Tidbits 9/6

• Via cuddles4clay03 at The Clayboard - Clay will be in the September 22 issue of People Magazine. Sarah Palin will be on the cover, and Clay will be in the Mailbag section. Here is the quote from the magazine:

  Congratulations to Clay Aiken. I always believed that he would make a wonderful father. It's just like Clay to march to the beat of his own drum.
  
  Vickie Davie
  Starke, Fla

• Broadway Cares Ebay.com Auction - The Broadway Spamalot Clay Aiken lobby board name slider is being auctioned in this Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS auction. The bid as of this writing is up to $265.00 Here is the description and picture of the item:
  
  

  LOT #9 - With AMERICAN IDOL SENSATION CLAY AIKEN’S name printed in white on a blue background, this authentic Broadway lobby slider let audience members know that Clay (rather than his understudy) would be playing Sir Robin in SPAMALOT, the long-running Broadway sensation now in its fourth year. Taking over a role originally performed on Broadway by David Hyde Pierce, Aiken played Sir Robin form Jan 18 through May 4 of this year, receiving rave reviews. Going, going…

Big New York Times Ad Announces "Clay Is Back"

Hcorbett10 at The Clayboard posted the following Spamalot ad that was in the New York Times. Now, those Spamalot powers-that-be know how to advertise for their show!!

The ad is about a fourth of a page in size. Before the Clayboard, it was posted at Clayversity.



If you want to see a VERY large version of this ad, head over to The Clayboard You won't be sorry you did!!

Countdown to Spamalot II

This is less than 2 weeks! In fact, this time two weeks from now, Clay will be through with his first night back!! Those of you who are to that first show are a lucky bunch of people!!

New Spamalot Pictures of Clay at Hannah Waddingham's Website

Just in time to rain on our drought...new pictures of Clay!!! These came from Hannah Waddingham's website. So for your viewing pleasure.....new Clay pictures!!!


Clay & Hannah...possibly after her last performance in Spamalot...love his dreamy eyes in this one!


Clay and the whole cast of Spamalot....possibly taken on his last day in Spamalot


Part of the cast members posing for a picture

Go to Hannah's website to see more Spamalot pictures with others. You can also leave a note in her guest book.

Lucky Clay Fan is Teaching The Daughter of Spamalot's Composer!

John Du Prez and Eric Idle

Have you ever had something happen to you that you just have to keep pinching yourself to make certain you aren't dreaming? Well, slg111 from The Clayboard has had something just like that happen to her! Read on to find out in slg111's own words what her exciting news is:

OMG, OMG, OMG!!! I cannot believe this happened. I am a fourth grade teacher at a private school in L.A. Today I got a new student from England who just came to the US last week. You WILL NOT believe who her father is.

JOHN DU PREZ, the COMPOSER of SPAMALOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am not kidding. You could have knocked me down with a feather. I managed to control myself while speaking to him about Spamalot, but when they left the room, I let out the biggest WHOOOO! you've ever heard. He AUDITIONED Clay!!! Who he said is "quite good." I had no trouble talking about Spamalot obviously, because I think it's the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life, Clay or no Clay. I told him I had seen it seven times. He asked if I knew Clay was coming back, I said of course (at one point he said, "Ah, you're a Claymate!) and I was like, yes sir, I am! Anyway I said I couldn't wait to see him again because I was going to get tickets for over our Xmas break. He instantly said, "Well, just let me know when you're going, I'll get you some tickets, and see if I can get you backstage." I probably turned beet red and managed to say, well, thank you so much!

What do you guys think about that?!!!!!!!!!!!! Talk about SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION.... this is like ONE DEGREE OF SEPARATION or something!

How exciting for her to be teaching his daughter and also for there to be the possibility to go backstage and see Clay! Hopefully if that happens, we'll get a report from her all about it.

Countdown to Spamalot II

Countdown to Spamalot II

Founders Day Cruise to Alaska Will Benefit The Bubel Aiken Foundation

Have you ever dreamed about going on an Alaskan Cruise? How about an Alaskan Cruise that includes Faye Parker and Diane Bubel, co-founder of the Bubel/Aiken Foundation? Well, Diane Walsh has done it again and will be making the arrangements for all those interested in this fantastic deal. Why not come sailing with us?


