What's Hot From Spamalot 2/09

Some fun stuff for you today here at What's Hot from Spamalot.

• First, here's a great review from ClaysFayevorite at The Clayboard:

  ...She and Claylily unexpectedly happened upon some FRONT ROW seats this week so they headed to NYC for the day. They were all excited about the new Clay shirt, button, and rectangular magnet with the shirt picture on it. She said the theater was full, as far back as she could see into the balcony, mostly NJU, lots of men. The woman next to her was not a fan, had not seen Clay since AI, but was very impressed with his performance. She had seem Spamalot before Clay's run began and seem to like his performance better. They thought Clay was again very animated, so much more so than when he began the show. Sitting on the floor (at Camelot) he was rocking out, stamping his feet, really into it and enjoying himself. When the CanCan dancer comes up behind him, just before "RunAway", he let out a loud "Whoop!" Right after "...I have to push the pram alot" , when the girls come out of the prams, he said "Come to Daddy, Baby!" She said during the guard scene, right after " ifififummm, ifififififummm.." he kept "puffing" his lips out. She said Tom (Prince Herbert) was very funny in the castle scene. He kept making faces until Lancelot cracked up and couln't deliver his lines. They were disappointed that Hannah wasn't there again. At the curtain call he was all over the place, once again, hopping, jumping up and down, just rockin'! The Knights of Ni sang "Rehab". At the stage door he was wearing blue sweat pants with a white stripe and a very bright green hoodie. She said even though the theater was filled, there were not as many people at the stage door ( guessed it was because it was mostly NJU in the theater). Oh, she did say that Clay got a wonderful reception from the mostly NJU crowd (EEE!!!) He told them at the stage door that he would sign one thing for each person. She couldn't tell if the person in C101 who was called to the stage was a fan or not, she seemed to freeze when Clay tried to give her the picture and he had to prompt her to "take it, take it". He didn't shake her hand.

• A couple of days ago, Clay introduced us to his "Dresser". Yep, that caused some commotion! And he did after all tell us to "spread the word" on the boards! Well, thanks to dardar1126 at the CB, here are a couple of great articles about "dressers", the people who help the cast change into their various outfits. Not the glamorous job you might think it is!
  
  The Dresser, By Peter Filichia - Here's an excerpt:

  As for the job itself, Fleming reports that some actors are neat and take off their costumes very carefully, but others carelessly leave them inside out or with a shoe stuck up a pant leg. "Sometimes that's because of the ferocity and quickness of their changes," he admits, "but sometimes it's the actor's temperament. Most of the time, though, they take off their things nicely, so I have time to fold them, put them in the basket, take them downstairs and hang them up."
  
  The fastest change he's ever had to do? "Jekyll & Hyde on the road," he moans. "Twenty seconds to get Philip Hoffman from a suit into a tuxedo. The tux was rigged," he confesses, "hooked together with sewn-together pants attached to the vest, and under the vest was a fake shirt. Most of the time, audiences actually see a real suit, unless something has to happen quickly. That's when we cut things apart." Velcro is not used as much as we might think -- "because it makes a loud ripping sound we wouldn't want the audience to hear."

  Meet The Dresser by David Finkle - Another excerpt:

  But real-life dressers abound on Broadway, and it's far from a glamorous job. These people work arduously in obscurity for a union rate (Local 764 in Manhattan) of $92 per show....At this point, Lugo dresses four of the women in the ensemble and assists on one other change, following what he and his colleagues know as "tracks." He explains that, "Backstage, everything is tracked from point A to point B to point C, like a train line. Your track is your physical movement backstage. You do a pre-set of a costume, and you know you then have to dress an actor for a quick change stage right. Then you have to help with a quick change stage left, and then you may have another change in the basement. We create areas in the theater where people can go to with a minimum of fuss."

• Windstar2 from The Clayboard remembered a hilarious line from one of the first shows back in January. You'll enjoy this!

  It was during the scene where Prince Herbert, Lancelot and Prince Herbert's dad are all up in Prince Herbert's room. Lancelot has just come to "rescue" what he thought was a damsel in distress but finds Herbert ... all dressed for his wedding. (White gown and pink slippers ... LOL!) Prince Herbert's dad is questioning Lancelot for killing his guards and some wedding guest (father of the bride and hurting the bride herself) and Prince Herbert tells Lancelot not to worry about his dad cause he has a rope to escape on. Prince Herbert throws the rope over the edge of the balcony and proceeds to climb over. Lancelot and Prince Herbert's dad keep talking about the fighting. Prince Herbert pops his head back up and tells Lancelot to hurry, or something, and then Prince Herbert's dad goes toward the rope, takes his knife out and cuts the rope and Prince Herbert falls. On this one performance, as Prince Herbert's dad is walking over to cut the rope, he said, "This Meet and Greet has gone on long enough." This either was said at the Saturday night performance on 1-26-08 or the Sunday afternoon performance on 1-27-08.

  By the way, for everyone's information, a Clay Aiken meet and greet NEVER goes on long enough!!
  
  
• Here's another review, this one from Claygal at The Clayboard:

  Spamalot cast rocked again, especially Sir Robin! Seeing the show from the last row in the orchestra, Row S, #109, had direct view of the stage and what's amazing is that I could even see all the foot work (for a short person). Clay was definitely on a "high" and he's projecting his lines with greater confidence than when I saw him during the opening night performances. Orchestra was packed with great audience response to just about every scene. Could hear some fans reaction to my right also. The loudest audience reaction I heard during his performances was when he started up with the "Bottle Dance". Timing was perfect! The lady sitting next to me was very familiar with Monty Phthon as she used to be a big fan she said in her teenage years. She recognized him during the idol days, so the line when he's introducing himself to the audience was very meaningful! Entering the theater took exceptionally long and people were still getting to their seats as the show opened. One guy passing us in line outdoors yelled out his approval with thumbs up for "Great Show"! Nice, good sized crowd at the stage door tonight and what was so exciting is that I finally got close enough to see him and get my progam signed! That's what I'll put in the frame that I purchased from Playbill. He looked good dressed only in his green sweatshirt, no coat. We were very lucky that it hadn't started raining yet as he started from the left side of the stage door where I was standing and by the time he had worked his way to the other side,drops started coming down, so Jerome signaled him to go in. There were still a lot of people standing on that side who were disappointed, but many cameras getting photos of him. I wonder when he actually gets to sleep as he seemed so energized during the finale and was the only one still jumping around as the curtain came down!!.......Merchandise--t shirt is very nice, so got one and there were magnets of the same photo. It just dawned on me that anyone that needs an umbrella could purchase one there exactly like the umbrella number for the song: "Look on the Bright Side of Life"! Signing off from NY Live with Spamalot! I feel invigorated even after having gotten up at 3A.M. Amazing to find a cure for depression! Oh, miss Hannah.

