Pee-wee Herman ready for his stage comeback

12:30 PM, August 10, 2009

Get ready: That famous red bow tie, too-tight gray suit and unmistakable voice are back.

Pee-wee Herman, the '80s television man-child icon, is returning to the spotlight. "The Pee-wee Herman Show," starring Paul Reubens, will have a limited engagement run from Nov. 19 to 29 at the Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood.

"I've put part of him away for a long time but part of him has always been here with me," the soft-spoken actor said in an interview today. "I think it will be like riding a bike -- which is not a bad analogy for Pee-wee, by the way."

The new stage production is a "re-imagined" version of Herman's past theatrical outings, according to promoters. The original version of the show debuted at the Groundlings Theatre in 1981 before playing at L.A.'s Roxy Theatre for five months. The production then went on a 22-city tour that included New York's Carnegie Hall.

The new production will feature Pee-wee regulars, including Miss Yvonne, Mailman Mike, Cowboy Curtis and Jambi the Genie. Audiences can also count on appearances by Pee-wee's talking chair, Chairry, and his friend Pterri, the pterodactyl.

Previews for the show begin at the Music Box on Nov. 8 and tickets go on sale Tuesday. Jared Geller and David J. Foster are producing the show.

Reubens, whose run-ins with the law over the years eclipsed his acting achievements, has branched out into serious films over the years, including supporting roles in "Blow" and the upcoming "Nailed" and "Life During Wartime."

Check back later on Culture Monster for more about Pee-wee's return to the stage.