by Klaus Kinski

One of the most personally heartbreaking celebrity descents occurred in the summer of 1991 when Paul Reubens aka Pee Wee Herman was arrested for lewd behavior after being caught allegedly pleasuring himself in a Sarasota Florida adult movie theater. The charges against him cast a shadow upon my all-too-recent childhood. His infamous mugshot soon replaced the childlike, lovable Pee Wee with a vile biker dude. I was 8 years old when Pee Wee's Big Adventure came out, and following that I watched his television show Pee Wee's Playhouse religiously, probably until late 1989ish. Literally religiously. As a godless heathen-child, Pee Wee was the closest thing to a deity in my life. And there were times early on where I definitely acted like this kid. Anyhow, I was heartbroken. And I know I wasn't alone.

Thanks to tedious and rabid media coverage, I wrote Reubens off as a sicko and a fraud (editor's note: Klaus!?!?). What I didn't realize at the time, or until many years later, was that Reubens was a punching bag for a media machine intent on exposing something nasty and running with it until the masses thirsted for blood. I didn't realize that he had legions of supporters who recognized that things were being blown out of proportion. Slowly but surely, Reubens started gently working his way into my consciousness by showing up in things that I really liked. Of course there was Blow in 2001, and I remember seeing him in Reno 911 and a few other things. But his highly anticipated appearance in the 2007 SF Sketchfest propelled him right back into the place in my heart he had vacated over 17 years earlier. And now, with bygones being bygones, Pee Wee is back in full force at the Stephen Sondheim Theater on Broadway with his live action show The Pee Wee Herman Show which officially opened, after previews that kicked off on October 26th, this week. It runs through January 2nd and brings viewers back in touch with the likes of Miss Yvonne, Cowboy Curtis, Chairry, Clonky, Clocky, Jambi, Mailman Mike, and all our other favorites. Tickets are on sale and can run you anywhere from $67 to $227.

For more, read these recent articles in the NY Times, the Wall Street Journal, and CNN.

And we understand that times are tough, so we are giving a pair of tickets to experience The Pee Wee Herman Show! Details on how to with with some videos, below...

Continue reading "The Pee Wee Herman Show is happening (get/win tix) "

Regina Spektor at Tibet House Benefit 2010 (more by Chris La Putt)

The New Yorker Festival is back (Oct 1-3), and will feature a variety of events including a premiere of The Social Network to Werner Herzog to Pee Wee Herman to the dude from Beetlejuice who yells at his kids, and everything in between. So far the musical interview lineup includes Regina Spektor, Yo Yo Ma, Justin Timberlake (promoting "The Social Network") and James Taylor. Sometimes those include short performances, though no performances have been announced so far. Tickets go on sale 9/10 at noon, and all festival details are below...

Continue reading "2010 New Yorker Festival - lineup & ticket info"

Pee-wee Herman @ Radio City Music Hall

Man oh man! ANOTHER kickass show tonight!! How do we do it?! HOW. DO WE. DO. IT. I'll tell you how... By some more help from some great friends! Friends like PEE WEE HERMAN, JOHN KRASINSKI & ELI MANNING. Oh... And one other guest you might have heard of... A man by the name of...MAX WEINBERG!

It was really great seeing Max and catching up and everything. Max dropped by and was nice enough to sit in on our closing number, The Weight! Here's them going back out for the encore:

Annnnnnd.... That's all she wrote for the Legally Prohibited Tour in the Big Apple!! Thank you, New York. We had an absolutely fantastic time... And we hope that you had the same. Now, we load out, hit the showers, board the buses... And head on out to Boston! Oh, Boston. Board up the windows, lock down the kegs, and pray for daylight... BECAUSE HURRICANE COCO IS HEADED YOUR WAY! KAPOW! [Team Coco]

Conan O'Brien's second night (6/2) at Radio City featured different guests than the first. Those included Pee Wee Herman (who's coming to Broadway this fall), Eli Manning, John Krasinski and Max Weinberg, who joined the band & Conan for the closing cover of "The Weight." The tour continues on to Bonnaroo and ends June 14th in Atlanta. Videos from last night below...

Continue reading "Pee-wee Herman & others joined Conan O'Brien @ Radio City Music Hall (videos from night two) "

Tickets are already on sale for the upcoming Pee Wee Herman shows on Broadway (secret word = SCREAM). thanks noamjamski!

"The Pee-wee Herman Show, which played a limited engagement at Club Nokia @ L.A. LIVE this past winter, is heading to The Great White Way. Creator-writer-actor Paul Reubens will again play the bow-tied man-child -- the role that made him famous.

The production -- inspired by earlier stage incarnations and the cult-hit Saturday-morning TV series that overflowed with subversive humor, delighting kids and adults alike -- will begin a limited six-week, 48-performance engagement Oct. 26 at the newly christened Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Alex Timbers, who helmed the Los Angeles run, will again direct. The Broadway run was announced on May 20. Tickets go on sale June 1 at Telecharge.com." [Playbill]

UPDATE: Tickets are already on sale!

The SECRET WORD is FUN! Live onstage in Hollywood, "The Pee-wee Herman Show," starring Paul Reubens, will have a limited engagement beginning November 8, 2009, at The Music Box @ Fonda. Press opening is Thursday, November 19, 2009. Tickets go on sale Tuesday, August 11 at 8 am.

"It's time," said Reubens. "My Pee-wee suit and red bow tie are at the ready - and this is proof that white shoes are cool past Labor Day." [ID-PR] (thx Klaus)

Yes! Hopefully NYC is next.

Continue reading "Pee-wee Herman returns to the stage! (the LA stage)"