• And one final review, which will prove that one never knows for sure which seat will get picked to go onstage. This review is from Clayinct, also at The CB

  Our seats were row B 101-103, so my daughter Kim sat in 101, hoping she'd get picked to go on stage. Today was her 18th birthday -- so we could hope! There were Claymates and NJU around us. I said hello to Claylily, who was sitting in the first row. The people directly in front of us were also celebrating their son's birthday, so he sat in A101. When the show started I was waiting with baited breath for Clay's first scene -- and I have to say I have never laughed so hard in my life. My face hurt from laughing so much. He did such a good job in all the parts, making his voice sound different for each one. When he had his big number, you could really see the look of determination on his face during the bottle dance. Oh, and you could really hear his "come to daddy" during the Las Vegas type number. That made me really laugh!
  
  My husband's favorite part was when he played Brother Maynard -- I thought he'd never stop laughing! The other two performers I really liked were Patsy and Brother Herbert -- both of them did such good jobs! After the show was over, I let Kim run for the stage door and I joined her as soon as I could get there. She was able to get right up to the railing. Another lady waiting was also celebrating her birthday, and when Clay came out, Kim mentioned that to him, so he said "Happy Birthday" to them. After she got her playbill signed, I gave him the big program to sign and when getting it back, it almost hit Kim in the face and Clay made a comment about here it is your birthday, and you get hit upside the face! -- that made her day....
  
  ....Oh -- and Kim didn't get picked -- it was seat C101. We had warned the couple behind us when they sat down and the women did a great job hamming it up when she got picked. Too bad -- it would have been a great end to Kim's birthday!!

Tidbits 2/9

• RCA press release ... the usual Clay mention:

  RCA Records is home to superstar artists Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews Band, Foo Fighters, The Strokes, Velvet Revolver, Avril Lavigne, Clay Aiken, Kelly Clarkson, Daughtry, and more. RCA Music Group is part of Sony BMG Music Entertainment.

• Lancaster Eagle Gazette interviews Mandy Wilkins, a Clay Aiken fan and recipient of the prestigious Mary M. Good Humanitarian Award:

  On your nightstand there is a picture of ...
  
  "Clay Aiken with a pink bow. Everyone that knows me, knows my infatuation with him! Someday we will get married."

• Times News - random mention ... "But she did accompany me to the Super Bowl party and sat transfixed. She's a big football fan and I doubt if she'd have gone to the movies with either her celebrity heartthrob (Clay Aiken) or her idol (Miley Cyrus)."

• Nothing here yet
  

What's Hot From Spamalot 2/08

• What's hot today from Spamalot is the new Sir Robin merchandise...a blue t-shirt and a button, both with Sir Robin's picture on them! Thanks to CLAYMELIA2 at The Clayboard, we have pictures of both items:
  
  
  
  T-shirts are $25 and buttons are $5. Something tells me they are gonna sell like hotcakes!!
  
  Here's a great review for us about Friday night's show:
  
  
• From Pink Armchair at the CH:

  Nice full house tonight, and the general mood, it seemed to me, was much lighter and funnier, and the actors were a bit sillier. During the "Knights Who Say Ni" scene, the song they sang had something to do with Amy Winehouse and cocaine. And the Lady of the Lake inserted Posh Spice into her "diva" song, followed by their lyric "tell me what you want, what you really really want." And during the finale, Clay was hopping and skipping and jumping, with a big loony grin on his face. Very funny stuff!....
  
  ....Clay was just marvelous. He's seeming more comfortable all the time, and I thought his big number was hilarious. I really hope we get to see Hannah Waddingham tomorrow...I'm finding her replacement a bit (sorry to say this) underwhelming.
  
  Big crowd at the stage door tonight...Clay was very funny. When he first came out, a bunch of fans were gathered around Tom Deckman out in the alley and Rick Holmes (Lancelot) was still at the other end of the row, signing autographs for some squealing fangirls. Clay was jokingly dragging a pretty blonde dancer along with him, who laughingly fought him off and left in a hurry, giggling. Clay seemed very relaxed and in a good mood, and signed everything we put in front of him.

• Here's another review from d4kkkks at The Clayboard:

  The audience is almost the same as the other night. At the backstage door, group of excited teenagers added and Clay just play along with them while they are all shrieking while Clay is giving autographs. Usually I saw mostly groupie fans like me and now they are young generations screaming to Clay. I am so proud and happy while watching them.
  
  Clay really knows how to make you come back. He is really into every character he is portraying. Each day is different. I extended my Thursday show tonight and I am having a second thought of watching him again tomorrow during matinee show before leaving for work at night. He is really very entertaining. I can't get enough of him. I enjoy his facial animation and dancing most. I am so happy to see the audience positive reactions from fans and NJU. I am all the way back of the orchestra and laughing hysterically but no sound because I like to hear the audience reaction. At the end of the show I didn't realize Jerome is along behind me watching too.
  
  I did a little things to make Clay signing easier for him. And he said, " I like it! You came prepared". I just smile and said "Thank you". I was in front of him but I saw un umbrella of hands above me reaching for Clay' autographs. I saw Clay back up a little and said something funny before he autograph my Spamalot T-shirt. I walkathon to Port Authority to catch my 11pm Bus. What another wonderful night with Clay.

• From a blog called NYCLuvsNYC comes the following stage door pictures with this caption:

  Joining the list of American Idol alumni who become Broadway performers is recording-artist, CLAY AIKEN. He made his Broadway debut as Sir Robin in Monty Python's SPAMALOT at the Shubert Theatre (225 West 44th Street). He will be with the production through May 4, 2008. I made pictures of Mr. Aiken signing autographs for his enthusiastic fans at the stagedoor of the Shubert Theatre after this evening's performance.

  
  

Signed "Sir Robin" Broadway Bear On The Auction Block

A Sir Robin "Broadway Bear" is on the auction block at Broadway Cares. The bear is signed by Clay and his Spamalot predecessor David Hyde Pierce.

Sir Robin

SPAMALOT
2005
Signed by: David Hyde Pierce, Clay Aiken
Sir Robin ("not quite as brave as Sir Lancelot"...) has finally found his niche as Knight of the Round Table - and Vicious Chicken Slayer! One must put up quite the noble fight stalking one's quarry in a hen house, as you can see by his bear counterpart's disheveled hair and sullied tunic. Sir Robin wears all that really tough stuff that every knight must have. The absolutely authentic looking "metal mesh" is actually a painted knit. Those dandy shoulder and elbow guards are painted leather stretched over a thermo-plastic base, studded with metal grommets. His boots were formed with heavy paper, covered with painted leather. The belt is painted ribbon and lace on a leather base. The cotton tunic is hand-painted. And of course there's no part of his raiment that hasn't been lovingly crafted. Well... except for those Abracadabra Superstore chickens. Squeeze their bellies—hear them squawk and set loose those eggs... Only from the mind of Monty Python!

