What's Hot From Spamalot 2/13

What's hot from Spamalot? Well, definitely not the weather. Flights have been delayed or canceled. But the show must go on. And we have a few hot items from the show to melt the worst snow storm!

• As most of you know, several Fox stations showed clips of Clay in Spamalot, along with a small bit of an interview. Now a montage of the Fox station clips in Atlanta, L.A., and Seattle has been put together and is available at YouTube (see video below). Separate videos are available for download at Clack Unlimited as follows:
  
  
  
  • Fox Atlanta
    
  • Fox L.A.
    
  • Fox Seattle
    
    
  • FoxNews.com also has the video online at their site. Just click on the link and a new window will pop up with the video on it.
    
    

• Here is a review from Ultratwinmom at The Clayboard:

  Hi everyone. I really don't know where to start except to say WOW! I had the most AMAZING experience on Friday, February 8. Not only did I have the opportunity to see Spamalot, but I also got to meet a fellow Clay fan from Seol, Korea. You all know her as pepita89 here on the MB. As you might have read the post from my friend usingmyvoice, I was really on the fence about going to see Spamalot. I am a tried and true fan of Clay and have been to every concert except for the AI2 tour and have traveled with my friend to NYC to see him at Regis and Kelly and GMA summer concert series. But I really wasn't sure that this musical was something I might like even before Clay was ever to appear in it. I love NYC and musicals no doubt about that, not to mention I love Clay, however my funds were low and my mother just had surgery and I have been helping with her long recovery.
  
  On Friday morning I got a call from my exceptionally good friend, usingmyvoice telling me that a very generous girl pepita89, had an extra ticket that she was offering free of charge to anyone who might be interested. Talk about someone being extremely excited! I made arrangements for a sitter, packed my bag and headed off to NYC to meet her and see Spamalot. I don't know which was more exciting, meeting a new friend through OMC or getting to see Spamalot with OMC performing. I must say it was a tie! Not only did I get the chance to meet this wonderful person, our seats were directly behind my friend and her dh! Talk about something that was meant to be. Now I had no idea about the show except that it was a Monty Python production and that it was going to be silly with dancing and singing. I have to say that I was laughing throughout all of the show and was quite impressed with Clay's performance. He was hilarious and really into his character or shall I say characters. He seemed to really be enjoying himself and never once did he falter or break out into laughter and I have no idea how he managed that! During the scene where he plays one of the drunken guards for prince Herbert, the other guard could not contain his laughter of Clay's antics. Clay received a lot of laughs throughout the show along with his other castmates. It was great to see people of all ages and even men, enjoying Clay's many talents which we have all known and experience all of these years. The entire cast was wonderful and Clay seemed to fit right in. I loved his enthusiasm and there was a sparkle in his eyes like this was something he meant to do. The best surprise of the night was that my friend usingmyvoice, was chosen as Best Peasent and got to go on stage with the cast!!! I was so glad I got to have the chance to see this for I had no idea that this happened in the show. What a wonderful night and experience I will always treasure !
  
  After the show, we went to the stage door and I could hardly contain my excitement, for I have never had the chance to receive anything autographed by him in person. A lot of the cast members came out of the door before Clay and everyone was cheering for each on of them. When Clay came outside he was all smiles and was kind to everyone and joking was with some of the fans. I got my playbill autographed by him and Sir Lancelot (aka Rick Holmes). I also got some great pictures that I would like to share with all of you but I have never done this before so I will probably send them a little later.
  
  Thanks for reading this and thanks to Clay for bringing wonderful new friends from all around the country and the world together. What a great thing to be a part of!

• Here's another review from Claymd4evr, also at The Clayboard. Both these reviews are fairly long, but they are quite interesting, so I think you will enjoy reading them.

  Saturday afternoon I had one of the highest seats in the balcony (J101) and could see Clay's every expression on stage with my binoculars. Since no one could be behind me, I was standing up for a better view, and the usherette offered me a booster so I would not have to get out of my chair. The theater was packed! Although I could not see much of the orchestra or mezzanine, there was only a vacant seat here or there in the balcony. There were folks of all ages with a goodly number of men, as well as teenage boys. Earlier, in the line in front of me, waiting to go in, were two young teen males with their dad who assured them he had seen the show twice and they would love it.
  
  At intermission, I tested the right balcony exit and found it opened right onto Shubert Alley so it was easy to speed down the stairs and get near the front of the line by the stage door just after the curtain call. Since I had seen the show just the night before (at that time the balcony was maybe half full - center section pretty full but lots of vacancies on the sides), I was thrilled to see the SRO crowd on Saturday. And they were so ENTHUSIASTIC - laughed at everything, caught every nuance. Must have been gratifying to the actors.
  
  Friday I was somewhat distracted trying to spot Clay in his various disguises but by Saturday I knew when to expect him and I really listened to the dialogue and the lyrics of the songs and caught lots of the humor I had previously missed. I strongly recommend that if you see the show, you see it more than once because you really have to listen to some of the bits because of the accents - though a lot of it is really raucous and easy to understand. Tom Deckman was Not Dead Fred & Prince Herbert on Saturday - and he was hilarious! I was so glad I got to see almost all of the regular cast, except for Hannah Waddingham, but Emily Hsu was fine, I thought.
  
  It was so exciting to get 2 Playbills signed on 2 successive days (there was not a big crowd at the stage door on Friday) and to see Clay up close and personal and so gorgeous! So sorry for the folks who came on Sunday & did not get to see him at the stage door, though they must have enjoyed an amazing show.
  
  Small bonus for being frugal: after the show, we stopped at the McDonald's on 8th Avenue just around the corner from the theater and who should I spot outside but Jerome with a McDonald's order, talking with someone and maybe WAITING for someone (?) Clay still had another show to do, so likely he was starved because HE WORKS VERY HARD on stage!
  
  Jerome very graciously allowed me to take his picture & I was able to leave a small gift for Clay with him before I joined my husband inside Micky D's for a post theater snack, So, even though the legendary Sardi's is directly across the street from the theater, and Junior's right next door, SOME FOLKS' tastes remain simple!

• NYCITYCLAYFAN adds the following about how the decision is made as to whether Clay and the other actors will come outside to sign autographs:

  Just wanted to add that when I spoke with Jerome last night after the show, he said it was the decision of the theater NOT to do the stage door and that NONE of the actors was coming out due to the icy conditions and concern for the safety of the fans as well as the people connected to the show. As a matter of fact, while we were standing there talking, we saw two people slip and fall while walking toward Juniors, so I'd say they made the right call. (BTW, both were ok, just a little wet and embarassed!)
  
  It wasn't Jerome's call last night and he said it was the same for Sunday. The theater has the final say. Just wanted to say that in case anyone was wondering who makes these decisions.