JANUARY 9, 2011 FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS Michael Giltz Freelance writer and raconteur Posted: November 12, 2010 04:58 PM BIO Become a Fan Get Email Alerts Bloggers' Index 2 3 views 0 3Inspiring Funny Hot Scary Outrageous Amazing Weird CrazyTheater: Pee-wee's Silly; Middletown Playful What's Your Reaction: Read More: Broadway , James McMenamin , Off Broadway , Theater , Vineyard Theatre , Will Eno , Entertainment News THE PEE-WEE HERMAN SHOW *** out of **** At the Stephen Sondheim Theatre People always talk about Pee-wee Herman being subversive.</p><p> That might have been true of his earliest take on the character.</p><p> But for decades now, Pee-weeHerman has provided the best sort of entertainmentfor kids: smart and funny and good enough for the folks to enjoy as well.</p><p> Why shouldn't Cowboy Curtis be black? Why shouldn't Miss Yvonne be the mostbeautiful woman in Puppetland? That's not edgy, just all-embracing.</p><p> Sure, a few jokes hint at bawdiness.</p><p> But just like the adult jokes in a Looney Tunes cartoons, they go right over the kids' heads.</p><p> The biggest surprise about the Broadway run of The Pee-wee Herman Show is how few surprises there are in it.</p><p> It is essentially a revival of the stage show that launched Paul Reubens to fame, minus the audience participation and a few of the naughtier elements.</p><p> Since Captain Carl is no longer around (in deference to the late Phil Hartman), this time it's Cowboy Curtis who has a crush on Miss Yvonne.</p><p> Pee- wee would like his friends to get together but all he's every really wanted to do is fly.</p><p> When he gets a freewish, Pee-wee has to decide which one he'll choose.</p><p> Here's the theme song to Pee-wee's Playhouse: MOST POPULAR ON HUFFPOST 1 of 2 BIG NEWS: Rihanna | Mila Kunis | Movies | Gwyneth Paltrow | Energy Debates | More...</p><p> Democratic Rep.</p><p> Shot, Federal Judge Killed At Public Event Suspected Arizona Shooter Identified: Disturbing YouTube Videos, MySpace Camille Grammer's Porn Past Comes Back To Haunt Her Should The Leader Of The Free World Dress Like THIS? What Not To Say When Your Loved One Is Upset How To Tell If It's Really Food: A Flowchart GOP Congresswoman Caught In Sexually Suggestive Photos Thousands Of Birds Found Dead In Italy LOG IN | SIGN UP LIVE UPDATES: Democratic Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords Shot, Federal Judge KilledGet Breaking News by Email SHARE THIS STORY Get Entertainment Alerts Email Comments 3 Recommend 39K Recommend 8K Like 931 Like 711 Like 826 Like 7K Like 756 Recommend 37K In a new storyline (about one-third of the show has fresh material, I'd say), Pee-wee is also getting the Playhouse wired for the internet.</p><p> Otherwise, this is delightfully familiar: the word of the day gets everyone to scream; the educational film (the one about good manners in the lunch room) remains ahoot; Chairry and Jambi and Magic Screen and the rest are all here; along with a few new twists like atalking Sham-wow.</p><p> It's common on Broadway to clap for some elaborate set or clever scene change, something I almost never do.</p><p> But like everyone else, I burst into applause at the beginning when the curtain lifted and the Playhouse was onstage in all its glory.</p><p> If you're a fan of the show, that alone will put a goofy grin on your face. (If only we could jump onstage!) The rest of the show is delightful, especially for the vast majority offans like me who never got to see Pee-wee in person.</p><p> Reubens is in fine form, diving into the role with his usual delirious commitment.</p><p> I guess we'll have to wait for one of his feature film projects to get off the ground for an entirely new adventure.</p><p> Until then, this return to the Playhouse is perfect for families andanyone who is a fan of one of the best children's programs in TV history.</p><p> What others are saying: Charles Isherwood of The New York Times said, "Nothing more and nothing less than a bubble bath of nostalgia for the many adoring fans of Pee-wee....</p><p> Pee-wee may be playing it safe, but perhaps he's playing it smart too.</p><p> Nobody wants to bite into a Pop Tart or a Twinkie for a surge of Proustianrecollection and have it taste like a granola bar, after all." Elizabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post gave it 3 out of 4 stars and said, "To watch all this live feels supremely familiar and comforting, like eating a huge ice-cream sundae topped by a mountain of whipped cream and exploding sparklers.</p><p> Still, this is essentially a nostalgic trip, and you wish Reubensand co-writer Bill Steinkellner had created more new material for the occasion.</p><p> Pee-wee may be timeless,but that doesn't mean he should be stuck in the past." David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter said, "The secret word of the day is nostalgia, not rehabilitation, and the core audience's built-in affection for Pee-wee and Co. provides a useful distraction from the writing's lack of structure." John Simon of Bloomberg gave it 1 1/2 out of 4 stars and said, "I don't know what is more retrograde: a 58-year-old frozen- faced buffoon or the antique antics rehashed by the script.</p><p> About the kindest thing one can say is: It is at least a harmless kind of idiocy." Dan Bacalzo of Theatermania said, "The secret word is "fun," and there's a lot of it to be had in this campy 90-minute bon-bon which caters to audience nostalgia." ### MIDDLETOWN *** out of **** At the Vineyard Theatre Will Eno is one of the most distinctive voices to emerge in the theater in the last few years.</p><p> His most recent play -- Thom Pain (Based On Nothing) -- was an intellectual treat that reveled in word play.</p><p> At the end, I didn't feel quite as sucker-punched by the devastation and loneliness on display as I wanted.</p><p> Enoisn't quite there yet, but he's clearly moving towards greatness.</p><p> The excitement of his talent brings out the best of everyone involved.</p><p> The cast includes sitcom and soap stars and theater mainstays but director Ken Rus Schmoll has them so attuned to the work they feel like a 1 of 5 Alan Grayson Gabby Giffords: A Few Words Dylan Ratigan A Destructive CrossroadsDON'T MISS HUFFPOST BLOGGERS HOT TRENDS TOP VIDEO PICKS Queen's Royal Wedding Rift 1 of 9 jwoww naked miley cyrus lap dance video natalie portman natalie portman pregnant rihanna PHOTOS: Guess Whose Sister More Celebrity News at People.com More Celebrity News at Popeater.com Like 79 David & Victoria Beckham Expecting Baby No. 4 READ MORE Report: No Second Seasonfor Sarah Palin's Alaska READ MORE Congresswoman GabrielleGiffords In 'Very Critical Condition' After Shooting READ MORE 'Glee' to Feature Gaga's 'Born This Way' Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens: Back On? Jim Carrey Spoofs 'Black Swan' on 'SNL' genuine ensemble.</p><p> The scenic and costume design by David Zinn (including two houses on each side, with windows to peek in at isolated people) are ideal, as is every element.</p><p> It begins with a man coming onstage to welcome us in a torrent of description: ladies and gentlemen, men and women, the bereaved and the bereft and on and on he goes, naming every possible sort of category of person you can imagine before apologizing to anyone he's left out.</p><p> It sets the off-kilter tone this play maintains throughout as we get to know the people of Middletown .</p><p> Heather Burns is a newly married arrival.</p><p> Linus Roache is the bemused handyman who almost befriends her.</p><p> James McMenaminis the young, alcoholic loner under the watchful eye of a cop (Emmy winner Michael Park of As The World Turns ).</p><p> The dialogue is so precise and moody, it's hard to capture the tone of the first act on paper.</p><p> When Burnsis in the library looking to learn something about her new town, she mentions that she and her husbandare trying to start a family.</p><p> McMenamin, who works sometimes as a mechanic, is eavesdropping and suddenly barks out, "Start, family! Damn you!" or some such thing, as if the family were a car whose engine won't catch.</p><p> Georgia Engel (multiple Emmy nominee for The Mary Tyler Moore Show and others) is the librarian who chides his nuttiness and helps her out.</p><p> The act ends with a playful scene in which five people are suddenly on stage in seats, as if they're watching this play, which they begin to discuss and dissect.</p><p> It's a relief from the heightened word play that preceded it and amusing in its own right.</p><p> The second act shows Eno moving beyond the heady games he can spin off with ease.</p><p> Slowly we realize how very alone these people are.</p><p> The handyman slashes his wrists, even though he really doesn't think hewants to die.</p><p> The housewife is pregnant and about to deliver her baby but her husband is always away on business.</p><p> And the mechanic who drinks too much sinks deeper intro a wry sort of despair.</p><p> Everyone is good at heart and Engel knits them all together with her compassion, providing the same sweet if off-balanced charm she has for decades.</p><p> McMenamin was, I thought, slightly too old for his role in Our Town but still very good.</p><p> Here he's outstanding and very charismatic as this young layabout flounders for a sense of ...purpose? Self-respect? I don't know, but seeing him cadge some pills from a doctor (Johanna Day) is a scene he makes quietly moving.</p><p> Perhaps the most exciting element of the show is the simple fact that it convinces you Eno is going to keep getting better.</p><p> This is very good, but it's just the beginning.</p><p> What others are saying: Charles Isherwood of The New York Times said, "Mr.</p><p> Eno's gift for articulating life's absurd beauty and its no less absurd horrors may be unmatched among writers of his generation.</p><p> But he is more naturally adept at shaping words into sentences that shimmer with wit and meaning than at shaping scenes into aformally satisfying play." Elizabeth Vincentelli of the New York Post gave it 2 1/2 stars out of 4 and said, "But sustaining this low- key, mild kookiness over two hours is hard.</p><p> Under Ken Rus Schmoll's direction, the actors, while generally appealing, tend to speak in mellow monotones.</p><p> This works wonders with the humor in the firstact, but becomes problematic in the more serious second, which shows how loneliness is wrecking thetown, and even takes a turn toward the metaphysical." Andy Probst of Theatermania said, "In this immaculately staged production from director Ken Rus Schmoll, this modern-day equivalent to Thornton Wilder's Our Town proves to be a richly engaging and satisfying theatrical experience. ***** Thanks for reading.</p><p> Michael Giltz is the cohost of Showbiz Sandbox, a weekly pop culture podcast that reveals the industry take on entertainment news of the day and features top journalists and opinion makers as guests.</p><p> It's available free on iTunes.</p><p> Visit Michael Giltz at his website and his daily blog.</p><p> Download his podcast of celebrity interviews and his radio show, also called Popsurfing and also available for free on iTunes.</p><p> Link to him on Netflix and gain access to thousands of ratings and reviews .</p><p> NOTE : Michael Giltz was provided with free tickets to the shows in previews with the understanding that he would be writing a review.</p><p> Follow Michael Giltz on Twitter: www.twitter.com/michaelgiltz Kourtney K.'s Stunning Bikini Bod Jane Krakowski RevealsBaby Bump MOST DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW HOT ON FACEBOOK HOT ON TWITTER Germany House Of Representatives Extreme Weather Sarah Palin Mila Kunis CES 2011 Health Care New York Times Personal HealthHUFFPOST'S BIG NEWS PAGES MORE BIG NEWS PAGES »One And Done: 'Sarah Palin's Alaska' NOT Renewed: Report 1,329 Comments PHOTO: Rihanna, Nicki Minaj Tweet About Hooking Up 26 Comments Camille Grammer's Porn Past Comes Back To Haunt Her 1,059 Comments PHOTOS: Olivia Wilde Dons See-Through Bikini 109 Comments Joan Rivers Retiring From Red Carpet, Gets Reality Show 12 Comments Ashton Kutcher: Training, Paranoid About Real Life 'End Of Days' 904 CommentsMila Kunis On Kissing Justin Timberlake, Natalie...</p><p> Olivia Wilde Dons See-Through Bikini (PHOTOS) Natalie Portman: I Was 'Barely Eating' During... 'Teen Mom' Farrah Shows Off Boob Job...</p><p> Comments 3 Pending Comments 0View FAQ 36 Fans 23 Fans 23 FansMore in Entertainment...</p><p> PAGING MR.</p><p> HERMAN Mr.</p><p> Herman, you have a telephone call at the front desk . . . . . . and just for that, you now have 34 fans . . .FOLLOW HUFFINGTON POST Recency | Popularity MyMindSpray 12:46 AM on 11/13/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER quivira 06:53 PM on 11/14/2010 Permalink | Share it HUFFPOST SUPER USER quivira 06:54 PM on 11/14/2010 Permalink | Share it Login or connect with: More Login Options Post to Facebook.</p><p> Post to Blogger.</p><p> Post to Twitter.</p><p> Post to WordPress.</p><p> Post to TypePad.</p><p> Post to Tumblr.To reply to a Comment: Click "Reply" at the bottom of the comment; after being approved your comment will appear directly underneath the comment you replied to.</p><p> Share your Comment: Post Comment Preview Comment View All FRONT PAGE POLITICS BUSINESS MEDIA ENTERTAINMENT COMEDY SPORTS STYLE WORLD GREEN FOOD TRAVEL TECH LIVING HEALTH DIVORCE ARTS BOOKS RELIGION IMPACT EDUCATION COLLEGE NY LA CHICAGO DENVER BLOGS Advertise | Log In | Make HuffPost your Home Page | RSS | Careers | FAQ | Contact Us User Agreement | Privacy | Comment Policy | About Us | Powered by Movable Type Copyright © 2011 TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc. | "The Huffington Post" is a registered trademark of TheHuffingtonPost.com, Inc.</p><p> All rights reserved.
