jazzgirl

But all the rest is universal angst and confusion and despair re: facing the fact of a parent growing old and feeling overwhelmed by all the things you must/should/don't know how to do about it.

I could not have said that better! to Couchie. Please keep us posted. Depending on the diagnosis, many of us may have dealt with similar situations and can provide ideas. For instance, grab bars have been a big assistance for us (about a dozen are installed in the house).

{{{{{{gbmifan and family}}}}} I'm so sorry to read of your loss.

Good Morning Everyone,

28 Days until Spring! (waves to jazzgirl)

<snip>

Kim

Hee!!!!! Thanks, Kim, for adding SPRING to your countdown. This has truly seemed to me to be the endless winter, so a countdown to spring is much appreciated. I know the Canadians have been hit hard, but here in Chicagoland, it has been one of the snowiest winters ever (not huge snowfalls, just frequent ones) and some brutal temps.

What I have also been curious about, is if anything ever happened to the possible Donald Trump booking of Clay that aired on the Insider over a year ago. I don't remember reading if the gig ever came to fruition, but it did make a grand TV segment even if nothing came of it.

ETA:

Hopes to establish off-Broadway Dinner Theater in Medieval England

:F_05BL17blowkiss: to muskifest and your job unease. Layoffs are happening everywhere. If it does, you accept what you cannot change. And sometimes, these changes do work out for the best.

I thought the EW review of Clay was ......................tolerable. Faint praise is better than no praise and generally means the writer has an unspoken bias they don't want to acknowledge. I loved H,T, & E better than the original!

Kim, I'm guessing Clay will be in the latter part when viewership is the highest, but I'm not taking any chances and taping the whole thing.

Couchie!

You know, you can't take it with you. My philosophy is to make every effort to enjoy every second of life. I think the recent events of the shootings at Northern Illinois University bring this subject home. If someone has the means to do what they do, has the health, and derives pleasure from it, they might as well do it while they are able. And many of these blessed people share their good fortune through reports and clack! As was once said, life is a banquet and so many people are not taking part.

I don't know and perhaps it's petty jealousy but how many autographs does one person need? Seriously.

Many of us who can't go (me, me, me!) depend on the kindness of strangers (TM Blanche DuBois)who give first-hand reports. Everyone's life has different pluses and minuses that we may not know about other than the small slice that is Clay-related that is visible to us. I think our board life would be much poorer without all of us being able to share in the good fortune of others who let us be virtual participants (or a Muski might say, voyeurs !)

1 User(s) are browsing this forum (0 Guests and 0 Anonymous Users).....I'm all alone *sniff*

Scarlett has learned a new language! She is speaking "Spamalot-ese". I wonder if she sings "I'm All Alone" just like King Arthur? It must be the total immersion language approach from repeated viewings of Spamalot.

aikim, thanks for the clack recommendation!

I thought Vanessa was one of the people who violated the trust in Hollywood. Or was it just another fan made up rumor?

There's one I missed. I thought she went away simply because of management change.

I thought she was behind the unauthorized leaking of the TITN video and thus persona non grata, or is that fan mythology?

I wanna know who are all the British people he's hanging around all the time....

eyes merrieeee with suspicion as she know the eHP has no problem holding out on fellow members...

I'm curious about the "British people" answer too. Unless he's going back to Vanessa and the two Simons. And as keeping faith said above,

THE MYSTERY PRODUCER!!!!

cha cha, your project is awesome! Many thanks for your labor of love!

But as usually, no matter how super sucky things may be, somehow, some way, Clay manages to put a smile on my face.

Claygasm, you really, really need this! I admire you for in the midst of all that is happening, looking on the bright side of life!

This article is the first I have heard of the car trip to see Miss Saigon. I do wonder how that came about and if someone was trying to encourage Clay as to career possibilities around him. Or if it was just a trip with church friends to see "Miss Saigon".

<snip>Besides, it's not as if people come to Spamalot for the dancing.

