Pee-wee’s Playhouse panel at historic Groundlings Theatre delights an audience full of fans and friends
This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Groundlings, a Los Angeles improvisation and sketch comedy destination. In celebration of their 50th anniversary they’ve been showcasing special panels. One of the more recent panels was all about the iconic character of Pee-wee Herman, created by Groundlings alum Paul Reubens. The sold-out crowd was full of fans and friends of the late Reubens.
Even if you’ve never heard of The Groundlings, you certainly know some of the stars that have trained and performed there. A lot of “Saturday Night Live” alums started at The Groundlings before getting their big breaks. A small sampling includes Jon Lovitz, Will Ferrell, Ana Gasteyer, Kristin Wiig, and Phil Hartman, who was part of the creation of “The Pee-wee Herman Show” at Groundlings and was spoken of very fondly during the panel.
Pee-wee Herman was created by Reubens during an improvisation assignment at The Groundlings where he was told to portray the role of a bad stand-up comedian. Reubens decided to play a young, bratty boy as a stand-up. Through the years, the character was finessed and perfected to become one of the most beloved characters in popular culture.
Joining the panel was a wide range of talent spanning Paul Reubens’ and Pee-wee’s career. Lynne Marie Stewart, Joan Leizman and John Moody were all part of the original “Pee-wee Herman Show”, a stage show originating at The Groundlings and later moving to The Roxy Theater on Sunset Boulevard due to popular demand.
Additional talent from “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” (the television series) included Suzanne Kent, Doug Cox and George McGrath. Phil LaMarr was on hand to discuss his role in the return of “The Pee-wee Herman Show” in Los Angeles and on Broadway. And Jessica Pohly worked on the last Pee-wee project, “Pee-wee’s Big Holiday”, for Netflix. Long time friend Laraine Newman shared stories of Reuben’s early years while Tracy Newman moderated.
While listening to stories shared throughout the night, one thing is certain. Paul Reubens was beloved by these panelists. They didn’t mind sharing that he could sometimes be difficult to work with, but that didn’t prevent their love for Paul and Pee-wee (often claimed to be interchangeable). Multiple panelists agreed that Reubens was particular about the way he wanted things, but it never stopped him from being collaborative. When somebody had a good idea, it became part of the show. It was all about creating the best piece of art and entertainment possible.
Although Pee-wee began as a piece of entertainment for adults, the transition from dirty humor to a true children’s entertainer wasn’t as difficult as one might think. From the beginning, Pee-wee always evoked childhood whimsy. The jokes changed, and some of the innuendo stuck around, but Pee-wee’s spirit was always present.
A fun fact mentioned during the panel was that Ve Neill was Pee-wee’s longtime makeup artist. Neill is famously known in the film world for creating makeup designs for Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and so many more. No wonder Pee-wee always looked so good.
The panel took place in the 100-seat Groundlings Theatre, the very same space where the original “Pee-wee Herman Show” was staged. Even though the panel was sold-out, it still had an intimate feeling to it given the venues’ size. Audience members often jumped into the conversation. This casual setting allowed fans to discover even more people from Pee-wee’s past who bought a ticket just to be there in the audience. You could feel so much love from all the people who knew Paul Reubens and took part in Pee-wee’s world in some way.
Having now just passed the one-year mark since Reubens passing, it was nice to have a way to remember and celebrate Paul Reubens and his character that will live on forever, Pee-wee Herman.
The Groundlings continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary with other celebratory panels and shows including a voiceover panel with talent from “The Simpsons”, “DuckTales” and more, “One! with Jim Rash” a completely improvised one-act show, “Your Very Own TV Show” where the cast creates a TV pilot with audience suggestions, and a “Commercial Spokesperson Panel” featuring many iconic commercial personalities portrayed by Groundlings members. I’m sure you all know Flo from the Progressive Insurance ads. Learn more about these and more shows at Groundlings.com.
Jeff DePaoli is an event producer and host living in Los Angeles. He graduated from Emerson College where he received a BFA in Theatre. He can be heard as the voice of Disney Trivia on Alexa as well as the host of “Dizney Coast to Coast” podcast, where he and his special guests share honest opinions on all things Disney. Get your FREE gifts of “America’s Hidden Mickeys,” “On the Rohde Again,” “Theme Park Comfort Kit” and more at DizneyCoastToCoast.com. DePaoli’s opinions are his own and do not necessarily represent Attractions Magazine.
