What's Hot From Spamalot 2/19
Another day and more hot stuff from Spamalot!
- First, a new Clay Aiken's Blog question for you:
2.18.08: Are you a Monty Python fan?
If you've missed the first six questions asked of Clay, you can also find them at this site.
Until about three months ago, I thought Monty Python was a person. No Lie. It wasn’t until I first saw Spamalot that I was even exposed to Monty Python. But, in learning more about it and being exposed to the Python humor, I can totally see why people have been captivated by it for so many years. It really is a special sort of comedy all its own, but it really has stood the test of time. I know that people who laughed at Monty Python in the seventies are still laughing at it today. And, more importantly, a whole new generation has been able to experience it through this show, and they laugh just as hard! - Broadway Grosses - Spamalot Spamalot gross sales increased 12.4% from the week of 2/10 to 2/17. Total gross sales for February 10 were $623,348 and for February 17, $826,303. The following graph shows the sales since the beginning of the year:
- I'm growing to love the fan reviews more and more, and here's a great one from hippoga at the Clayboard:
I feel like I was in touch with The Clayboard through intermission reports this past weekend but I still wanted to share a brief (will try to be brief!) recap of a wonderful, long weekend in NYC! We arrived on Thursday Feb 14th and spent our Valentine Day evening at the stage door. It was fun to start our trip seeing "streetclothes Clay" with fans and friends just the same way I saw him the last time I was in NYC at the CBS Early Show in Decemer 2005. He was even wearing the same puffy, black coat! I had him sign my homemade Sir Robin bear!
Our first show was Friday night Feb 15th. We spent the first part of the day on a bus tour of NYC and we wondered when we passed by the UN if that was where Clay went for UNICEF meetings. Then off to left side Row D seats directly under Clay in the tower! I just read a report that talked about "besotted Claymates" and I am not ashamed to say that's what I was throughout this first show! I've seen Spamalot on tour so I had a point of reference and knew when I would see Clay. He was "spot on" as the British say! A hilarious guard with lots of scientifc knowledge and then a confused "dead collector" who didn't have quite the right idea of what a knight was! I found that I could not use my binoculars because I needed to see his whole body. Every movement and gesture was perfect for whatever character he was portraying.
I laughed and laughed at the whole play and enjoyed it completely. Clay's dancing was so much fun-whether in a group number with the ensemble or doing the hula or quick steps in his show-stopping number by himself. Of course we know Clay is a comedian from his concerts but I loved the laughs from the audience and after how well he "soils his pants", I may never think of the "pants of perfection" quite the same again! LOL!! How could it be over so soon? I was just grinning and so delighted in how much I loved him...and the show! Somehow we made it to the stage door in time and I was able to get my Playbill signed and get an Aiken wink! He was being snarky to the girl beside me because someone had said you could see him breathing in his "death scene" and he winked at me....and I swear I have no memory of this but in the video I winked back!! I also asked him if the UNICEF offices were at the UN and he said not anymore and gave their new address.
I arrived in NYC with tickets to three shows and our second show was the Saturday matinee. We were now right side row B and I was on the aisle. A wonderful seat! And now I really appreciated how much "in character" Clay is throughout the show.
He and Lance sing "we'll have girlfriends by the score" when they go off to be knights and I loved watching Clay around the lovely ladies at Camelot. I think he even leered at a nun! And at his dancing Jewish ladies! So funny! This was the show when he lost one of his coconuts in the second half. It came off the string and went into the orchestra pit! Clay still rode his horse just fine! How could it be OVER so soon!!?? I had some photos of all the cast members and got quite a few autographs after the show.