ORIGINAL DESIGNER: TIM HATLEY
BROADWAY BEAR CREATED BY: BRIONNA McMAHON

Signed by: David Hyde Pierce and Clay Aiken

2005

The auction is open to "pre-bidding" until February 16, and the current bid is $1000. All proceeds go to Broadway Cares' campaign to fight AIDS.

Tidbits 2/8

InStyle - Clay Aiken's American Idol transformation -

American Idol Transformations
Clay Aiken
"We have a lot of people on the show, towards the latter part, to help contestants with their style and image," says Cowell. Aiken was one who was subject to such help, getting a makeover of spiky hair that became his signature look on the show. Nowadays, the 29-year-old from North Carolina has grown out his hair and bangs, and filled out his lanky figure.

• Toronto Star quotes Clay from Learning to Sing:

  "The only reason people go to bars is to get drunk and have sex. To me, bars are what hell is like."
  CLAY AIKEN

• More American Idol mentions today:
• Hollyscoop - "Winners should be able to spend the day in Clay Aiken's dressing room, or win a free Sanjaya haircut. "
• The News Tribune - "Hey, Paula! If you’re not interested in the soupy musings of Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Blake Lewis and other top (or near-the-top) Idols, at least check out the foreword by colorful show judge Paula Abdul."
• 411 Mania -

  -Bad street, Atlanta, GA. Baddest street in the whole USA.
  It's the last of the five stops on the American Idol 2007 Audition Tour, taking place in Atlanta, Georgia. It's actually the shows 3rd visit to Hotlanta, the city we have to blame for Clay Aiken.
  

• New York Daily News - "Winning the TMI Award this week is ... Clay Aiken, for saying, "I've just kind of shut [my sex drive] off, maybe. Is that bad?" No, what's bad is you flapping your mouth about it."

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay nation introduced to Clay's Spamalot dresser -

  Clay Intros 'Spamalot' Dresser
  
  At the post show stage door gathering after Wednesday's performance of "Spamalot," fans got a little more than autographed playbills, pictures, and video from Clay Aiken when he introduced "the lady who takes my pants on an off."
  
  According to Morganette, Clay entered Shubert Alley with his arm around a red-headed gal, introduced her as his dresser, and suggested they pass the word to the message boards all over the Internet.

Claymates Show Up at GMA With Clay Aiken Signs

Claymates were spotted this morning on ABC's Good Morning America in New York, armed with signs that proclaimed: "OH WHAT A KNIGHT and I'm here to see Clay Aiken".

No news on whether Clay is scheduled to make an appearance on GMA, which is co-hosted by Diane Sawyer, wife of Mike Nichols - the director of Spamalot.

Washington Square Article Discusses Big Names on Broadway, Including Clay

The Washington Square's reporter, Linnea Bloomquist, in her article They've Got Big Names on Broadway? Big Deal, does not seem impressed with Broadway using big name celebrities in their musicals. However, in discussing the musicals and celebrities, they did one thing I liked...they included Clay Aiken as one of their big names!

For whatever reason, there are people who seem to think that Broadway is a step down from Hollywood or the music industry. Not sure why, though, because this is really just another avenue for showing the amazing talent of some very talented people, including Clay.

This article talks of "stunt casting", which is casting A and B list stars to raise ticket sales in a musical that would possibly otherwise die. In mentioning the many talented stars who have had success on Broadway and have breathed life into a show that would possibly not have continued to survive, this article to me is spotlighting the extreme talent and versatility of these stars. Clay, for example, has already shown that he is a great singer and comedian. Now, he is showing his natural acting abilities. And this, they would call "stunt casting"? I would call it instead "inspired casting" or "smart casting"! Just like Hollywood, why wouldn't Broadway want the best they can get to continue to draw the crowds?

Note what this article says about Clay:

And how is Clay Aiken's Broadway debut going? He will go on as brave Sir Robin eight times a week until May 4, and though his reviews have been surprisingly good, his presence alone will not make or break "Spamalot." The Monty Python musical has consistently played to full houses and will certainly persevere for several years to come, with or without stunt casting. Aiken is one example of stunt casting that was intended not to salvage a floundering production but to boost already steady ticket sales.

The reporter says Clay is surprisingly good. Many people have been very pleasantly surprised at Clay's acting and comedic ability. The "surprise" part will soon go away as more people see the many talents that he has. Then maybe the idea of stunt casting stars will be a thing of the past, and the idea of "casting the most talented" will take its place as the norm.

Check out the comments after the article. I was pleasantly surprised myself to read some really great comments from people who appear not to be Clay fans.

What's Hot From Spamalot 2/7

As long as Clay is starring in Spamalot, there will always be something hot to report. Let's see what sizzling news we have from February 7.

Clay has a message for all his fans. He introduced his "dresser", Shannon, and he says he wants it out on the internet that she helped him in and out of his clothes!! Okclayhoman at The Clayboard puts it this way:

At the stage door, Clay came out with his arm around a redheaded girl, and introduced her to the crowd, and said, "she's the one that helps me get my pants on and off." It was really cute!

What a big tease he is, and I'll bet he got on the message boards and was doubled over laughing at all of us as we spread the news!! Here's some pictures of Clay and Shannon as he tells everyone the news!

Tidbits 2/7

Clay wins another Insider poll on Feb. 6, 2008.

• The Patriot News - Clay Aiken generates buzz for Spamalot -

  A touring production of popular musical "Monty Python's Spamalot" arrives at Hershey Theatre tonight for a five-day run.
  
  But the big buzz for this show is back on Broadway, where "American Idol" heartthrob Clay Aiken recently was picked to take over the role of Robin Hood.
  

• American Idol mentions
• iVillage - "“They call me the black Clay Aiken,” proclaimed Raysharde Henderson. Need I say more? I couldn’t even do it justice."
• This Is North Scotland -

  It's the city that previous American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino, Dreamgirls' Jennifer Hudson and finalist Clay Aiken auditioned in, so the Idol judges obviously had high expectations for Atlanta.

• TV Envy -

  The American Idol machine stopped in Atlanta, the very last city on the tour, perhaps in hopes of finding another Carrie Underwood, Clay Aiken or Jennifer Hudson.

• Extra -

  As for Clay Aiken, who's currently starring in "Spamalot" on Broadway, Simon seems rather satisfied that the season two runner-up ended up exactly where he predicted.
  
  "[He is] very at home," Simon huffed.
  

• Huntsville Times - article about songwriter who has written for Clay -

  Burr, who performed with Pure Prairie League, has more than 20 ASCAP Awards and has in the past been named Songwriter of the Year by the Nashville Songwriter's Association, ASCAP and Billboard. He has written songs for singers Clay Aiken, Michael Bolton, Ricky Martin and Kelly Clarkson, and performs with Ringo Starr and Carole King.