The cruise will be on the Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines ship Rhapsody of the Seas and will depart from Seattle, Washington on May 22nd 2009, returning to Seattle on May 29th, 2009. You will need to arrive in Seattle on the May 21st 2009 in order to be there in time for the cruise departure. Royal Caribbean will donate a portion of the cabin charge for every cabin booked, and used to the BAF. Other means of benefiting TBAF will be discussed pending approval from the Foundation.


Your ports of call, at this time, will be Juno, Skagway, Tracy Arm Fjord, and Victoria, British Colombia. Pricing upon request, Diane must get your commitments now however, as time and space are limited. Don't forget that there are about 30 excursion trips that may be added to your voyage, including panning for gold, flying over the glaciers, wilderness trips to gaze upon the grizzlies. The excursions are at an extra charge, but they can add to the total cruise experience.

Since space is limited, deposits must be in by September 29th if you want a guaranteed balcony or junior suite. The deposit per cabin would be $500.00 or if you are sharing it would be $250.00 per person based on double occupancy. Inside cabins, if still available, can be deposited on at a later date, but must be arranged at this time. Airfare can be arranged through Royal Caribbean or you may obtain it on your own.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve you. Please e-mail Diane if you have any questions at dawalsh2@aol.com.

New Blogger Joins Clay's Daily Double

As you all know, there are changes going on at Clay's Daily Double. Clayisouridol has had to step down as owner of CDD and has turned it over to me. I want to thank everyone for your patience as we have stepped away from giving you daily updates on what's going on in ClayNation. Though I am now back to writing some articles for our blog, I won't feel comfortable in my new position for a little while yet. So your patience will continue to be very much appreciated during this "learning time".

I do want to introduce CDD's newest blog writer to you. Her name is "justclayvn", and her first article, Champions of Change Award, is in today's blog. We will both be "learning the ropes" in our new roles at CDD, but we promise to continue to give you the best possible news blog that we can during this time and down the road.

Thank you for your continued readership, and if we can do anything better, please write us a comment.

Tidbits 9/02

• Heartsaiken4ca at The Clayboard tells us that a Clay mention will be in the September 8 issue of People Magazine. In an article entitled American Idol's New Judge, it says that "it says that new judge Kara DioGuardl...has written songs for former Idols Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Clay Aiken." Various online articles have mentioned this same thing.
• ASCASCAP (The American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) has the song "Lover All Alone" listed in two places on its website.
  #1 ASCAP Site - "Works Written By"-Has Clay's name as "Aiken, Clayton Holmes".
  #2 ASCAP Site - This is listed by "title" of the song.
  
  Also at ASCAP, and found by Rainlover at The Clayboard, is a listing of a song called "Ooh Boy" that says "Performers: Clay Aiken". We need to keep our eye on that one!
  
• From claystheword at The Clayboard: There was a small mention of Clay on Jerry Lewis' telethon. Neil Sedaka was a guest and he sang. Tony Orlando, who was one of the hosts, said "and Clay Aiken reprised Solitaire."

COUNTDOWN TO SPAMALOT II - 9/19/08

Champions of Change Award

A report on the UnionLeader.com website is stating that Dan Habib had a dream to see that children with disabilities be included in a typical classroom. Mr. Habib then made a 58 minute video documenting his dream and it was presented last November at the Concord City Auditorium.

He explained,

"My modest goal was that it would become a tool within New Hampshire to talk about inclusion in a more informed and innovative way. My secret goal was that it would serve that purpose nationally and internationally and would cross over to the mainstream."

The documentary is called "Including Samuel" and it is in fact about Mr. Habib's 8 year old son who has a rare form of cerebral palsy, and four other childrenwith disabilities. Mr. Habib said, "In some ways, it all boils down to something that's very selfish: I want the world to be a better place for Samuel," Habib said. "It's very simple, but it's kind of the heart of everything I'm doing."

Mr. Habib has entered his film in over 50 film festivals around the world and because of its acceptance it has become a training tool for teachers, college students and advocacy groups.

The impact of the film has also been recognized by the Bubel Aiken Foundation, which will honor Habib and McNamara on October 18th 2008 as recipients of its Champions of Change award in Raleigh, N.C.

