USA, Mexico, Australia), "Kiki & Herb" (North America; Steppenwolf, ACT). Mr. Geller is responsible for convincing Paul Reubens to bring The Pee-wee Herman show back to the stage.
David J Foster. Foster Entertainment is ranked on Pollstar's "Top 100 Worldwide Promoters", and produces Broadway, Off Broadway, concerts and tours. Highlights include: Broadway: "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW" (2009 Tony nomination), "Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway" (2007 Tony nomination); Carnegie Hall: "Jerry Springer: The Opera," "Rufus Wainwright Sings Judy Garland" (plus London Palladium, Paris Olympia, Hollywood Bowl, 2009 Grammy nomination), "Family Guy Sings!," "Kiki & Herb will Die For You" Off Broadway: "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW," "The JAP Show," "Puppetry of the Penis," "21 Dog Years," "Sing-a-Long Sound of Music." Current tours: "SLAVA'S SNOWSHOW" (Australia & New Zealand), "Puppetry of the Penis" (Canada, USA), and a constant stream of comedy concert tours in Australia, and internationally.
Richards/Climan, Inc. (General Manager)
David R. Richards and Tamar Haimes currently manage "Superior Donuts" and the tour of "August: Osage County" and will manage the upcoming Broadway production of David Mamet's Race. Past credits: "August: Osage County," "Blithe Spirit," "Desire Under the Elms," "Speed-The-Plow," "All My Sons," "November," "Little Women," "Twelve Angry Men (tour)," "The Lieutenant of Inishmore," "Bridge and Tunnel," "The Glass Menagerie," "Primo," "Say Goodnight Gracie," "Jane Eyre," 'Jewtopia," "Jacques Brel," "The Exonerated," "Dinner with Friends" and "Annie".
Club Nokia (Theatre)
Club Nokia, a multi-use music, entertainment and concert venue, located in the heart of the acclaimed LA Live Complex, accommodates over 2,300 guests. Featuring state-of-the-art acoustics designed for live entertainment, Club Nokia is the perfect venue for emerging music acts and cultural shows while also providing excellent space for corporate events and private parties. The theatre brings the latest technology to music enthusiasts including an innovative interactive experience embedded in foot-controlled floor interfaces, touch screens, and a large LED installation within the lobby of the Club Nokia space. This interactive experience allows users to scroll through
the history and the future of Club Nokia events and interact with pictures, video, and text messages submitted by fellow concert fans. Club Nokia was awarded the "Best New Major Concert Venue" at the 2009 20th annual Pollstar Concert Industry Awards
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