The Official Clay Aiken Discussion Thread

[Fantasmic303]

Anyone feeling like a little bit of Broadway??

Clay Aiken, who became a music superstar following his success on the American Idol television series, will join the Tony Award-winning Best Musical, Monty Python's SPAMALOT, making his Broadway debut in the role of Sir Robin, at the Shubert Theatre, New York, from January 18 to May 4, 2008.

Tickets are available online now at telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200/(800) 432-7250.

Directed by Mike Nichols, who won his eighth Tony Award for his direction of the new musical, Monty Python's SPAMALOT has a book by Eric Idle, "lovingly ripped-off" from the screenplay of the Pythons' best- loved film, Monty Python and the Holy Grail by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, Terry Jones and Michael Palin. The music is by Eric Idle and John DuPrez.

Clay Aiken, who has sold more than 6 million albums; co-authored a best-selling book; and, played six sold-out concert tours, said "I really couldn't have asked for a more wonderful group of people to work with. Let's not lie, the chance to work with legendary creative minds like Mike Nichols and Eric Idle is, on its own, a reason to jump at this opportunity. But, that's not all. The producers and creative folks I have had the chance to meet and work with so far have been unbelievably welcoming and wonderful. They've really made me feel at home already, and I haven't even started yet!"

Director Mike Nichols said: "Clay Aiken is amazing beyond that glorious voice. Turns out he is an excellent comic actor and a master of character. People will be surprised by his wide ranging talent, since the first impression is of great country charm and a singer to remember. This guy is not only a star, he is a lot more. We are lucky to get him for SPAMALOT."

SPAMALOT author and original Python Eric Idle commented: "This is great news. I have been a Clay Aiken fan ever since I took my daughter to see him live on the second season of American Idol and she held up a big sign of his name. Maybe now it should read 'American Idle.'"

Other members of the SPAMALOT creative team include Casey Nicholaw (choreography), multiple Olivier Award-winners Tim Hatley (sets and costumes) and Hugh Vanstone (lighting) and Acme Sound Partners.

Winning more awards than any other show in the 2005 Broadway Season, including the Tony Award for Best Musical and the Grammy Award for Best Cast Recording, SPAMALOT has set box office records since opening on Broadway to critical acclaim in March, 2005 at the flagship Shubert Theatre.

Monty Python's SPAMALOT celebrates one year in London's West End at the Palace Theatre this week. SPAMALOT is also on National Tour around the US and is playing at Wynn Las Vegas. An Australian production will open in November in Melbourne.

Monty Python's SPAMALOT is produced by Boyett Ostar Productions, The Shubert Organization, Arielle Tepper, Stephanie McClelland/Lawrence Horowitz, Elan V. McAllister/Allan S. Gordon, Independent Presenters Network, Roy Furman, GRS Associates, Jam Theatricals, TGA Entertainment and Live Nation.

www.montypythonsspamalot.com

 

[Debi]

WOOHOO! Clay's coming to Broadway?! How cool is that!

 

[scarlett873]

Wow! I always thought that Clay belonged on broadway! Too bad I can't get out there to see him...lol

 

[merlib]

Woo hoo! I scored 2nd row orchestra seats for the matinee on Feb. 9th. It's my dd birthday (she'll be 18) and we'll make a day of it in NYC. I too think Clay will do a fab job as Sir Robin. Now, all I need to do is get the tickets to the Mohegan Sun show, and I'll be all set

Merlib
OKW '93

 

[Kimberle]

With my luck, I'll get tickets, then he won't be playing that day.

 

[Fantasmic303]

LoL - Kim, that really is your luck. And I shouldn't be laughing about it.


How strange is it that he's going to be living so close though? I mean, we're going to be watching the same tv stations, hearing the same weather report, complaining about the same traffic (well, practically anyway).

I think we could make him quite comfortable in CT after he decides he loves the Northeast too much to leave it!!

