Playbill Yearbook

We need to go to Playbill.com to get their latest yearbook, LOL, it has some Clay comments. Thanks to angelcat4jc we got the scoop.

angelcat4jc from the Clayboard bought the Playbill yearbook and there were several remarks about Clay entered.
I ordered this book when I ordered the new playbill with the new Bio along with a Spamalot mug from www.playbill.com.

It's called "The Playbill Broadway Yearbook-June 2007 to May 2008. It's a really great book and it was around $25.00.

Lots of Clay mentions in the Monty Python's Spamalot section, of course.

There's 8 pages on Spamalot.

The first page is what is usually in the playbill. It shows the front of the playbill, the list of Cast of Characters, the main title page with SAM S. SHUBERT THEATRE at the top and it has Jonathan Hadary, Hannah Waddingham, Clay Aiken as the starring roles. There's a picture of Clay/Robin holding the chicken and a picture of Chris Seiber (Galahad) and Hannah (LOTL) next to Clay's picture.

The 2nd page has the Scenes & Musical Numbers listed and Cast Continued (standbys, understudies, swings, dance, and orchestra) listed. Sean McDaniel is listed under orchestra/Drums.

The 3rd and 4th pages are the cast pictures like what is in the playbill from the Spring with Clay's picture of him with the bangs. It even has pictures of the crew including the director, choreographer, Eric Idle, John Du Prez, all the way to the standbys and producers and the actors who played the main parts before Clay got there. Clay is the 3rd picture, so he is prominently featured.

The 5th page has a continuation of the photos and a group picture of the crew, including, I think, Clay's dresser, Shannon?

The 6th page is a group picture of the Front of House staff-the ushers and ticket takers. There is a separate picture of the box office guy, Craig Bowley. He is holding the Spamalot Sir Robin Clay pin and is wearing a Clay Aiken lanyard as well! The rest of the page lists the staff of Spamalot-general management, casting directors, make-up, stage managers, etc.

The 7th and 8th pages are the most fun-they are the "scrapbook" pages (plus continuation of the Spamalot staff list). The scrapbook "correspondent" is Hannah. She answers questions about different things that happen backstage and her experiences. Some highlights include Clay mentions:

Most exciting celebrity visitor and what they did/said: Glenn Close. She didn't come to see me, she came to see Clay Aiken. I had just joined the show and I didn't realize she was there until I came out to the water cooler for a drink. When I saw her I did a quadruple take and spilled my water all over the floor. She came over to me and said, "I hear you're the new Lady of the Lake. I'm sure everybody will love you. Have a wonderul time in New York." I felt like I'd been ordained!
"Easter Bonnet" Sketch: Ours consisted of Clay Aiken and I singing "The Prayer" one night; Bradley Dean and I the next. We sang it very seriously while Lee Wilkins, dressed as The Flying Nun, rolled around us on roller skates.
Favorite In-theatre Gathering Place: There's really no place backstage at the Shubert. It's quite crowded. While Clay was here my dressing room became the hangout place. We would sit and gossip to each other. It's the first one on the main level and it gets a lot of traffic. Jim Woolley redecorated it like a Barbie caravan home: pink curtains, lots of greenery and flowers. It's absolutely revolting--but I love it. It's like a 12-year-old's bedroom.
Favorite Off-Site Hangout: The Westway Diner on Ninth Avenue. Everyone goes there between shows because they have really good food. (has anyone tried this place?)
Memorable Press Encounter: The show asked Clay Aiken, Jonathan Hadary and I to take pictures of us in full costumes--but for some reason wearing 3D glasses. And I just thought, "Christ!"
Memorable Stage Door Fan Encounters: Clay Aiken's fans were very full-on but lovely. They were so embracing of the rest of us as well. Even afer he left the show, I still get flowers and cookies from them, saying they liked me in the show as well.
Fastest Costume Change: Clay, out of Robin into Brother Maynard in the space of just a few lines.
Busiest Day at the Box Office: Clay Aiken's opening and closing nights. I would liken them to Wembley Arena with Elvis in the building.
Memorable Directorial Note/Tale from a Put-in: During the put-in for Clay and me, Mike Nichols said, "Don't try to get laughs on every line. It's very cheap and it's like paying for sex: ultimately unsatisfying." There was slight hiatus and then all of us wet ourselves.
Another Tale from a put-in: The next put-in was for Bradley Dean as Galahad. The only person who has to wear a costume during a put-in is the new person and Bradley was so embarrassed. So, to help, all of us dressed up in 1980's outfits: The boys all looked like something from Flashdance and the girls were all in leg warmers and hideously big dangly earrings. Great fun. (That's the pic Clay showed Jimmy on his show in May.)