OK-now we have decisions to make. To enjoy other sites and plays while in the big Apple....or see Clay again? Well, that took about one second and I was online buying a blocked view seat right side on row A for Saturday night! I could see everything I wanted to see except for Clay on the piano in his solo. I thought about asking King Arthur to move a bit but thought better of it! Now in this seat, I could really see but couldn't quite "lip read" the little comments Clay makes throughout the play to his fellow knights and Patsy while in character. I loved how he petted his "horse" when he dismounted at the French castle. Yep, besotted Claymate who loved everything he did checking in! He was right in front of me in his top hat and tails in the finale and that was a mighty fine sight to behold, too! One of my friends wanted me to get her Playbill signed this night while she took pictures so I did get him to sign it but I wasn't quick enough reaching back for it and he threw it in the crowd!!! The little turkey!!! I grabbed one of the photos I had in my purse and reached out as far as I could and yelled "I lost her Playbill, she will kill me!" and he reached back, took the photo and signed it! She was happy with the signed picture (or I would have given her my Playbill!) and I am still alive and writing this "brief" report!
Sunday morning at breakfast with my new Canadian friend, she mentioned that she was going to that matinee, too. In about two seconds this time, I was off with her to the box office and got a standing room ticket for the Sunday matinee. I was dead center and could use my binoculars! Clay from head to toe was a perfect fit in the view! I really enjoyed seeing the whole play from the center. I could see Clay when he was moving and dancing in the ensemble numbers all the time. I also saw Clay break character for the ONLY time of the whole weekend including the lost coconut! The knight who said "Ni" added Kosovo independence to his speech and the audience roared and he ad-libbed some more. King Arthur totally lost his composure and Clay NEVER grinned big enough to show teeth but he was really struggling to stay in character and a couple of BIG smiles played over his face! SO CUTE! I think this was the performance when he was told to "skip a bit" that he actually turned a page in the "Book of Armaments" but I 'm not sure but he did turn it one time! SRO is also a great "seat" for getting to the stage door! So I got my program signed!
Can it possibly be Sunday night already!!?? Back on the left side, row E. Met new Clayboard friends and was sitting directly across the aisle from Quiana and Roger W. New friends had met friends and family of Christopher Siebert (Sir Galahad) and they said he said after two weeks "Clay owned the role". This made us grin from ear to ear! I tried to memorize every movement at this show. "Migratory" and "regulations" were two of my favorite pronunciations Clay did with his "Geiko lizard inspired" accent! Clay is Sir Robin. That's all you can say. He IS that timid fellow who loves singing and dancing and chasing the ladies! I could listen to him exclaim "Oh yes" all day when he learns they are to put on a musical! And his speech about the special people who are on Broadway had the audience rolling in the aisles! This Sunday night crowd just loved him....can we call them "besotted" too, perhaps?
I am so glad Sir Robin found his Grail at the end! YIKES, I just realized I never mentioned his dimwitted comments about the Holy Grail/vessel being a boat/dinner cruise!! OH, so funny, especially when the cymbal clangs and he looks in the orchestra pit. I could lipread him saying "that makes no sense" (I think) from my close seat! It was very nice of Clay to sign autographs that night since it was raining. I have never enjoyed a walk in the rain back to the hotel until that night! I was grinning and looking on the "bright side of life" and trying to figure out a way to get back closing weekend!
Sorry for this long story!
I have enjoyed reading recaps of folks who have seen the show several times and how they say he has grown into the role and how his dancing is so effortless. I can add that he was a great ensemble member when he was part of the ensemble and he was a show-stopping soloist when he was on his own! I bet learning the bottle dance did make him sore! LOL! But he also crouches down very far when riding his slow motion horse (a nice view from the front row!!!) and that was probably tough on the muscles, too! Here is my only "original" contribution! I don't think we've seen what lies BEHIND the Shubert Theater stage door.... - This is a great review by Bubbles1904 at The Clayboard. Of special interest is her comments about Christopher Sieber (Sir Galahad) and the great things he had to say about Clay.
I sat next to a good friend of Christopher's at Saturday's evening show. He was very friendly and I asked if he had seen the show before.
