Sunday Stuff
3/1/26
On Sundays, we talk arts & leisure!
But first, some business:
Next Stop: Dallas, Texas
Venue: Ewing Oil Arts Palladium
Thurs, March 5, 2026, 8:00 pm.
Fri, March 6, 2026, 8:00 pm.
Sat, March 7, 2026, 2:00 & 8:00 pm.
Sun, March 8, 2026, 2:00 pm.
Come see us live and in-person!
Big Top Pee-Wee
“I like it here, it’s very beautiful.”
“So are you.”
“Thank you, you’re so sweet.”
“I know you are but what am I?”
“Oh, Pee-Wee … [giggles].”
“Say it, don’t spray it!”
Big Top Pee-Wee was the follow up to the box-office hit Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure. Alas, it was not a smash, finding much less success (commercially and critically) than its predecessor.
For Pee-Wee fans like myself, the film does elicit smiles but rarely evokes laughs.
The problems were myriad: none of the circus characters ever seem very interesting. Kris Kristofferson was horribly miscast as the ringmaster; his low energy does not match the irreverent tone.
The love story is played semi-seriously and feels out of place.
Pee-Wee’s best friend is a pig named Vance. He literally talks! His mouth doesn’t match the words, so it comes off as a strange, disembodied voice. And at times Vance sounds disturbingly like an orc from The Lord Of The Rings.
But the film’s ultimate flaw? We spend no time under the titular Big Top until the story’s final 10 minutes. The movie needed more performances and circus fun.
Of course, it’s not all bad! The finale does have some good stuff, like this climatic scene:
A much more rewarding film is the documentary Pee-Wee as Himself. It allows Paul Reubens to speak candidly about his time as Pee-Wee Herman, recounting the highs and lows of life as that character.
Some of the best moments are when Paul is caught bickering with the director. I found those reactions to be quite interesting and revealing. His charm would curdle a little, allowing an irascible side to come to the forefront:
Listening to him explore his creative life was equally fascinating, as he pieced together the diverse elements that coalesced into the Pee-Wee character. He also addresses the famous controversies of his later years:
Paul Reubens remains a true one-of-a-kind, and that is something we’ll always celebrate around these parts.
Question: I wonder if Humberto the Human Cannonball has a girlfriend? I’m his number one fan!
-Francine Allamond, Lancaster, PA
Our Performer’s Answer:
My dearest Francine,
I have found love in every corner of the globe, in every single continent on Earth.
Yes, even Antarctica.
For when you know that each performance could be your last?
Such knowledge heightens all pleasures of the human senses.
Perhaps you and I can arrange a meet-and-greet later in the year? When our tour reaches the northeastern United States.
I would be charmed to make your acquaintance.
And Francine, if you like?
Feel free to bring along a friend.
-Humberto HC
That brings the curtain down on another edition of Sunday Stuff. We’ll let our old pal Nancy wrap things up for today.
Have a great week! May you always wander toward the wonder.
