Heidi, getting to see Rick was an added treat. And yet...I would have also liked to have seen Tom Deckman and David Hibbard as well. I'm selfish like that.
aikim, I'll fight you for that green sweater. Maybe we can share? I don't live THAT far away from you.
I too love Clay's quirky clothes choices...and I wish I could afford one of those gray pouchy shirts. It looks really comfortable to me!
Would anyone like a true recap from me on my trip? If so...keep reading! If not...sorry. You're going to get one anyway!
My NYC and Spamalot recap…
The trip did not get started on a good note. My husband and I were scheduled to leave early Saturday morning, December 27. Except, we received a phone call from United Friday night – our first flight was cancelled! They could get us on a plane from a different airport (an hour away) on Saturday evening, though. Long story short – hubby and I made it to LaGuardia Airport at 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning, and to our hotel by 3:15. Very interesting riding through Times Square at that time of the morning… Fortunately, I had the foresight to give the Millennium Broadway a “heads up” and they had a room held for us, where we fell into bed. (BTW, if you can afford it, the Millennium Broadway is a great hotel, just one block off Times Square, and down the road from the Shubert. We got a decent deal via PriceLine…)
Sunday was my husband’s day for sightseeing. We walked past Rockefeller Center (taking pictures of people ice skating in the 65 degree weather!) to get to The Frick Collection, along Central Park. This is a really nice small museum with varied paintings and sculptures from many time periods. We then walked across Central Park to pay homage at the Dakota, and then back to the hotel. My husband’s brother has a friend who lives in NYC, and he and his wife then took us on the subway to Chinatown for dinner. Joe’s Shanghai – the best soupy dumplings ever! Also, the only one’s I’ve ever had. Hee. We then went to the Iridium Jazz club for some live jazz. I think the room held maybe 130 people tops. Small, crowded, not smoky – and probably the best way to hear jazz.
Monday was my day. I had planned to do the NBC Studio tour, only to find out that I should have purchased advance tickets. Sigh. We still went to the Top of the Rock, though – it was a beautiful clear day, and we got some great pictures. Next was Central Park and a horse carriage ride, followed by a soup lunch at Trump Towers. Back to the hotel for some rest, and then off to John’s Pizza. Yum.
And then…Spamalot!
The reason this trip came about, in many ways, was because I was just playing around on Telecharge in September…and a pair of tickets, D101 and D102 came up. Talked to hubby, said “one in four chance,” and he said “OK.” LOL As it happened, it was not meant to be, but those are still fantastic seats.
It was definitely not a Clay Aiken crowd that night, as compared to my trip back in March. He appeared in the tower window – and no applause. I actually like it like that, as, to me, it makes it feel as if he’s part of the ensemble (IMO, as it should be). He did, however, get recognition from the “Idol of my age” line, which was cool. I think the biggest response from the crowd, though, was not for Clay, but actually for one of my favorite lines in the show: “well, that’s not something you usually say to a heavily armed Christian.”
It was very interesting seeing the show with a new King and LOTL. To me – I just can’t compare one to the other. Hannah is definitely more over the top, while Merle can be more restrained. I think Merle’s performance worked better in some parts of the show (Song that Goes Like This) while Hannah’s in others (Diva’s Lament). It’s the same with the King. I personally would have liked to see the show with Jonathan Hadary and Merle as the two leads. I appreciated that Rick, as the French taunter, added the line “I throw my shoes at you!” However, his take on “I like big butts” left something to be desired…hee.
As far as Clay’s performance – he’s become a seasoned pro now, and I like it. He fits seamlessly into the show. I gotta say though, that he’s developed this oral fixation. His tongue is out a LOT throughout the entire show; he chewed on the strap in the tower guard scene; and he chewed on the ribbons during the guarding Herbert scene. What’s up with that? Anyway, I love the little details that I could get from watching him up close – grabbing his foot when he was “dismounting” his horse; popping the hat out during the finale; the hip thrusts during the dancing at the end; the exaggerated looks he gives toward the audience during the beginning of “All for One.” Funny too that he held the chicken upside down that night; I don’t remember that from before. IMO, his comedic timing has been refined, and he works well within the group. He certainly flirts shamelessly during the entire show, especially during the Camelot number. I find that fun to watch. Oh, and during the curtain call – one of the female dancers came out with Clay’s top hat in her hand. Heh.
Yeah, I guess you could say that I liked it. LOL.
BTW, my husband said he really enjoyed it too. He wasn’t bored, which is good. He’s a Monty Python fan, so he understood much of the humor, and he enjoyed all the performances.
Anyway, after the show was over, my husband and I raced out to the stage door, and managed to get a good spot directly across from the stage door itself. I gave my husband the camera and said “just shoot.” Which he did – and I would say he did pretty good. He didn’t use the flash, as both he and I think it rude to use flashbulbs in someone’s face that closely. A link to my pictures is here: http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y249/ldyj...r%2012-29-2008/ I also got to see Rick at the SD, which was a bonus.
And then, Juniors for cheesecake and coffee, back to the hotel for sleep, and then another long day of flying, including running through O’Hare Airport to make our connecting flight.
I am so glad I was able to experience NYC with my husband (it was his first time there). I am also so very glad I was able to see Clay as Sir Robin one more time, and revel in the show with the entire cast.
Look on the bright side, indeed.