It is nice to see that others share their dreams so that society can be enriched by the thoughts of Clay Aiken, Dan Habib, and others who believe that inclusion should be the norm, not the exception.

COUNTDOWN TO SPAMALOT II - 9/19/08

Starting today, September 1, we will countdown to the first night of Clay's return to Spamalot! So, here we go!!

Remembering Spamalot I Via YouTube

Here at Clay's Daily Double, we will differentiate between "Spamalots" by calling them Spamalot I and Spamalot II. So, as we wait for Spamalot II to start in 19 days...that's less than 3 weeks everyone...let's think back on Spamalot I. Today we'll do that via a few YouTube videos. Thank goodness for modern technology!!

This first YouTube video is entitled "Clay Aiken Spamalot News Clip" and was posted by marhaven. It includes scenes from Clay's Spamalot debut and interviews with Clay.




Oh, and you're gonna love this one. This is a montage of Spamalot scenes from various news shows and is called "Clay Aiken-Spamalot Silly Montage" by Yollie950. Check out Clay at the end of the video! Funny!




And we can't have a series of Spamalot YouTube videos without having one from The Clay Channel. This one is called "Clay Spamalot Trailer". Oooo, this one has me chomping at the bit for Spamalot II!!




Let's end our memory lane via YouTube with a 3-1/2 minute interview with Clay by CW 11 called "Clay Aiken: In Broadway show 'Spamalot'" posted by wpix.




Hope yall enjoyed that. More Spamalot memories to come!!

Clay Sighting at Raleigh Mall

According to nc rocks from Finding Clay Aiken, she was shopping with a friend in Raleigh when Clay came into the store. Here is her story about seeing Clay: PART 1

I came out of the woodwork to share with you a Clay spotting on Thursday. He was shopping at the Street of Southpoint Mall in Durham. There was a young black woman with him and no kids. He was carrying a small bag from Strasburg Children's store when he walked into The Apple Store. He looked around for a few minutes before taking off his sunglasses. He was in there for a while but did not buy anything. Now the important part..... He has changed his hair color again. His hair appeared to be more of a darker blonde shade with some light brown lowlights. It is not as blonde as the end of Spamalot and I didnt see any red tint at all. He appeared to be having a good day with a friend. Now, I'm going back to lurking and stalking.

PART 2

I was in the store with a friend of mine. She is on her 3rd I -phone and is still having problems. I was checking out the door and planning my escape from the store when he came in. I was excited but no one else seemed to care. The worker helping my friend said he comes in every now and then. He had on tan long shorts. His shirt was a button down but It was not long sleeves. He had on slip on tennis shoes that looked like the old converse but updated and they didnt have laces. I was trying hard not to let on that I was watching him.
My friend was making fun of me because I was so excited and she said she would never let me live it down because I went to see Spamalot. I just wanted to share with someone who could get as excited as I was yesterday.

No word on who he was with, what he was buying, or how long his hair is.

Clay Is Not The Only Cast Member Returning to Spamalot

While we are obviously extremely excited about Clay returning to Spamalot as Sir Robin, it should also make us and Clay very happy to know that some of Clay's fellow Spamalot cast members will be there as well. Talk about a wonderful reunion for them all!!

Previous cast members who will be performing in Spamalot (according to Telecharge's Spamalot ticket website) when Clay returns on September 19 are:

David Hibbard as Patsy (begins 9/16)


Already a part of the show and continuing their roll are:

Tom Deckman as Not Yet Dead Fred,
the Historian, and Prince Herbert


Rick Holmes as Sir Lancelot


Bradley Dean as Sir Dennis


Others who will be in the cast are:

Michael Siberry as King Arthur on 9/16
(according to Broadway.com)


Merle Dandridge as Lady of the Lake on 9/02
(According to Broadway.com)


And, of course, our own Clay Aiken will join the cast on September 19.


Hail, hail, the gang's all here!! So make sure, Clay fans, that if possible, you are a part of that gang as well! Come cheer for Clay and the cast that we've grown to love!