• Vancouver Province - Suzie McNeil finding her own success, after duetting with Clay on ATDW - "duetted with American Idol's Clay Aiken"

• Nothing here today
  

What's Hot From Spamalot 2/6

I've noticed that now, on an almost daily basis, there is lots of news and tidbits to be found online from the fans who are attending Spamalot. So, for the next few months, when there is something awesome to report (as if there ever won't be), we'll include those items here in What's Hot From Spamalot. Bigger Spamalot stories will have their own article. So, here goes Edition 1 of What's Hot From Spamalot!

From The Clay Board Spamalot Week 3 Thread

• From Clayngel - Clayngel is one of the lucky ones who got to go onstage during Spamalot because the grail was in her seat! The picture taken with her onstage is at the beginning of our column above. She said about this experience that it was:

  ...one of the most memorable and special moments ever...I am surprised I didn't pass out when I got to go up there because I was shaking so badly. But it was amazing...I stared into those green eyes and just watched him singing to me. I'm still in an Aiken-fog and don't remember the whole thing...

• From katymom at CV

  News from Spamalot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Clayoradoan called and they're selling Clay Spamalot buttons tonight and hopefully tomorrow there will be tshirts. It's quite full and it seems to be primarily NJU's...He's doing great and fits in totally. The LOTL is the same as last night, so Hannah is not yet back.

• From Morganette at the CH:

  Just got back to the hotel from the show and I'll try to do a little recap....
  
  I see it's already been reported about Shannon.....At the stage door, Clay came out with his arm around a redheaded girl, and introduced her to the crowd, and said, "she's the one that helps me get my pants on and off." It was really cute! And Jerome wasn't there, but another guy was.
  
  Clay was wearing the light blue Carolina hoody and looked great.
  
  I bought one of the buttons, they're really nice. Bought a tee shirt too that says "I'm not dead yet". I asked if they were going to have tee shirts with Clay on them, and she said they hope to get Clay shirts in tomorrow, but she didn't know if there'd be a picture of him on them, she said something about a shield. I hope the Clay items will all become available online.
  
  The place was packed again, it really looked like it might have been sold out. The view from the second row is NICE!! And it's interesting how you can see right down into the orchestra pit!
  
  The crowd seemed more enthusiastic than last night, not near as many kids there and more Clay fans, it sounded like. I was talking to a lady in line while waiting to get in, and she commented she wasn't a Monty Python fan, and she didn't like any of their movies, especially the Holy Grail one. We figured she must have been surprised when she discovered what the play was about! She said she didn't like the Monty Python movie called Blazing Saddles either! Hmmmmm....haha!
  
  I noticed a part that I haven't seen anyone mention yet......During the Camalot scene, when the knight brings out the big Spam towards the audience singing Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam, then Clay goes out to center stage and sings "Lovely spam, wonderful Spam" a couple of times, and another knight has to pull him back as if they think he'll just keep singing......It's very funny!
  
  As the people were exiting the theater, we noticed that pieces of the confetti (they're quite large) that had landed on them were blowing off and flying up into the sky, swirling all around. When they explode the confetti over the audience at the end of the show there's lots of it everywhere. We wondered if they just sweep it up and reuse it each day.
  
  It's much colder here tonight, with more wind. I hope everyone traveling in the snowy areas can make it to NY. I saw in the paper it's supposed to be about 20 degrees colder here tomorrow.
  
  All in all, the show tonight seemed to me like it was a little more "on" than last night, and Clay seemed more relaxed and friendly at the stage door. He was kidding around with Rick Holmes (Lancelot) who was also signing a few autographs, saying that they should just start signing each other's names.
  
  We were a little disappointed that Hannah W. wasn't there again, but the understudy did a nice job.

• From AustenFan:

  That was an absolutely amazing show. Such a live audience. People cracked up. During the guard people people were laughing so hard they almost couldn't breathe. Just all out laughter the whole time. Clay has got to have one of the best 'deadpans' I've ever seen. May come in handy with Shannon getting launched on the shuttle. And the scene afterwards with Lancelot and the dancers had more energy than I've seen in the past. I think they played off the huge response from 'You Won't Succeed'
  
  Important details? The 'raising of the tunic' on the mid to low side. Last week we got rather a high tunic rise. I guess he wanted to give us all a chance to recover.
  
  Non Clay related changes - when Tim the Enchanter described the fierce 'killer rabbit' - instead of saying 'look at him go after that daisy' while the rabbit chewed up a flower - he said 'look at him go after that mushroom' and there was a mushroom on stage instead of the daisy. Why? I ask not such deep and important questions. I just sit back and enjoy.
  
  Some ad-libbing in the C101 scene. And a very lovely lady won. She looked so sweet up there. Clay's first scene in the window was just hysterical. He got a laugh on every line. He was so comfortable with it that he just played with it and got every laugh out of it. The timing with the other actors on stage was so spot on.
  
  Clay got great applause when he appeared in the All For One number. Clay's 'Idol Of Our Age' and yodeling into the super high held note - got huge applause. People laughed big time at that moment.
  
  The audience just erupted for the big number 'You Won't Succeed On Broadway'. They burst into applause even before the Bottle Dance because Clay's inflections and timing was so great. He got laughs for the dialogue part and not just the dancing. So the audience was primed. And when Clay started 'shaking his thing'....they went wild.
  
  Another understudy for Lady Of The Lake. Different woman than the last understudy I saw. While the other understudy had better vocals and much more power (this woman could barely be heard in the duets) - she had much better comic timing and a better feel for the character. She played for laughs and didn't take it too seriously. So I think it worked better. When I was at the stage door a while back Hannah Waddingham (Lady Of The Lake) came out to sign autographs and we were telling her what a great voice she has. She said it was 'knackered' as she wasn't used to doing the two shows on Sunday. They do four shows in two days which is rough. Maybe she's finding that tough to get used to and that's why she's missed some performances.
  
  The Knights of Nid did another rap that ended in 'Stay In School'. Shoutout to Brooklyn in the rap so enjoy all you Brooklyn folk.
  
  You all know about the 'pants remover' by now. And Clay kibbitzed (that Yiddish for joked around with - Clay is gettin down with Jewish culture ya know) - with Rick Holmes who plays Lancelot. He was very gracious in signing autographs. I think you heard about 'signing each others names.
  
  Anyway, just a great night. To quote someone from the crowd, 'Clay, you rock'. And boy did Clay rock out during the dance scenes. I'm seeing abdominal flexiibilty ladies. Shake it baby.