I've enjoyed the dance conversation, but I wonder if any of you have considered that Clay grew up a Southern Baptist when part of the dogma was that dancing was a sin -- something associated with bars and dance halls and drinking and adultery.

I could use some edification here. What is current Southern Baptist dogma on dancing? Some do, some don't? Is it like Catholics and birth control?

Dragging over from Rainlover of the CH last night:

Don't think this has been posted yet - Article from 2/21/07 on Terrence Mann.

http://www.smokymountainnews.com/issues/02...t_broadway.html

Mann's career has given him the insight to know that even Broadway has its share of people who are fully committed while others really ought to find another job. You never know who might show up in a production - some with amazing abilities or others just along for the ride.

While directing a production of "1776" about 16 years ago, Mann found himself frustrated trying to position an actor on stage who didn't seem to be interested in his role. The actor turned out to be none other than American Idol sensation Clay Aiken.

Not all of acting comes down to talent, Mann readily admits.

"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good," Mann said.

As someone said, that might just be why Clay doesn't mention this a lot. It seems to me that Clay is one of those people you either love to deal with (he's a charming bastard) or you can't stand (the charm doesn't work on you)

I've been rather perplexed by the discussion on the Terrence Mann article. I saw no Clay diss whatsoever. I thought it was a huge compliment that Mann even remembered Clay and I thought it was purely a "I remember them from when" type of mention and that Mann was proud that he was a part of Clay's formation as a performer (even though the process of teaching Clay may have had its trying moments), proud enough to mention him all these years later. Someone, either Mann or the writer used the expression "American Idol sensation"; that, to me, was an indication of respect, not an attempt to disparage. I even posted at Clayversity that I thought Mann might see Clay as a protégé and linked some YouTubes of Mann, as follows:

Cats

From his current job with a university and his linked stint with the Broadway Theater Project mentoring newbies, I have a hard time thinking that Mann was making a negative comment about Clay.

As far as this quote;

"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than to be good," Mann said

<snip>Claygasm, I think there was huge Clyra chemistry. Whether it was romantic chemistry I don't know, but it was palpable and jumped off my TV screen. They struck up something that day -- and even if just a friendship I think it's a meaningful one.<snip>

With Clay and Tyra, I saw instantaneous compatibility. I remember when Phil Donahue interviewed Marlo Thomas on his show years ago. Those two had a definite spark and the same simpatico of two people who just found each other interesting. Arguably, Clay and Kimmel had the same type of reaction of two people realizing that they can play well off each other. As Rick said in Casablanca, it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Maybe eHarmony would match Clay and Tyra if they both applied?

<snip>

ETA: I just remembered something I saw and was curious about: I saw Ringo Starr for a few minutes on LKL last night just as Larry was asking him about the controversy between him and Regis & Kelly. Ringo said that the problem had nothing to do with Regis and he still loved Regis. I had to leave at that point, but anybody know what happened? He sure didn't say he loved Kelly and Gelman!

Bookwhore... I read somewhere that during the interview part with Ringo the subject got onto the size of Ripacrit's butt. I'm figuring Ringo didn't care for her hogging his time, especially when they insisted he cut his song time. So, my read is that her need to be the center of attention during his time pissed him off just a little.

On the Ripa/Ringo matter, I, too, think it is very interesting how Ringo is pointedly ignoring Ripa, by saying he still loves Regis. Ripa evidently felt that she could take on Clay with no repercussions, but I haven't heard her say anything about Ringo. Maybe she has enough sense not to take on a former Beatle, or she actually learned something from the fall-out with Clay, or TPTB have muzzled her!

Yeah Divayenta is reporting in at the CH:

<snip>

He looked like Leslie Howard/Peter O'Toole classic English movie star in that camel coat and blond hair with the aquiline nose.<snip>

Clay's latest "movie star" photos do remind me of someone and my mind has been churning to figure out whom. In addition to Leslie Howard, Peter O'Toole, Beau Bridges, Bill Holden, etc., I would now add to the mix George Peppard (I saw "The Carpetbaggers" when I was a small child and just beginning to realize the concept of a risqué movie, without knowing why it was risqué, but I remember thinking even then that George Peppard was stunning).

