THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW at the Nokia.

It's been a week and I've really been dragging my feet on a Pee-wee Herman Show writeup. Why? Maybe I don't want to admit that it's over. Here goes...

Last Friday after work, I went to cranemelon's hotel. The Nokia was close enough to walk but a cab would be inexpensive. We requested a taxi and the guy in charge of those things (the guy in front of the hotel--what's his job title?) comes back, points and says, you see that gentleman with the limo? He's offering to take you for $10. What? Seriously? Yes, he's waiting for his people but they've been delayed a half-hour. Flat $10. YES. OF COURSE.


How stupid is this?


me and cranemelon (holding my copy of Surfin' Bird)

The silliness of 2 people riding a stretch limo to go just down the street. It doesn't end. So random. I'd been in a limo once before, but never for actual transport. People are into this? I mean, really? The radio was playing some awful Top 40 stuff. I kept babbling some nonsense like "Break open the Courvoisier!" and "We need to pick up Justin Timberlake and Snoop." An obnoxious automobile like that just brought out the worst obnoxious person in me. I'm not a fan. Next time we see Paul Reubens in person, I'll just take the Towncar.

We wandered around the L.A. Live area. Pretty dull unless you were on your way in or out of the Lakers/Clippers game at Staples. It's really set up for that crowd. Not the non-athletic, slightly dorky Pee-wee Herman fan. It was a little disappointing but too late to try to find a better place within walking distance. Avoiding the ESPN Zone, we got a little turned around in the complex and accidentally ended up exactly where we were supposed to be--in the theater. It wasn't the main room like I thought. Or was it? It's not what I remembered from the one other time I'd been. The stage was in a space above the Lucky Strike bar. You know where I'm talking about? There's an escalator back there.

cranemelon and I were metal detected, purses searched, wristbanded (for the special meet+greet). I got my camera past the guards. I didn't hide it very well but searches weren't as bad as I'd heard. My friend Ian went the night before and said his party was hassled over cameras and cameraphones. We made a beeline toward the bar for Crown Royal. Pretty soon my pals Ryan + Aura found us. They were also put out by the date change but in the move to Nokia, we miraculously got seating next to each other. That was fantastic luck.

Explanation: Okay, I said before, I didn't meet Paul Reubens/Pee-wee Herman. I was supposed to because I was in that group of people that booked tickets for the show back in August 09 for November at The Music Box. Well, the original dates got rescheduled to January-February and the show moved to the Nokia Theater in downtown Los Angeles. To accommodate angry ticketholders that had to go through a lot of hassle to reschedule (it really was poorly planned and a headache), Paul announced a meet+greet. Well, he had since changed the format to a Q+A session immediately following the show. He explained that he tried the meet+greet but there were too many people to do it properly. People would have to wait in a long line, be rushed off when it's finally their turn, he is exhausted by then, the process takes hours and nobody is happy. It makes sense. I totally got it and wasn't as disappointed in the format change as you might think. The Q+A was cool because he did it semi-in-character. So it was Pee-wee giving smartypants answers to your lame questions but Paul Reubens would thank you if you complimented his work on Pushing Daisies. He spoke to us for just shy of an hour. It was like getting a whole second show that was unique and truly just for us because on other nights, different questions would be asked/answered. It was a lot of fun. Not getting my PW "Surfin Bird" 45 signed is something I can live with for awhile longer.


Paul Reubens/Pee-wee suffering through our stupid questions.
Dumb guy in audience: What have you been doing since we last saw you?
PW: You mean...since the show ended just now?
Paul's Manager: LOOK IT UP ON IMDB!

The show itself was not the trainwreck I expected. He didn't look bad! He was lit well and must have lost weight with his grueling hours preparing for the show--he did not look his 57 years which was my fear. When he took the stage to introduce the show everyone went nuts. He went backstage and the curtains opened. You should have heard the sighs and cheers when everyone saw the Playhouse set. It looked great. The entire theater was filled with 30-somethings that were transported back to their childhood. crane, Ryan, and I laughed the entire time. Hilarious.


This is the best I have; no photos of the show/set because that was the rule.
And if you're on your way to this production, you want me to ruin the surprises heading your way.

THIS IS NOT AN INTRODUCTION TO THE CHARACTER(s). If you're not an enormous fan of Pee-wee, I do not recommend you try to go. I don't want to give it all away, but the show follows the storyline from the original Roxy theater Pee-wee Herman Show though it was considerably cleaned up for a family-friendly audience. Out of respect to the late Phil Hartman, the Captain Carl character was not recast. He was replaced by the Cowboy Curtis character from Pee-wee's Playhouse, this time portrayed by Mad TV's Phil LaMarr (or maybe you remember him from Pulp Fiction "Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face"). Original Mailman Mike (John Moody), Jambi (always-great John Paragon) and Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewart) were joined by new characters. Sadly, no Hammy (Tito Larriva!) or Susan (Nicole Panter!!). No Jelly Donuts. No Joan/hypnosis bit. There were technical problems, but we were there on a preview night; I'm sure those issues have been resolved by now. Shows through Feb 7. Heard there was a sudden increase in ticket demand. Find some!

Awesome times were had by all. And then we were off to our little after-party...