Nice Article In Raleigh Telegram About Clay on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader"

If you're like me, I couldn't wait to watch Clay on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" once again. Even though its been less than a year since he was on, it was almost like watching it for the first time for me. But maybe some people watching it didn't realize that this was a repeat and that Clay was just now winning the $300,000 for The Bubel Aiken Foundation. I can understand that happeneing. And that's how it appears to be in today's article in The Raleigh Telegram. Its a really great article about Clay winning $300,000 on "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader". And oh well, I'll take great articles even if they are almost a year late!!

Here is an exerpt from that article. You can click right here, The Raleigh Telegram, to go to their site and read all of this wonderful article.

Raleigh's Clay Aiken Wins Big On Game Show

By Elliott West, Raleigh Telegram 30.AUG.08
RALEIGH - Well known singer Clay Aiken of Raleigh appeared on a national game show, winning $300,000 for his charity, the Bubel-Aiken Foundation on Friday night.

The special celebrity edition of the "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader" game show, hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, aired on the Fox network on Friday night, August 29th.....

.....Aiken did very well on the show and progressed easily through the topics, as he won more money for his charity to help children as he went further.

As an example of some of the questions he answered correctly, Aiken knew that Charles Dickens wrote "A Christmas Carol", that Rome is the capital of Italy, the Oriole is the state bird of Maryland, and correctly did a math question involving pies being divided into pieces.

The crowd seemed to be fully behind Aiken, as he joked with Foxworthy along the way.....

.....Foxworthy praised Aiken for his charity work at the end of the show.

"You are a quality human being and a man of character," said Foxworthy.

"I may not be smarter than a fifth grader, but I know when to take the money and run," joked Aiken.

Because of this great win by Clay, The Bubel Aiken Foundation was able to fund 30 additional camps this summer for children with and without disabilities to attend together. And that's worth a repeat performance any day!!

Spamalot - A Picture Says A Thousand Words

Ahhhh, just thinking about Spamalot makes me chuckle. Guard 1 and the coconut, Not dead Fred, Sir Robin's Russian bottle dance, Guard 1 braiding ribbons as he tries to figure out just how is he supposed to guard Herbert. And on and on it goes. But I'll stop there and let these pictures do the talking. These should get you excited about going to see Spamalot again!

Spamalot Newsletter Gives Clay Fans The Good News!

CDD has already shown you two announcements about Clay's return to Spamalot as Sir Robin. Now, thanks to Buckeyedbroad from The Clayboard, we can share the Spamalot newsletter's announcement about Clay's encore performance from September 19 through January 4. Here is what the newsletter has to say:

No Fakin', Aiken's Back in Town

Brace yourselves, Claymates! The wig masters at the Shubert are fluffing those glorious red tresses in preparation for Clay Aiken's sure-to-be-triumphant return as Sir Robin on September 19. And it's a good thing too, as the crooner has quipped that life post-SPAMALOT has been seemingly devoid of meaning. Tasteless food and hue-free grass. Have no fear, Clay. Only a few more weeks until the skies turn blue again!

What a great article about Clay's return!

If I am able to find out how to get on the Spamalot Newsletter's Email list, I'll pass the news along to you!

The Road from Here ... the Future of CDD

Good evening Clay's Daily Double readers.

Jan and I have been incredibly privileged to have devoted readers like yourself visiting our blog each and every day. We're truly flattered by your support and encouragement. Over the next few weeks, there will be some important changes at Clay's Daily Double. Effective September 1, I will be turning over control of Clay's Daily Double to Jan. The 5 years I have spent at CDD have been so incredible that no words really suffice in describing my experience. From the moment MOAM landed to the excitement of seeing Clay release OMWH and return to Broadway, we've seen it all at CDD.

However, like all good things, change abounds and I have to step away from CDD to pursue more important life goals - my post-secondary education.

This has been a difficult decision to make, but I know that I leave CDD in good hands - Jan is one of the most passionate Clay Aiken fans I know, and I have been blessed to have worked with her the past 2 and a half years.

Jan will be taking CDD on a short haitus and will return in later September. This will allow her to learn the ropes of administrating a blog... a role I know she will master in no time!

To the Clay nation: THANK YOU for everything you have given me, and while I leave CDD, Clay Aiken will have a place in my heart "always & forever". Feel free to drop me a line at clayis@gmail.com. I'll try to check my email as often as I can.


clayisouridol
Clay's Daily Double