What's Hot From Spamalot
Another weekend, and so with four shows, there is plenty of hot stuff to report from Spamalot. Let's start with a few recaps from fans. All recaps come from The Clayboard.
- Our first recap is from Kimberlyclay:
Coming down from the Aiken fog. OMG I have never laughed soooooooooooo hard in my life. I took my mom, sister and aunt with me to see the show Friday night and they are still laughing and singing the songs today! There wasn't a scene in this play that you did not laugh at. When Clay appeared in his first scene as the guard going on about the coconuts, I was a goner. Whenever he soils his pants, it's priceless!
The "YWSOB" scene is incredible. When that leg stretches out for the bottle dance - WOAH!!!!!!!!! Then together they glide across that stage and your mouth just drops open and you find yourself saying "oh baby".
My favorite scene was when he played the drunken guard. I don't know what set off the other guard, but he could not stop laughing. When he notices the ribbons and he looks at them with such fascination, my sister and I were crying we were laughing so much.
But, you know what makes this gratifying? The one thing that Simon criticized him for every week is what makes his characters funny - that's his FACIAL EXPRESSIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As you all know, he did not do the stage door. But while we were waiting, we talked to so many nice NJU's and Claymates that it felt like we were all old friends. But that just goes to show you "one man can make a difference!!!!!!!! Anyone that has a show coming up - YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THE TIME OF YOUR LIFE!!! - Clayola8 tells us:
I am not very good at writing recaps but I just had to post how much fun my hubby, SingToMeClay (my daughter Katy), and I had at the matinee yesterday! Clay was simply amazing! My daughter and I never took our eyes off of Clay for a second. Oh, I take that back. Katy noticed the large hand holding the Grail that was being held by the Lady of the Lake at one point and motioned for me to look too. Clay is simply perfection in this play but I must admit that my favorite part of the afternoon was the fan pictures after the play. We were seated in the Mezzanine for the play and then we moved to the second row Orchestra for the pictures. Clay is breathtakingly handsome up close and I love to see Clay being Clay. He was so sweet with every person having their picture taken with him. At one point a large group of young teens of both boys and girls went up to have their picture taken with him. There were so many of them that it threw him enough that he left the stage until they had all positioned themselves for the picture. When he came back to join them he was his usual sweet self. He said hello to all of them and then asked them where they wanted him to stand. They positioned him right in the middle. Instead of one picture he had them take at least three. I was somewhat nervous after the pictures were taken because for a few minutes I couldn`t see Clay because they were all around him shaking his hand. But they were all polite and calm and our honey reappeared with that glorious smile on his face.
We went back and forth for weeks before going trying to decide whether we could go or not. I am so glad we finally decided to take the plunge. It was an experience that we will never forget. Get thee to Spamalot if you possibly can. You will not regret it.
I just remembered another really funny thing. Before the show we bought Clay T-shirts , magnets, and pins for Katy and me. Before the show Katy and I went to the ladies room. While we were waiting ,Katy decided she wanted to put on here new Clay Spam T-shirt. So she pulled the shirt over her head and pulled the shirt down under the shirt she was wearing. Everyone in line watched her with smiles on their faces as she managed to get her Clay shirt on and her other shirt off so quickly. Houdini would have been impressed. - Lilred gives this report from Mom11 at Clayversity:
QUOTE(Mom11 @ Apr 20 2008, 12:49 PM) Just had a quick pre-matinee call from dksfriend:
She said that when she picked up her ticket the guy at the ticket window had on a Clay lanyard - she said sort of like the ones we would get at concerts. He also had on a Clay as Sir Robin button - I guess those are for sale at the theater.
Hannah is out today. She saw Tom Deckman and Brad Oscar arriving at the theater around 1:30 pm - cutting it close! Lots of Clay fans there this afternoon. She says it's fun to watch them all checking the board to see who's out and talking to the security guards. Just one big family!! She'll call me back at intermission.
QUOTE(Mom11 @ Apr 20 2008, 03:37 PM) After show report from dksfriend
She hadn't seen the show since February and was amazed at how much better Clay was - especially wowed by YWSOB. She thought it was great when she saw it before but couldn't get over how much better it is now. Oh wow! And she noticed how much more he was talking while on stage.
No auction. Pix were Clay, Rick and Tom for $300. She estimates about 40 or more people in line. Very efficient. Jerome was loading the camera. They were whisking people right along , but everyone was treated very cordially. Some were having pix taken with 2 or more people in the photo.
The peasant was a fan that she recognized and the peasant DID shake Clay's hand.
She was calling while watching the picture taking. The audience can stay and watch, but very strict about no cameras from the audience.
There were lots of high school kids in the upper levels today
And may I add that Spamalot from Jan 18 - May 4, 2008 could be the most carefully scrutinized Broadway show ........ever!! - From NYCityClayFan:
DD and I decided last night to go to the matinee today. We lucked out online and were able to get 3rd row seats!
The show was great as usual and just a few things that happened that I thought I would point out. Anthony Holds (Rick's replacement) was good as Lancelot and Tim the Enchanter. He did a decent job as the French Taunter, but I felt that he rushed his lines. Other than that he was fine. I loved his take on the leader of the Knights of Ni - his "5,6,7,8 - and then singing the Chipmunk song" was hysterical!!! Especially when he did it several times and then started to count and then said "just kidding!" He had Tom trying not to laugh and David Hibbard was smiling quite a bit too!
One thing happened that I hadn't read anywhere else and thought was funny. Clay messed up when playing Chopsticks. He started out with playing the wrong keys and you could tell he realized it but kept going and hit a few more clunkers before he turned around on the bench but looked a bit sheepish and looked like he wanted to shrug his shoulders and say ooops. Instead he just stared us all down and then finished his bit at the piano, with yet another bad note on the piano, but when he stood up to do the foot stomp he had such a look of determination (and damned if he didn't look hot up there) and he was awesome during the bottle dance!
Emily Hsu was there as TLOTL. I saw the show the other night when Jenny Hill replaced Hannah and I do have to say that both women have their strengths and weaknesses playing the part. Emily has a stronger voice, but I loved the faces that Jenny made while singing. I just guess I'm spoiled by Hannah.
I love that Clay braided the ribbons on the pike and the total look of concentration was the funniest thing I had ever seen during that part of the show! He's still making it fresh and interesting each and every time I see it. The true mark of a comedic talent!
I'm still trying to figure out how Tom Deckman can bend backwards so far and not fall over! He had us in stitches!
I was totally expecting Jonathan (King Arthur) to give the speech about BC/EFA, and was surprised when Clay gave it instead (but in a good way!). He was very good at trying to get everyone to give big and he had people eating out of his hand.
No auction this afternoon, but they did sell the $40 signed playbills and $100 signed posters again and the pictures went for $250 and were with just Clay. My daughter begged, pleaded and whined about getting a picture and I wasn't going to
give in, but in the end she said she wanted to do a mother/daughter one since she saw that more than one person could be in the picture at the same time, so we got into the line and did it. She was beyond thrilled! When we went on stage, Clay held out his hand to her and asked her name, then said hello and then did the same with me. He then put one of us on each side and put his arms around us and we took the picture. He then thanked us for helping out. Needless to say it was her first time meeting Clay and you could tell how happy she was. David Hibbard was helping out by putting the pictures into the signed photo holders and he stopped to say hello too.
Outside she got her picture taken with Anthony Holds as well as getting him to sign her Playbill. David came out a few minutes later and she got him to sign, too.
Since Clay has not been coming out the stage door these days, I thought we would stroll down memory lane with some of my favorite pictures at the stage door from the last couple of months. Hope you enjoy!!
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