Pee-wee Herman's Rise, Fall and Rise

Phenomenon
The Pee-wee character originated when Reubens was frustrated after failing an audition for the late-night sketch-comedy show Saturday Night Live. Reubens took matters into his own hands and started his own stage show based on a character he and SNL player Phil Hartman had been developing for a few years. The Pee-wee Herman Show was a huge success, selling out the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles for five months.

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