  
  

New Approved Bubel Aiken Fundraiser By Rhode Islanders For Inclusion Awareness

Are you looking for just the right gift to give someone you love for Valentines Day or Easter? Or for their birthday? Or to give them something special just because? You're gonna love the new item that the Beta Alpha Group, Rhode Islanders For Inclusion Awareness, is selling right now.

Just look at this darling bear. Not only is he the exact perfect color of the BAF logo, but look how at home he looks on the "Snuggle Up With Clay Aiken" blanket!!

Cindy at The Clayboard tells us about this fundraiser and the BAF 9" Logo Bear:

They are plush 9 inch, perfect for sitting on your office shelf, on your bedroom dresser, for gift baskets, or you can donate some to a local children's hospital or program for a child's special cuddly friend. The footpads display the message "INCLUSION AWARENESS". Each bear comes with a BAF hangtag. This is the first of 3 editions planned, you'll want all 3 for your collection, and each edition will be different. We only have a limited amount of the first edition, and production on the second edition will begin when these are sold out. BAF will receive $10.00 for each bear sold.

Total cost: $17.00 (incl shipping)
BAF- GETS $10.00
My cost for bear- - $5.50
materials/shipping- $1.50

I take Paypal or checks. Please PM me or email cindyskuce@cox.net to order and I will provide payment information.If using Paypal, there is an additional cost of .53.

It might be a good idea to buy a couple of these, one for you and one for someone you love. I have a feeling they are going to be going, going, gone real soon!! And the thought of every Clay fan not getting one is just, well...unbearable!!

Tidbits 2/6

• TVGuide.com - Clay is listed as #1 Best Male American Idol Audition

  1) Clay Aiken, "Always and Forever" | Watch on YouTube
  Clay looked like the elf from Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, but he sounded like a superstar. The judges didn't know what to make of his dorky style mixed with his insanely good vocals. But they voted him through and Clay went on to sell millions of records. Frighteningly enough, he also became the object of affection for thousands of "Clay-mates."

  Watch Clay's audition at YouTube.
  
  
• Billboard.com - Merry Christmas With Love was #4 on the Top Christian Catalog Album list for the week of December 31, 2007.
• What Not To Sing - An interesting site found by Rainlover at The Clayboard. This is an American Idol database arranged by seasons of songs that each contestant sang. My favorite parts from the Season 2 page are bolded here:

  Through it all, though, Team Turmoil delivered a solid season of performances. Season Two owns the highest average approval rating of any so far, and it's the only one in which each of the Final 12 turned in at least one above-average rated performance. Aiken's 68.5 average rating led the way, with Locke, Studdard, and Trenyce also coming in (deservedly, we'd say) with 4-star averages. Even the four contestants who finished with 2-star figures – Clark, Demato, Grigsby, and Rasmusen – seem to us a slight cut above other seasons' also-rans.
  
  For what it's worth, we consider it a tossup between Studdard's "A Whole New World" and Locke's "New York State Of Mind" as the best of the season. Aiken earns a special achievement award for his twin triumphs in the Final 5; we have a feeling that his 93 average in a multi-song week will stand as the record for a very, very long time.

• American Idol Atlanta auditions brings out the talent. Clay auditioned in Atlanta for AI2 -
  
• Read Express - "'That's something I wish we'd done to Clay Aiken years ago,' Simon says."
• Austin 360 -

  Host Ryan Seacrest points out that three “American Idol” superstars — Fantasia Barrino, Jennifer Hudson and Clay Aiken — have been discovered in Atlanta in past years.

• Rocky Mountain News - "Atlanta is no stranger to American Idol success. Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson all hailed from auditions there."
• Boston Now -

  It's the last of the five stops on the American Idol 2007 Audition Tour, taking place in Michael PS Hayes hometown of Atlanta, Georgia. It's actually the shows 3rd visit to Hotlanta, the city we have to blame for Clay Aiken.

• Curlio -

  American Idol went to Atlanta on their audition tour, trying for yet another success story from the city. That's where they found Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, and Jennifer Hudson. Ryan Seacrest is also from Atlanta, and his parents showed up at the auditions.

• Reality TV Magazine -

  The American Idol judges made their third trip to Atlanta as part of the American Idol 7 auditions. Atlanta was the audition city for previous American Idol standouts Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino, and Jennifer Hudson.

• MSNBC -

  Joshua Jones also made it through, but probably won’t need to take more than a couple of days off from his job as a glass cutter. Though he sang well, the judges were disturbed by his “demonic” eyes and finally had him sing with his back to them. “It’s something we should have done to Clay Aiken years ago,” Simon said, though he still proved to be Jones’ lone no vote.

• Kennesaw State University's The Sentinel - "Yes, I will grant that Idol has produced some superstars namely- Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood- and if you really want to stretch it, Clay Aiken has had some staying power of his own."
• Access Atlanta - "In its first three seasons, 'Idol' mined plenty of great talent out of the local auditions, including former Norcross resident Tamyra Gray, Clay Aiken and Season 3 winner Fantasia."
  
• Lycos PR - press release for Lycos50 - Clay #6 this week.

• Something That Really Happened - getting tired of American Idol -

  I am a fan of American Idol. I really am. I love to watch new talent get the chance to shine. But, you know, tonight is the third time in the auditions that Simon has made a snide remark about Clay with the other judges laughing. It is really turning me off of American Idol. I am not going to want to watch the program if I have to listen to them slamming Clay Aiken every week.
  

Tiny, Yet Powerful, Clay Mention By An Amazing Man, Steven Rosenhaus

When I first read the following item posted on The Clayboard, I thought, "How nice, a positive Clay mention by a blogger named Steve Rosenhaus". Since I saw that he had written a book called Writing Musical Theater, I decided to see just who Steve Rosenhaus was. Now maybe I'm the only person who has never heard of him. But for those of you like me who don't have a clue who he is, you will be amazed to read about this man whose mention of Clay was simply two short sentences.

First, the item I found on The Clayboard, which was taken from Steven Rosenhaus' Live Journal

Steve Rosenhaus:

Quote:
Yes, I know that because of the book Writing Musical Theater that my co-author Allen Cohen and I are considered experts in musical theater. And I also know that as such there is an expectation to see Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway shows with cynical eyes and ears. But sometimes I just want to be audience, and just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show without thinking about it to any great depth. I can always to do the deep thinking later . . .

Clay Aiken: Yeah, the guy from American Idol, playing Sir Robin, Guard 1, and Brother Maynard. Surprisingly good.

Yeah, that's all he says about Clay - but that's what is so nice about it. He's, I think, the kind of person Clay's looking to reach. And what's really nice is in his blog tags - he doesn't even mention Clay - so he's definitely not looking for hits from the "Claymates". All the more reason to believe he was surpised by how good Clay was.

Be sure to read his complete Live Journal about Spamalot...very interesting!

