Industry

Pee-wee’s Playhouse 40th Anniversary Celebration Ignites Greek Theatre Audience

The Netflix Is a Joke festival launched with a vibrant 40th-anniversary tribute to "Pee-wee's Playhouse" at L.A.'s Greek Theatre, featuring comedians and musicians honoring the beloved Saturday morning children's show.

Variety Music·May 7, 2026·via Variety Music

Pee-wee’s Playhouse 40th Anniversary Celebration Ignites Greek Theatre Audience

- Home - Music - News

May 6, 2026 5:08pm PT

Greek Theater Audience Loves ‘Pee-wee’s Playhouse 40th Anniversary’ Show So Much, They Want to Marry It

Danny Elfman, Devo and the B-52s were among the guests joining host Patton Oswalt at the opening night of the Netflix Is a Joke festival.

By Chris Willman

Plus Icon

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

ChrisWillman

Latest

- Brandi Carlile Set to Join Austin City Limits Hall of Fame, With Bonnie Raitt Inducting and Singing in Tribute, in ‘ACL’ Season Kickoff (EXCLUSIVE) 10 hours ago

- Noir Restorations and Rarities Lead the Way at the 2026 Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival in Palm Springs 1 day ago

- Pussycat Dolls Cancel Reunion Tour in North America After ‘Taking an Honest Look’ at Weak Ticket Sales 2 days ago

See All

- - - - - -

- - - - - - -

It was an “I know you’re bittersweet, but what am I?” evening. The annual Netflix Is a Joke festival kicked off Monday night at L.A.’s Greek Theatre with a “Pee-wee’s Playhouse 40th Anniversary” show , featuring comics and musicians paying tribute to a Saturday morning kids’ show — or was it — that they grew up on or, in some cases, worked on.

The main musical attractions were the B-52s , Devo, Danny Elfman and Puddles Pity Party, taking turns fronting a 10-piece big band led by Mark Mothersbaugh — and with Fred Armisen on drums — that nimbly navigated between exotica and some fairly fierce garage-rock. The comics performing, many of whom skewed toward the younger side of the Netflix-comedy-special scale, included Sheng Wang, Michael Carbonaro, Julio Torres and Patti Harrison.