{{{{{Claygasm}}}}} , I hope your many memories of a life well-lived sustain and comfort you at this difficult time.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm just so tickled about this newest wing-spreading of Clay's I could....I could just....

Spread some things wings myself.....heh...

You left out the "Tonight's the Knight" (paying homage to the thread title!).

Honestly, I don't quite get what Play's referring to? "Those who thought he is hiding something are wrong?"

To dance belt or not to dance belt, that is the question? Whether 'tis nobler......... My cryptic read, anyway.

ETA: A recap of tonight's show from MLK973 at the CH:

I don't know where to begin. I was at the show tonight and enjoyed every minute of it. I was there on Friday night, too, and the crowd was much different but still enjoyed the show. I will do my best to recap what I saw.

When I got to the theater there was no one around. I was there a little before 7pm. I thought well I have a lot of time maybe I should get a small bite to eat to kill time. I walked around Juniors across the alley way and then thought no I don't want to be rushed. So I went back on the street and before you know it I see Jerome. I stopped and saw Clay get out of the car with his black jacket and hood up over his head. He was with Jerome and Mary. He walked as fast as he legs would carry him and went straight to the stage door. I kept on going and went and waited in the very small lobby of the theater. I was getting nervous because compared to Friday night there were few people there that early. Jermone opened the door briefly from the theater side and peaked into the lobby. Maybe they were wondering if anyone was coming to this show <g>.

As the time drew closer many more people showed up. This was not a fan crowd at all. I did not see a single person I knew which is unusual since I have been around too many places to count. All ages. Lots of men, couples, and some kids. When they let us inside at 7:30 it took a while to fill in but the orchestra was pretty full with some open spots on both sides in the back. The mezzanine, though, was sadly pretty empty. Maybe only a quarter full. I couldn't see all the way up but there were plenty of people, it seems in the balcony.

I was in seat A101 tonight. A much different perspective than the mezzanine which I enjoyed so much on Friday night. Friday I had a view of the whole show but so many things were going on I felt I didn't catch everything. Tonight I could focus so much more on CA. He was magnificent. He seemed energetic, happy, and comfortable. The crowd was a normal broadway crowd (yes there were some fans from California and South Carolina and other places but just here and there). He got lots of laughs and tremendous response to his solo in the second half but not a big reaction with every movement or entrance. Brother Maynard also had them rolling in the aisles (one of my favorite parts as well). I did not catch any special references/adlibs tonight - if they were there I didn't catch them. He was superb in every way even when he was not the main focus of the scene.

I was lucky enough to be the award winning peasant tonight. I got to go on stage and shake hands with many in the cast. Clay gave quite a firm handshake. I gave KIng Arthur my name and they incorporated it in the song. Clay was right next to me on his knee and turn and looked over his shoulder and sang right in my direction. Be proud of me. I did not touch him. I did not gasp. I did not faint. I don't know how I lived to tell about it. I am getting stronger each year. I can now actually make eye contact and not look away. I made sure I looked the other way during part of the song so I didn't just focus on Clay.

They took a picture. Here is the one bad thing of the night. I LOST the picture. In my daze I dropped it somewhere. In the theater or outside by the stage door. I retraced my steps outside but to no avail. The picture is lost. Oh well. I don't want it to ruin the moment.

I went to the stage door after the show. He came out within 10 minutes. He had on the carolina hoodie and his black jacket. There were only about 50 people waiting. He signed a lot of things. I got my peasant award signed. He looked at it and looked at me and said - "I remember you, you won." As ususal I was tongue tied. Someone in the crowd said, "heh, Clay I am from North Carolina." He did not react much. Someone next to me asked him if he was excited to see someone from NC. He said (not in a mean way) that people always think he is going to be excited but he already knows a lot of people from North Carolina.