Now, read about the many musical accomplishments of Steven Rosenhaus, and so see why his short critique of Clay is so powerful, check out his biography at this Sigma Alpha Iota Philanthropies, Inc. web page. Here's a few of his accomplishments:

Yamaha Piano Artist Steven L. Rosenhaus (b. 1952) is respected as a composer, lyricist, arranger, conductor, author, educator, and performer. His concert music has been called "clever, deftly constructed and likable" by The New York Times, and Back Stage magazine has called his music and lyrics for the off-Broadway show Critic "sprightly, upbeat, and in the ballad repertory, simply lovely."...He holds a Ph.D. from NYU, as well as M.A. and B.A. degrees from Queens College, C.U.N.Y.; The book "Writing Musical Theater" by Allen Cohen and Steven L. Rosenhaus is published by Palgrave/Macmillan. William Squier's review for MusicalWriters.Com calls the book an "appealing....practical guide for beginning and journeymen writers....[It is] thorough without being condescending and detailed without being overwhelming." Steven Rosenhaus has received numerous awards and grants from ASCAP, the American Composers Forum, and Meet The Composer, Inc.

After reading that (and check out all of his other accomplishments at the website), I think it is an understatement to say that his short comment, "Clay Aiken: Yeah, the guy from American Idol, playing Sir Robin, Guard 1, and Brother Maynard. Surprisingly good", is an amazing critique!!

OC Register Praises Clay as Spamalot's Sir Robin

The Orange County Register has filed a short review of Clay in Spamalot, and they have nothing but praise for Clay's leading role as Sir Robin:

So how did Clay Aiken fare in “Spamalot”? He stepped into the role of brave Sir Robin on Jan. 18, and I could just imagine the critics rubbing their ratty little paws together in glee. Aiken, with his goofy, self-deprecating persona and Eisenhower-era morals, seemed like easy prey for the snarky New York arts media.

But — surprise! — some of the comments have been quite positive, if a little strange. Check out Ariel Levy’s lengthy, backhandedly complimentary piece in New York magazine here.

Whatever you think of Aiken as a performer, you gotta love his devotion to his audience. That’s him last month, above, braving 19-degree weather to mingle with his ”Spamalot” fans. Would Liev Schreiber or Frank Langella stand out in the cold just to mix and mingle with the hoi polloi? Not when it’s cold enough to freeze the ink in autograph-seekers’ pens.

Tidbits 2/5

• Columbus Ledger Enquirer - American Idol auditions in Atlanta -

  Previous Atlanta auditions for "American Idol" produced Season 3 champ Fantasia Barrino and Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken, bottom. And the host of the show, Ryan Seacrest, is from the metro Atlanta area.
  
  Memorable former Atlanta auditioners include Season 3 champion Fantasia Barrino, and Season 2 runner-up Clay Aiken. Host Ryan Seacrest, who was present briefly during the first phase of auditions, is originally from the Atlanta area.

• Clarion Ledger - AI ...

  Viewers are annually treated to American Idol audition videos featuring rejected contestants who falsely believe they are the next Kelly Clarkson, Clay Aiken, Fantasia Barrino or Jennifer Hudson.

• Boston Herald - "Losing on “American Idol” doesn’t mean you can’t wind up a winner. Just ask Jennifer Hudson, Clay Aiken, Chris Daughtry and Kellie Pickler."
  
• UWeekly - "Victoria’s Secret put out their “What’s Sexy” list, and it named Ryan Seacrest as having the sexiest smile. Ryan Seacrest sexy? Really? Who else was on the list, Andy Dick and Clay Aiken?"
• Waterloo Record - AI article mentions Kevin Covais, a former AI finalist -

  "At 5-foot-4 and a kind of pale juvenile diabetic, I knew I was no Bo Bice or Constantine Maroulis. Gosh, I wasn't even a Clay Aiken -- which is pretty scary.''
  

• 2Snaps.tv - Newsweek interview -

  Clay Aiken revealed that he has NO sex drive at all (I heard there are drugs to fix that) and that he is still a virgin.
  
  Here is an excerpt from Clay's interview with NY magazine:
  
  He does not plan on dating, and he is not involved with anyone.
  
  “Heck, no,” he says. “My dogs.”
  
  He has never had a romantic relationship with anyone, unless you count the girls he took to dances back in high school in Raleigh.

• Carolina On My Mind - Clay in Spamalot receiving great reviews from fans, critics.
  

Tidbits 2/4

A new Spamalot blog from Clay is up!

2.4.08: Did you act in plays/musicals in school, or in your local community growing up?
Interestingly enough, I got cut from my high school musical my senior year, and wasn’t necessarily one of my 10-12th grade choir teachers “favorites”, so my experience in my younger years was limited to local productions. The North Carolina Theatre in Raleigh is a pretty reputable regional theatre that puts on some great shows in the area. But, it is so professional that it casts most of its performers with very experienced New York actors and musicians. They staged a production of 1776 in 1995 and put out a casting call for 21 year olds and older. I was only 17, but a good friend suggested I audition anyway to gain experience. I did and was the only person under 21 who did. Terrence Mann, the Broadway star, was directing it and chose to take a risk on a young kid, so I made it. I remember thinking I was such a star because I got to work with real professional performers. I did a few shows at North Carolina Theatre in addition to 1776 before I went off to college. I still try to catch as many of their productions as possible.

• Broadway World poster Yankeefan007 comments on Clay in Spamalot. It looks like Tyra Banks attended one of Clay's shows! Cool!

  Clay Aiken makes an impressive Broadway debut - nothing to write home over, but he doesn't make a fool of himself, either. They've added a lot for him to sing - a riff of "Lovely Spam, Wonderful Spam" during the "Spam, Spam, Spam" section of "Knights" - I distinctly remember missing that line before, since it's such a Python staple. They've also added a verse in "All for One," which clearly defines Sir Robin as a wannabe Broadway star. Something about "when I get on stage, I'm the idol of my age," ironic and quite amusing. All he has to do is lose the constipated look on his face when he's doing the bottle dance.
  
  Ensemble is strong, and the show itself is in fantastic shape. The tempos are still too slow (another thing I pointed out on the last go-round).
  
  Just a note about audience. I thought I was going to catch Menopause. I've never seen so many middle aged women in one room in my entire life. And I don't know why they find it so impressive that "My Clay does 3 different accents!!!"
  
  Oh, and Tyra Banks was there, too. Fun afternoon.
  