 

[scarlett873]

I tried to get DH to agree to take me to NYC this Spring...here's how the conversation went:

Me: I want to go see Spamalot in NYC this Spring
DH: ??
Me: We could go see some other shows too...like Wicked and Legally Blonde
DH: Why Spamalot?
Me: Cuz Clay's in it
DH: No

I tried!! He didn't budge...lol...

 

[Fantasmic303]

Well, DUH, you shouldn't have told him WHY you wanted to see it!!

Keep trying...I've heard it's a terrific show anyway, and that it's one of the few that men don't have to be dragged to. Wait a couple of weeks, then approach the subject again - maybe he'll have forgotten about Clay!!


(Probably not, but I think an NYC getaway sounds like a good plan anyway!!)

 

[chris1gill]

Does anyone know if Clay is going to be coming out with a new album anytime soon? I'm sort of assuming not with the Broadway show.... I wonder about a summer tour..... Can't make it to Mohegan Sun this winter & he's not coming to Boston (what's up with that?)

 

[Fantasmic303]

Define soon....


He's supposedly working on new material now, so it's in the works. Actually, the Broadway run might actually help get things moving, since he'll be in NYC consistently. Maybe by the end of Spamalot in May, he'll be ready to take his show on the road and give us a REAL summer tour!!

 

[Fantasmic303]

Ooops - I'm a little late on this, and I TOTALLY apologize - we just got back from Disney World, and I'm still trying to catch up with life, so I haven't been online much, BUUUUUUUT....

Clay's episode of Smarter Than A 5th Grader aired tonight. Those of you on the west coast can probably still catch most of it.

 

[CookieGVB]

Pretty smart boy - he was cracking me up. I actually caught most of the show...shocking, but true.

I'm thinking of going to see Spamalot - I wanted to go already, but now I'm happy I waited.

 

[Kimberle]

I caught the last 20 minutes or so. He did really well. To bad he stopped when he did. He had the last answer (500k) correct. But, I can see his point, he wasn't sure of the answer and didn't want to loose the 300k.

Kylene, how was your trip? Where did you stay? What did you eat? What did you see/do?

 

[chris1gill]

Oh I missed it!!! What was the question he stopped at? Anyone know? Anyway to watch the show online?

 

[Fantasmic303]

The question was something like...besides (two names I can't remember), who signed the (Federalist Papers? I think?) and would later become president...something like that...the answer was James Madison, and Clay wavered back and forth as to whether or not he felt confident enough to go with his answer (which actually WAS Madison), ultimately deciding to take the money and run. Which I probably would've done at that point too, without a safety net. I'm not sure if it's online or not, but don't worry - I'm sure it'll be youtubed or downloadable soon. I'll let you know if I come across it.

-------------------MINI TRIP REPORT------------------------------

Kim, the trip was wonderful - hurried and way too short, but wonderful. You know how it is. We stayed at OKW (which was nice, but oh how we missed our "home" at the BWV) and went down primarily for the Halloween Party. My mom and sisters and I went as characters from the Wizard of Oz (sisters were the scarecrow and the witch, mom was the lion, I was Dorothy), and it was so much fun. We were all pretty reluctant to be in public in our costumes (sounded like a much better idea two months ago in the car, lol), but it was really neat to have so many people react to us. I even had a couple of little girls who just were so thrilled to "meet" Dorothy - one mom was like, "I know you're not the character, but she doesn't, and she really wants to stand with you..." It was very sweet. My mom's favorite part of the night was when one little girl, while we waiting in line to meet Minnie, turned around and saw me standing there and literally gasped and her mouth dropped open. And let me tell ya...I don't exactly look like Judy Garland. Must've been the shoes.