After reading this, I have to say that I have been so impressed with how the people on Broadway have opened their arms to Clay. They treat him so kindly, and it is especially noticable when you compare it to how some people in the music industry have treated him. In Christopher's case, any preconceived ideas disappeared immediately when he got to know Clay and saw what a great guy he is. Even those in the Broadway audience are so open to accepting Clay for the great talent that he is! And its about time!!! This has to make Clay feel so good and so welcomed. And it gives me such a warm feeling inside. Thank you Broadway!!
That's when he mentioned they (he and wife I assume) were good friends of Christopher's from way back and were here to see it again. We talked a bit and then the show started. He was loving it, all parts. At intermission, the wife stayed behind when he went out and we talked a bit. I mentioned my sister and I were here because we were big fans of Clay. It was then that she started talking about what a great guy Clay was. They had met him back stage before that day. She had so many wonderful things to say about Clay but I couldn't write them all down to remember them. The one word I keep remembering is that Clay is so "humble". And she mentioned how great he is with the families and people around there. They had a friend with kids that they were taking backstage and I think that was the kind of thing she was talking about, how good Clay is with kids (as we all know very well.) She talked about Christopher and how he came over from the London show with Hannah because Hannah was nervous coming over here by herself. He'll only be in the show for 6 weeks and then on to do Shrek but I think he and Clay have connected and will stay friends. 
She mentioned that Christopher came over expecting to not really like Clay because of how Clay got on the show, not being on Broadway ever before and he figured Clay would have an attitude. That's where the humble kept coming in. He was so impressed with Clay from the very start and told her that within the first 2 weeks of the show, Clay owned the part of Sir Robin. And that's coming from someone who has been in Spamalot for a long time and knows what the part entails. I was so excited to hear this. They have really connected and have a blast now. Clay is so unassuming and not affected by all that he has accomplished in the past 5 years. I'm sure Christopher had expected it would have all gone to Clay's head. He was impressed by what a great guy Clay is. (All he would have had to do is just ask us, right?) I was just so excited to have talked to her and learned all about the expectations they had about Clay.
I also mentioned we had come to town because it was my birthday and we wanted a Clay weekend for my birthday. She said, Oh we should see if we can get her backstage. I about flipped. They were going backstage with their friend and her kids and must have someone working backstage. A younger man came out at half time looking for them. She asked him if could see if we(my sister and I) could come backstage with them. He did check it out but said there was already a lot of people going backstage so they couldn't do it. It really would have been amazing but I was really just thrilled that she even thought of it. I was happy with all the good words she had about Clay. My sister was to the left of me and sort of heard what the lady was saying and was getting butterflies just thinking about it. Does make for an exciting evening. I still had half a show to watch which of course was wonderful. Everyone has recapped things so well I won't go into thatbut I really loved watching Guard Clay being so serious while the other Guard was cracking up. I can still hear things in my head. Just wish they'd make a DVD so I can watch it over and over.
A couple other things about our weekend. My sister had never been in NYC so we did the double decker bus tour and looked around a bit. We were watching for Spamalot signs on the busses but figured they had been changed by now. Then she caught one bus with the sign. It was exciting to see. Took a few pictures but they ones here already are better than mine. The last day we went to Grand Central Station before heading to the airport. Our hotel was The Roosevelt on 45th at Madison and only a block and a half from Grand Central. Was great to look around. I was taking pictures just cause I'd never been there before.
Haven't taken the subway either so went in where the subway was and suddenly stopped. There were huge Spamalot poster with the "What a Difference a Clay Makes!" on them. When people get off the subway, they see Clay. How exciting. There was one along one side with 2 other posters and in another spot, 2 Spamalots along with other posters.
I did get my Playbill signed by Clay and took a few pictures after the shows. Not sure how to get them on here but others are soooo very good, not sure mine are that exciting. Just exciting for me to know I was close enough to get pictures.
Hope this wasn't too long. It was a great weekend. Only saw 2 shows but would love to get to others. Wish I lived closer. Enjoy the show. Hope everyone gets to see it at least once. After seeing it, all the recaps bring visuals to my mind and smiles to my face. Thanks for listening.
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