• New York Magazine responds to criticism of their interview/article about Clay -

  2. Clay Aiken has a lot of fans out there, and apparently many of them don’t sleep. “The Happy Hickster” (February 4), Ariel Levy’s profile of Aiken, was posted on the nymag.com home page at approximately 11:15 P.M. on Sunday, January 27, and within seven minutes, the first of 227 comments (and counting) rolled in. The commentary raged throughout the night and for days afterward, as readers debated one another in terms that were not always cordial. Did the article make “Clay seem human. Flawed but human,” or was it “character assassination”? Had Levy played Aiken by seeing through his “hick” routine—or was it she who had been played? “I believe the author of this article has been had,” went one post. “Did she even know it? Sounds to me like she came into the interview with an agenda and that Clay, smart guy that he is, saw right through it. Ms. Levy got frustrated because Clay wouldn’t dish the dirt with her, and decided instead to call him a fake.” Commenters traded boasts over who among them knows Aiken best, including one who registered under the name CLAYSBF and stated flatly that Clay “is sexually active and continues to be. He is not nor will he ever be attracted to the opposite sex.” Amid the uproar, a few readers simply called the article “brilliant” and “very entertaining.”

• Calgary Herald - William Joseph working with David Foster -

  He lived at Foster's Malibu house (this was just before the Foster family's unfortunate Princes of Malibu reality TV show), recorded the album and hit the road. Since then, he's also been out opening for Il Divo and Clay Aiken.

• Chicago Sun Times - NFL commentary - "8:16: Toni, a k a She Could Be The One III, asks me if Troy Aikman is related to Clay Aiken. She's a work in progress."
• Newsday - Super Bowl quiz!

  9. The Fox broadcast team is:
  
  A) Joe Buck and Troy Aikman; B) Uncle Buck and Clay Aiken; C) Pearl S. Buck and ... oh, I give up. You try and rhyme with "Aikman" more than once

• Nothing here today
  

WRAL's Linda Loveland Interviews Clay About Mexico Trip With Unicef

Linda Loveland of WRAL in Raleigh sat down recently and interviewed Clay about his trip to Mexico with UNICEF to work with the children there affected by the recent floods. In addition to a great article at WRAL.com, there is also a video of Linda's interview with Clay which shows footage of Clay with the children in Mexico.

Clay talked about how so many of the children do not have shoes and have to walk on contaminated ground; in fact, many of the children want nothing but shoes for Christmas. In addition one of the things that amazed Clay was as follows:

Aiken said one of the most amazing things he witnessed was when kids ran up to him, hugged him and pointed at his shirt – not because of who he was, but because of what was written on that shirt, “UNICEF.”

“How powerful that is, that kids all around the world know what UNICEF means, and they see that T-shirt,” he said.

After you enjoy the article and video of the interview, check out the slide show of 49 pictures that are also at WRAL's site. These include pictures from early in Clay's career as well as some from his recent summer concert in Cary.

Great Recaps From Spamalot This Weekend

I gotta give the fans credit for bringing back some awesome recaps of Spamalot and pictures from the Stage Door. The Clayboard has a great thread for each week of Spamalot, so I thought I'd share some bits and pieces from this thread so you can see what's going on at Spamalot this past week. Enjoy!!

• From Toni7Babe (via another fan) - She thought he couldn't be any better than he was opening weekend but he is! Says she seems much more comfortable on stage and his dancing is effortless. Says there is more ad-libbing from Clay. In the scene where they bring out the Wooden Rabbit (it was a rabbit, wasn't it?) Clay is lying on stage next to the rabbit and hugging it! Says his delivery in the tower scene is even better than before!
  ---AND---
  Toni7babe was right up at the barrier so she asked Clay a question - "Clay, do you have a favorite part of the show? What's your favorite scene?" He initially replied "I'll have to think about that. I'm not sure." But she wasn't taking that for an answer and said "Oh, come on. I bet you have a favorite scene." Clay's reply? "The part where I get to lay down for 5 minutes and rest."
• Clayshines, From Clayversity - I just got back from the show. It was a last minute decision to go - I took a bus into the city all by myself for the first time. I was terrified! But I am so glad I did!!! I had so much fun!.....Tyra sat on the right side of the theater for the first half and then sat third row center orch. during the second half. She was three seats away from me. She sure is beautiful! She enjoyed the show! At the end of the show when the players were coming out and taking their bows, Tyra jumped up and gave Clay a standing ovation when he came out. What a fun sight to see!!!.....I could tell when he spotted Tyra in the audience and then at the very end during the sing along Tyra waved at Clay and Clay waved back at Tyra. Very cute! After the show she was immediately escorted up onto the stage and through the curtains to backstage.
• Ruffian5230 - I just got home from my trip to NYC today!! We decided last night to go when we pulled up FRONT ROW CENTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DUDE that guy amazes me! How does he manage to get better and better with every passing day?!?! I can't believe how much he has changed in the 2 weeks since I saw him last. He is so animated and so "into" the role!! Clay has made that role his. Clay Aiken IS sir Robin!!!!!
• Allforlovetoo - Just thinking about the last few days puts my heart in a twitter! Our original plans were to fly into NY on Thursday morning, see the sights of NYC for the day and attend the show on Friday night only. WHAT WERE WE THINKING?? After reading all the recaps and feeling the excitement on opening night, we simultaneously (literally) agreed there was NO way we could be in NYC , a few blocks from Clay, and not see the show on Thursday night too! We were lucky enough to locate front row seats, left orchestra on the Spam site for Thursday night! We were so close to the stage that there were a few opportunities during the show where we could have reached out and grabbed Clay's…....................foot! (Ah' said foot!! TeeHee) We also got rather dizzy having to stretch our necks back so far trying to keep our eyes locked on that tower window straight up above us, but there was no way we were going to miss a second of Clay. What can I say ladies but this: if you have a smidge of a chance to see this show, beg borrow, sell, (I would say steal but I don't think Clay would approve of that) anything to get you there!!!! It was my first time to a Broadway show, and what an experience! My jaws hurt from laughing so hard! Clay got lots of laughter and reaction to his lines and the biggest applause at the end. His facial expressions are priceless. And it sounds like he's getting better show by show. He may technically be a newbie to Broadway, but you would never know it by watching him on stage. He definitely fits right in with the rest of the cast. Lots of NJU's on Thursday night. There were also many men throughout the theater. We think we females were outnumbered for once! The group of guys behind us laughed non-stop. This is your chance ladies to bring your "significant other" to a show to introduce him to Clay's talents......It was really cool to see the look on Clay's face during the finale…..all that applause coming from NJU's. Yay! Oh yes, it did seem like once in awhile, the "4th wall" would come down for a few seconds and he would take a quick peek at the people in the audience rows that he could see from the stage, searching for a familiar face.
• Tiggy52Winkle - He has really added so much more to his performance since opening weekend when I last saw him. As the guy in the tower he is playing with the strap on his helmet and it's so cute. He looks so relaxed in the next scence where he is collecting money for the dead bodies. So relaxed, in fact, that he dropped the money the other guy handed him but he just bent down, scooped it up and went right on about his business. (we've seen that quick scoop action in concert when he's dropped the mic!)...He used a totally different facial expression as the drunken guard and it was even funnier than the first shows. The faces of each character he plays are so different that it is truly amazing and another sign of the true acting talent that Clay possesses in spades! When he is run through with Lancelot's sword and falls flat out you can see his chest moving up and down and it's enough to make you fall flat out too! His feet are turned out even lying on his back playing dead!.....Brother Maynard is hysterical and he uses this high pitched voice that adds to the hilarity. When he comes riding in with the minstrels playing and singing "Brave Sir Robin" the look on his face is just priceless. So smug and confident. But as the song progresses with the nasty ways that he's not afraid to be killed the expressions he pulls and the looks in his eyes will make you roar...Clay looks positively gorgeous at the end of the show dancing around in that white tux. Yummmm! His dancing seems so effortless and every turn and clap are spot on. Not a single misstep. He looks like he is just having the time of his life up there and I know that we could wish nothing more for him. Lots of men in the audience, couples who are out on dates, young people, the majority of people were NJUs (not just us). We talked to the couple that sat behind us; he was a big Python fan from way back but his companion really wasn't into it....we told her she would be by the end of the show. Well, she laughed the entire time and thoroughly enjoyed herself. It's so much fun watching people react to the show and to Clay in particular. His big number always draws lots of applause, laughs and cheers from the audience. The whole cast is wicked funny and talented and it just makes your heart swell with pride and admiration to see Clay more than holding his own with these seasoned professionals. Broadway is not for mediocre talent and that is a huge testament to Mike Nichols confidence in Clay that he chose him with literally no acting background for a major role in this show.
• From washgirl at the CV - Sat. review....I went up to NYC with a good friend. She's been to a couple of the Christmas concerts with me, but doesn't find Clay particularly sexy (silly girl). But she's a pretty good sport about letting me gush. First off, we did the alley line at yesterday's matinee. Afterwards, she kept saying how handsome he's become and how strong his face is. Yeah, Baby! And then into the show where I sat behind the tallest man in the theater. If anyone heard a woman guffawing at the top of her lungs, that was my friend. I kept hearing "That's Clay Aiken. That's the guy from American Idol." all around me. Mr. Tall Guy was there with his wife. They both seemed to be in their late twenties. And it was HE who kept pointing Clay out to his wife every time Clay appeared in a different role. He was laughing so hard he kept putting his face in his hands. I tell you, you leave that show happy, but spent from laughing! My friend told me she jealous that she doesn't get to see it again. She also told me that she thinks Clay lives a profound life. And that does sum it up, doesn't it?

