Pee Wee Forever!

by Chris Narloch

At the ripe old age of 59, my extended adolescence is officially over, now that Pee Wee Herman has passed. The immortal man-child character created by the brilliant actor Paul Reubens turned out to be mortal after all.

Reubens, who died recently at age 70 after a private battle with cancer, may be gone, but Pee Wee Herman will live on in our hearts forever.

Previous generations of children had the super-sweet but much more sedate Mr. Rogers. Pee Wee was the hip alternative – a character who appealed to children of all ages with his sunny disposition and a healthy dose of sarcastic sass. (“I know you are, but what am I?” was a favorite catch phrase.)

Reubens’ hilarious hit movie from 1985, “Pee Wee’s Big Adventure,” is inarguably one of director Tim Burton’s finest films, and his long-running Saturday morning children’s show, “Pee Wee’s Playhouse,” won 22 Emmy Awards over the course of its run.

As the tributes poured in after Reubens’ death, I saw on TV that a clever fan had placed a pair of white platform shoes on Pee Wee’s sidewalk star in Hollywood. I smiled through my tears as I pictured Pee Wee up in heaven doing his classic Tequila dance on the bar, for all of eternity.

Do Not Miss Music Circus This August Ragtime The Musical Plus Richard Lewis

by Chris Narloch

Broadway At Music Circus is the place to be this August for the last two shows of this summer’s season, plus an allstar celebration of the amazing career of Mr. Broadway Sacramento himself, Richard Lewis.

Ragtime

With music by Stephen Flaherty, lyrics by Lynn Ahrens, and a book by Terrence McNally, and based on the acclaimed 1975 novel of the same name, this sweeping musical portrait of early twentieth century America tells the story of three families in pursuit of the American Dream.

An award-winning creative team brought E.L. Doctorow’s distinguished novel to life on Broadway, winning universal acclaim, including four 1998 Tony Awards and five Drama Desk Awards.

Race and class collide in this very timely classic musical drama, performing through Sunday, August 13, at UC Davis Health Pavilion in Sacramento. Go to: www.broadwaysacramento.com/broadway-at-music-circus

An All-Star Concert Celebration

After devoting his entire career to Broadway Sacramento, President & CEO Richard Lewis has decided to retire. To honor his extraordinary tenure of service, ten Broadway and Broadway At Music Circus stars have been invited to perform at this one night only benefit concert.

You don’t want to miss this unique opportunity to experience Tony, Drama Desk and Olivier Awardwinning actors, performing songs from some of your favorite musicals in the intimate UC Davis Health Pavilion.

This very special event, which benefits Broadway Sacramento’s musical theatre productions and arts education programs, will also feature an array of delicious food and Northern California wines and beers—and it’s all included in the ticket price.

You are cordially invited to join Zonya Love, Jason Graae, James T. Lane, Lesli Margherita, Ken Page, Faith Prince, James Snyder, Max Von Essen, and Teal Wicks, on Thursday, August 31, 2023. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for food and beverage service, and the concert begins at 7:00 p.m.

For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit: www.broadwaysacramento.com/support/all-star-concert