The weather was kind of crappy (it rained a little bit every day...we saw the sun for a total of like 20 minutes at the Studios, and then it was a beautiful day on the day we left), but we were happy that they didn't cancel any of the parades or fireworks. We saw Wishes (my FAVORITE!) on Saturday night though, and the sky was so cloudy you couldn't even see any of the fireworks. You could hear them, and occassionally you'd get a glimpse of a spark, but other than that...nothing. In fact, between the clouds and the haze from the fireworks, the entire CASTLE disappeared at one point! It was actually pretty neat, but I was sad for anyone who hasn't seen Wishes as many times as I have, cause it really wasn't ideal for the show.

What did we eat...well, we visited our home and had some dinner at ESPN (my sister craves their dingers) and had lunch at Mama Melrose. Which, by the way, had much smaller portions than we remembered, but it's still one of our favorites and was very yummy (I always get the peperroni flatbread, then my sister and I share that and her penne alla vodka). Oh, we also did Keys to the Kingdom on Saturday, so we had lunch at Columbia Harbor House. We've never eaten there before, and I was pleasantly surprised - it was really good and had some options that were a little different from the typical counter service.

By the way, have you guys been down there to do the new Haunted Mansion yet?? It's AWESOME. The changes are great.

BTW, Kim - do you have your pictures up anywhere from your recent trip? I'd love to live vicariously!!


-------------------Back to Clay------------------------------


I got my tickets to see Spamalot in March, so I'm looking forward to that. I also have tickets to see him at Mohegan Sun in December, but they're pretty crummy seats - unfortunately they went on sale last Saturday while I was on the KTTK tour, so I couldn't call up myself to try to get them. I asked my friend to do it, and I told her I only wanted GOOD seats on the floor, and that I'd get them elsewhere if she couldn't get them when they went on sale.

Do ya think she listened to me? Nope. She bought them anyway.

*sigh*

But the bright side is that there's a fan club contest where you can enter in a Christmas/Holiday memory, and three per show will be chosen. If your memory is chosen, you get to go onstage with Clay and read it aloud. I've just got to make up- er, I mean, THINK UP- a good memory to enter!!

 

[chris1gill]

The question was something like...besides (two names I can't remember), who signed the (Federalist Papers? I think?) and would later become president...something like that...the answer was James Madison, and Clay wavered back and forth as to whether or not he felt confident enough to go with his answer (which actually WAS Madison), ultimately deciding to take the money and run. Which I probably would've done at that point too, without a safety net. I'm not sure if it's online or not, but don't worry - I'm sure it'll be youtubed or downloadable soon. I'll let you know if I come across it.

Well we knew he was a smart cookie But I'm not sure if my son ever learned the answer to the question Clay had in fifth grade LOL.... I don't think he's learned that yet & he's in 7th grade.... they're too busy studying greek and roman history to actually get to American history yet!!!

Good for Clay, great that he did so well!

 

[Fantasmic303]

Mary (merlib), did you/are you sending in a Christmas story for the Mohegan show?

 

[TLH1977]

SHOOT - my sister's name, sorry!!

 

[Fantasmic303]

Yeeps...ok, that was me, logged in on my sister's computer.

ANYWAY...

just been talking to myself here, lol, but if anyone wanted to catch Clay's early Idol days, don't forget to tune into Idol Rewind...they're in the Hollywood Rounds right now, which is always...interesting....

 

[merlib]

Hi Kylene;

Nope -- I chickened out. I actually typed something up and showed it to my dd who just grinned and said "Mom, do you want me to fix all the grammar stuff?" I didn't do too well in school that year I decided with all the other holiday stuff I'm trying to do that I just didn't have the time to make it "good enough" to send in. I did enter for the meet and greet -- haven't won yet so I'm not holding my breath on that one!

All three of us will be at the Mohegan Sun show (hubby too) in section 5. It'll be a wirlwind day 'cause we'll be in Windsor Locks for a family Xmas party in the afternoon, then we have to run home to let the dog out and then we'll head up to Uncasville. Let me know if you want to at least say "hi" before hand.

Mary R.
Only 34 days to Christmas at OKW