Starting off the show with getting the audience to join him in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance was a clever device to set the tone for the next hour-and-a-half. It forced me to feel a lot smaller, a lot younger. I was primed for anything he had to offer.
But it wasn't as much the set, the original puppets, cartoon screening or all the gags we're used to that made such a big impression for this participant. It was the sheer amount of loving and appreciative energy that began BEFORE the curtain even went up to reveal the set. When Reubens hit the stage, the adoration came forth from admirers like a wave of great warmth; like huge empathy and apology for all the career-challenging stops that Reubens has been forced to confront since the conservative social climate ate him alive and removed a real comic talent from our culture.
The experience felt like a kind of vindication of sorts and done with so much cleverness that I almost forgot I was having as much fun as I was. In general I HATE feeling 'pushed' to go along with everyone in the room and join in on a gag. But with this show, I didn't mind any of that part at all. When the secret word, "fun" was said throughout, it felt like relief rather than an effort to join in. Reubens rocks. Now give him more film work.