Except for the lost picture, it was a perfect evening. The crowd loved him and the show. They got a partial (not complete) standing ovation. He seemed to have fun. I had fun. Can't wait to go again, and again, and again.

I flashed my fan club membership card and showed her where it said eHP on my boarding pass.....

I enjoyed this as much as anything I have seen Clay do. It was so much fun....from the moment he appeared in the castle window till he took his final bows in the Holy Grail of Tuxedos.

I think the words bolded are a new addition to the fan lexicon.

Third-hand gossip report from desertflower at CV

Just read over at the OFC, from a Poster who was talking with someone Friday Night...who happened to be the Press Agent for the show. He told her that they were waiting a couple of weeks, to let Clay settle into the role, before they invited the Critics to the Show.

My bolding - and hee! I love your third-hand attribution! Great sourcing to let us know where the info came from in this instance. I think it is often impossible to track down such specifics, but I got a kick out of your valiant effort.

But as far as the report of Clay struggling? That's nothing to me. Of COURSE he was struggling, for crying out loud! He's made it a point of telling anybody who'd listen that he was struggling! All that dancing and singing and acting---all at the same time???!?!?!?!? But the man's a pro. And the proof's in the pudding. He's doing everything right, per reports, and I never really doubted he would.

In regards to self-described reports of Clay struggling, there is the often used political strategy of "lowering expectations". Often used because it works and it makes the final result seem even more remarkable than it already is. Maybe Clay isn't self-deprecating as much as a "lowering expectations" practitioner? Interesting spin, anyway!

I didn't mind the report. I try to take any first, second, or third hand reports with a grain of salt. I think it is quite the compliment to Clay if this rehearsal watcher thought he was struggling and then amazed at the actual performance.

I would love for him to have a TV show that is a cross between Oprah and Charlotte Church. A singer herself, Charlotte did duets with her guests, comedy skits and interviews. Charlotte had a wicked sense of humour and was highly entertaining.

How interesting! I didn't know that Charlotte Church, another singer, had a TV show on in other parts of the world. My impression of her was that she grew up too fast. That is, despite her great voice, a slower career trajectory may have been a better move.

I agree that while Spamalot may not represent a seismic move in Clay's career, it is still an extremely astute move. A lot can be said for having your mug (in a good way) all over NYC. Just having a long gig in one of the top two entertainment places in the country and raising the general public awareness of whom Clay Aiken is and what his capabilities are, has to enhance Clay's rep. Broadway arguably reaches a different and perhaps older and more educated audience than the traditional popstar radio MTV demographic, and means a greater dissemination into pop culture. It's a another rung on the entertainment ladder.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for more TV gigs besides The View. I'm would hope for an appearance on Mike and Juliet (I'm not a betting woman on Regis and Kelly, given the last encounter), GMA seems like a safe bet, and keeping fingers crossed for Letterman, Ferguson, and would love, love a Charlie Rose appearance!

Clay? Wonderful man. Be gentle with him? heh....Honey, let Muski show you what gentle is all about....

I thought someone would zero in on that with laser-like intensity.

HA! Seems like the camera crew, already in place in the rehearsal room before Clay knocked on the door, might have given the Jersey Boys a bit of a clue.

Clay's ET stint got publicity for two Broadway shows. Smart. I bet he would kill in Jersey Boys (and I do wonder if that has been offered).

{{{{{{Couchie and mom}}}}}}} Please keep us posted.

I tend to think of album release dates like construction finish dates - they're both likely to be pushed back. If you're told that the house or the renovation will be done on a certain date - just add a couple of weeks or months to it, and it's probably right. Album dates are the same. So it's good not to get our hopes up too high for a certain date.

But no matter when the album comes out - it's going to be an exciting time! He's excited about it, and so am I!

I think the rule of thumb is to add 50% to whatever timetable a contractor gives you . So if Clay is saying the album is four months away, I will extrapolate accordingly.

This most definitely is the last gathering of the tribe that I'm going to miss for a while.