Event Review: ‘Pee-wee’s Big Adventure’ 35th Anniversary Tour Kick-Off

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Paul Reubens is not even credited on the film itself. He was so immersed in his role as Pee-wee Herman that Pee-wee Herman got the film credit for playing himself in Pee-wee’s Big Adventure (1985). The movie will be thirty-five years old in August, so Paul Reubens kicked off his tour on Friday, January 24, at the Ventura Theater in Ventura California. Technically, it was the Pre-Tour Kickoff: Pee-wee’s Big Adventure 35th Anniversary Tour.

The line to get in went around the block. Attendees were asked to print their tickets beforehand to make seating go smoothly. Cell phones and smart devices were sealed in a security bag we could not open inside the theater. They were promptly unlocked upon our leaving. No pictures inside. No distractions. Personally, I think all theaters should start doing this. Not once did a glaring blue light draw my eye from the screen or stage. Not once did a pointless flash go off while Mr. Reubens walked out onto the stage to thunderous applause.

Reubens didn’t come out dressed as Pee-wee, to my relief. He was there to share memories as an actor, not as a character. Sadly, there were more than a few audience members who were either bored by the fact that his appearance wasn’t an act, or were jonesing to get on their crack boxes outside. Maybe they were just tired. It was a long evening, but who pays NYC 2085 prices in 2020 Ventura just to see a movie and leave? It’s a kick-off. He’s testing his performance. He’s testing reception. If you were willing to stay after the hour and half of his emotional and sincere anecdotes, you got to move up with the theater lights up, and speak with him directly as he sat on the stage to have a conversation with fans. He wanted to know what worked and what didn’t.

Performers don’t get to test jokes anymore without being put on YouTube, bombing their experimentation. They get blasted on Instagram for having unrefined acts. Paul, you did the right thing keeping phones inaccessible. Those who get to see the honed show will be privy to stories right from the horse’s mouth, straight out of the ’80s. A few not so painful moments happened where he was trying to remember exactly how a story went. To some of us, it was endearing and charming. Others were bored or disappointed that it wasn’t Pee-wee chuckling his trademark laugh, but instead an insightful and intelligent Paul Reubens humbly appreciating his fans by giving them a glimpse into his mind and his memories. He may have made too many jokes alluding to our lack of phones, though. Maybe just one at the beginning and one at the end would work. People laughed every time he reminded us with a joke about us being without the crutch, but I got the idea some people were uncomfortable about being reminded. Try not to tell an addict not to think about their addiction.

Reubens didn’t actually appear on stage until after the screening, which I hope he realizes is a mistake. Anticipation is a great thing, but too many audience members were already in the hangover phase with stacks of sticky plastic cups by their feet by the time our guy stepped into the spotlight. They cackled throughout the screening of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, reciting memorable lines along with the characters; mouthing lines the way Pee-wee himself did in the meta ending, with Herman mumbling his own lines alongside James Brolin. Some fans even came dressed as Pee-wee. Surprisingly, some of those seemingly uber-fans acted as if they had no interest in Paul Reubens. Having the audience clear out a good 15-20% as Reubens shared stories about Prince, David Bowie, Frank Zappa, Cassandra Peterson (Elvira), and countless others made the moments feel more intimate. The rest of us leaned forward in our seats, knuckles under our chins, and drank it in. His reminiscence of the bikers, Phil Hartman, Tim Burton, Danny Elfman, his stuntman, and some of the extras on set made us feel like we were in his living room. He got choked up at one point, and his sincerity inspired more than a few people to yell out things like, “We love you!” and “You’re perfect!” Reubens politely misheard that as, “It’s my birthday? It’s not, but thank you.”

The cold open watching MTV’s premier red carpet event was the perfect way to get everyone to settle in. The celebrities rolling up to Grauman’s Chinese Theater will bring you back to 1985 instantly. Pee-wee greets each of them and outshines all of them. That’s not easy when you’re standing next to Mr. T., Quiet Riot, David Lee Roth, or Eddie Murphy. Pee-wee carries popcorn to cars on Hollywood Boulevard and makes everyone smile along with him. He doesn’t upstage anyone, but rather basks in their light as he reflects it back to them. You might even thank Paul Reubens, er…Pee-wee, for bringing Tim Burton and Oingo Boingo’s Danny Elfman to the limelight.

We can celebrate the actual anniversary of Pee-wee’s Big Adventure in August at Horror Geek Life. For now, you should go share the countdown with Paul Reubens on the tour if he’s coming to your city. If you love him for more than his bow tie and his bicycle, you are in for a treat! Tell them Large Marge sent you.

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure 35th Anniversary Tour Dates

February 14 – Portland, OR @ Newmark Theatre
February 15 – Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
February 21 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
February 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
February 27 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
February 28 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
February 29 – San Diego, CA @ Spreckels Theatre
March 5 – San Antonio, TX @ The Aztec Theatre
March 6 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
March 8 – Dallas, TX @ Majestic Theatre
March 12 – Atlanta, GA @ The Tabernacle
March 13 – Tampa, FL @ Tampa Theatre
March 14 – Coral Springs, FL @ Coral Springs Center for the Arts
March 20 – Chicago, IL @ The Chicago Theatre
March 21 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
March 22 – Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
March 26 – New York, NY @ The Beacon Theatre
March 27 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
March 28 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theater
March 29 – Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre

You can find out more information and purchase tickets by heading over to Peewee.com!

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Stab me with money