Tidbits 2/3

• YouTube - An interview with The Associated Press is up at YouTube. This interview is about Clay's tryout at American Idol and what went on as he waited for two days to try out. Give the website some hits and leave a comment if you'd like. Here is the video footage:
  
• Buenos Aires Herald - ClayArgentina at The Clayboard tells us "CLAY HAS LANDED IN ARGENTINA NEWSPAPER"! The title of the article is Former American Idol stars in Monty Python and it appears to be the AP article that is in all the newspapers. To read the whole article, you must be a registered member. Great to know that news of his role in Spamalot has spread abroad!
• SoulCheckTV Talk about a really cute homemade video of Clay at this blogsite. You might could call this "Clay Makes Peace With Samson the Cat", but the video that Sarah from this site has drawn and the speaking voice of Clay that she inserted when Clay talks is fantastic!! You'll love the drawings of Larry King, Jimmy Kimmel and Clay on a horse, and even of Kelly and the infamous "hand over the mouth" scene. Run check it out. You'll get a kick out of it!
• Clay mention on Friday's The Insider, according to the CB's Andecar -

  I don't see this anywhere. Yesterday, The Insider had a quick Clay mention: just before the story about the AI7 audition for the girl whose mom weights 600 lbs., they showed a photo of Clay and Kelly Clarkson and said (this is a paraphrase): "Kelly Clarkson and Clay Aiken are household names and they demonstrate how AI can change lives."
  

• Cleveland Plain Dealer - Spamalot ...

  9. CLAY AIKEN'S BLOG
  Every Monday, the ginger-haired elf currently starring as Sir Robin on Broadway in "Spamalot" answers fan queries. An entry from Jan. 21: Q: "What's the craziest thing you've done to get a laugh out of your friends?" A: "I don't know that I really have done anything intentionally. I think they laugh at me when I don't necessarily invite it!" Pop 10 has a question: "Clay, we've heard you're in talks to star in a revival of 'Dreamgirls." Any truth to that rumor?" Experience the wit and wisdom of the Clayster at www.montypythonsspamalot.com.

• TownHall.com - boring politics?

  Who gets this giddy over a human—in particular a politician of the same sex? Look, I like some of the GOP’s former and current contenders, but they don’t make me swoon. Matter of fact, both sides in this cycle have pretty much hammered me with electile dysfunction (the inability to be aroused by any of the candidates), especially now that the race has been reduced—at least according to my political bents—to choosing between watching Rosie O’Donnell in a halter eating a BBQ’d wild boar verses watching Clay Aiken singing My Endless Love in a halter. Yes, I’m officially unenthused.

• Austin 360 - New York Magazine interview still making news -

  * Clay Aiken lives a sad, lonely life — and, apparently, he likes it that way.
  
  In an eye-opening interview with New York Magazine that coincides with his “Spamalot” debut, the “Idol” runner-up opens up like never before. The result is somewhat disturbing.

• Carolina On My Mind takes a look at the evolution of Clay Aiken, 5 years after the AI2 wildcard rounds.
  
• Clay - The Man - following Clay "on the wings of love" -

Wildcard Show on AI2 Rewind This Weekend

AI2 Rewind has been airing on TV for the last several weeks, and this weekend the Wildcard Show was aired. Now we all know what an important show this was for Clay. Clay was brought back as one of the wildcard contestants to be voted on by America and chosen by the judges to continue on in the Top 12.

Most everyone knows how this played out. All the wildcard contestants sang another song, were judged by the three judges, and then four were chosen to return. America voted, and......CLAY WAS CHOSEN TO RETURN!! Of course, this really shouldn't have been a surprise. Clay sang better than them...he shined singing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me". Even Simon thought he was great! I believe that if America had not voted for Clay's return, one of the judges would have chosen him. He was that good, or should I say great!!

If you didn't get to watch the show this weekend, you can download several videos from Clack Unlimited. Take the following links there, and just look for the "WC" show on that page. Right click, and you will have these videos at your beck and call!

Clack Unlimited (look for "Wildcard" or "WC" item on each page):

• Interviews/Bios/Q&As/Clay Specific
• Solo Performances
• Judge Critiques
• Post-Performance Debriefs
• Results Show Readings-Clay
  

And check out the YouTube video of Clay singing "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me". Check it out and give it a hit and a comment if you'd like. You'll love it! I've already listened to it several times!!

Here's the YouTube video for you to enjoy: