Customer Reviews

The Pee-Wee Herman Show - Live at the Roxy Theater

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Pee-Wee Herman Show was a successful performance which catapulted Paul Reuben's career beyond his own imagination. The performance was held in front of a live audience at the Roxy in La for around 5 months. Luckily HBO brilliantly caught one of these live performances and gave people the opportunity to see Pee-Wee Herman. Pee-Wee Herman along with an ensemble cast of notables produced a hilarious performance that had me laughing from start to finish. Let us not ignore the actual set design for the show as well as Jambi the Genie. The show put Pee-Wee on the map of stardom due to his creativity and ingenious ways of entertaining his fans. The show immediately starts with Pee-Wee Herman digging through a bag of toys pulling out one thing after another, and stumbles upon "NAKED GUMBY AHH". Another funny idea was the Mr. Bungle skit. The Mr. Bungle skit was an actual 1950's dramatization on exhibiting manners. The funny part of this whole skit is they actually showed this to little girls and boys back in the 1950's. One scene shows the boy getting served hot food and next to the hot food the cafeteria person places a big piece of cake on the tray. By the end of the skit Pee-Wee says something like "is that piece of cake big enough for ya!?" then does his Pee-Wee laugh. Classic. I think the real interesting phenomenon of Pee-Wee Herman was he could entertain both adults and children. Understandably this led to his hit Saturday Morning cartoon show "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" which had several emmy nominations throughout the late 80's and early 90's. Furthermore Pee-Wee teamed up with Tim Burton to mesh together a film called "Pee-Wee's Big Adventure". The Pee-Wee Herman show was a unique, weird, yet funny performance that catapulted Pee-Wee Herman into a cult classic for many people.

I've caught this on HBO several times and it just gets funnier everytime. The interplay between PeeWee and Phil Hartman is brilliant. The show was an hour long HBO special featuring the Pee-Wee Herman Show that was done as part of the Groundlings. If you like the Saturday morning show, you better get this.

This was shot on video.

While I thought it would never happen, I have hoped for this to be released on DVD for years. I show this to everyone, hoping each time that the tape will survive for one last showing. This is Paul Rubens' nightclub act that started the whole Pee Wee Herman for kids thing - but this IS NOT for kids. It parodies the genre of kid shows and is one of the funniest things ever captured for an audience - Jamby finally gets his hands (mail order), a musical tribute to Sly Stone, and a film about manners. Makes you wish the whole Pee Wee character had stayed this funny. Yes, it was shot on video and as long as the transfer in broadcast quality it will exceed my current version. I can't wait!

I thoroughly enjoyed this-- I had seen the original on HBO when it first aired, and a few skits stuck in my memory forever-- the mirror shoes, and the puppet voodoo-- very funny. Love the cast-- I've always been a peewee fan-- loved the playhouse.Pee got a bum rap--I'D LIKE HIM TO COME BACK...

This is an off-the-wall, brilliant comedy piece. I have been a sometimes fan of the Playhouse, and I was surprised at how imaginative and enjoyable the Tim Burton/Paul Rubens movie creation was, but this original HBO special really takes the cake. It's as if you took that internal kid and allowed everything to come out, including the dirty stuff. It's all tongue-firmly-in-cheek, and all the surrounding characters are brilliantly played in addition to Rubens odd PeeWee creation.

Anyway, a friend had introduced this to me on VHS. Now that it's on DVD, I plan to purchase it immediately.

This is where the character blossomed, this show preceded the hit TV series, and still stands on it's own.
Pee-Wee in all his great spoiled, devilish, wonderful glory and Phil Hartman as Captain Carl.
I loved it, and felt it was original back when I first saw it on HBO, and if you are a fan of Pee-Wee, I'll be surprised if you don't love this on stage performance, with him and his zany cast of characters. Mecha Leceha Hinee Hoo!!
Long Live Jambi!!!

This is the show that started it all. A nightclub act produced especially for adults. Twisted humor at it's finest with an outstanding performance by the great Phil Hartman as "Captain Karl". You gotta love the old film about manners and hygiene from the 50's. If you miss this one you could be a "Mr. Bungle"

I grew up with Pee-Wee's Playhouse and Pee-Wee's Big Adventure, but I had no idea this show existed until I saw it on TV a few years ago. Then I saw this DVD was out and I had to get it. It is so funny!

I first saw this shortly after it was filmed and then again around 1990. When I saw this was available, I bought it right away and am glad to have it in my home collection. The 'adult' humor usually goes over kids' heads. You may need to explain who Sly Stone is before showing it to today's generation. They do a fun musical tribute to him at the Playhouse.

i have always loved Pee Wee Herman... i have the movies, the playhouse dvds, even the talking doll, but now i have what i concider to be the crown jewel... the Home Box Office presintation of the Pee Wee Herman show from 1981!!! and i need to tell you this.. it isn't at all dated... all the laughs are there and it's just edgy enuff for your older kids (i'd say 10 and up) to watch and enjoy with you. most of the playhouse gang is there including Phil Hartman as Cap'N Karl. any P.W. Herman fan worth his/her/it's salt needs to have this in their collection.