Pee-wee Herman apologizes for changes and delays to his comeback show

If you are or were a fan of Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens' iconic man-child creation, then which situation would displease you more: Having your travel plans dashed (and paying cancellation/exchange fees) because Reubens delayed his comeback show for two months? Or…spending however much money you paid to go see The Pee-wee Herman Show in November and being utterly disappointed for the rest of your life? I know those aren't the only two options, but still. C'mon, people. The Los Angeles Times talked to fans who are angry about this. Get some perspective.

For his part, Reubens as Pee-wee took to the Internets last night to apologize to his fans, saying this on the Pee-wee Herman Facebook page:

My team has been working hard all day to get to the bottom of the problems some of you are having getting new tickets. Please make sure you are calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-653-8000. The process involves a refund of your old tickets then the opportunity to purchase new tickets for comparable prices and comparable seats at the new venue. This whole process began today at 10am PST and will continue until 10pm PST on Thursday, October 14th PST. If you do not exchange your tickets by this date and time you will receive an automatic refund. If you are being told anything different tell them Pee-wee sent you!!
I know the customer service reps are being inundated with calls from all my fans and it is taking everyone time to choose new seats. They promised me everyone will be taken care of.
Thank you for your patience!

Here's the deal. Reubens announced he finally was putting the Pee-wee suit and bow tie back on for the first time in decades, and it stirred up all sorts of memories. And fans began buying up tickets, so much so that it became obvious he'd have to extend the length of the show or go into a bigger venue. The decision was made to find a bigger theater. At the same time, though, could he still pull off the character? His first big splash was in primetime with Jay Leno:

This was a bit awkward, but I think we can chalk that up more to Leno, really. I'm not surprised, however, that Reubens and everyone involved would want to make sure that if this comeback is getting this much attention from fans, that they want to make sure the show is going to reward these fans. So waiting a couple of months more may be worth it for all parties concerned.

The Pee-wee Herman Show now is scheduled for Jan. 12 through Feb. 7, 2010, at Club Nokia @ LA Live.

Production notes: Scott Sanders has joined the team as lead producer, while Alex Timbers is now directing the show, an adaptation from the original production by Reubens, Bill Steinkellner and John Paragon. Joining this production is Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis and Jambi the Genie, as well as Pee-wee’s talking chair, Chairry, Pterri the pterodactyl, Conky the robot, Magic Screen, Randy, and more. Many of the show’s original artists, both on stage and behind the scenes are involved in this re-imagined production. David Korins, the show’s scenic designer, will work with Gary Panter, one of the most influential artists of his generation and designer of both the original stage production and CBS’s Pee-wee’s Playhouse. The show’s original musical composer, Jay Cotton, is busily writing new material.

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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