#26: "Irreverent, surprisingly fearless, a total delight and a surprise!"

[Scarlett]

So......is it considered really really gauche if there is a get together being planned to say goodbye to a person and that person doesn't show up? That person THINKS she'll show up but........a front row center orchestra ticket happened up pop up for a certain Broadway show yesterday afternoon and well.....someone (who probably isn't going to use the ticket or the one she has for the Saturday matinee) bought it. :chair:

You know we always party whether or not the celebrant shows up... or is even aware of it! Our 2006 Pre-concert lunch was a blast especially since there wasn't a concert that night so we got to hang around for about 5 hours.

Also, the front-and-center view is still a Clay Aiken special despite this being a Broadway show. Have fun & thanks for the gorgeous LA pictures!

I'm the one who might not show since I need to finally decide on and sign a new apartment this Saturday (after dyeing yarn for the Striped Sock Sirens). I'm down to 3 choices:

1. very close to KAndre and the iGallop, one of our offices, a hop & skip away from Montrose and my primary care physician

2. very close to the airport (for last-minute flights) and our other office, has attached garages and is close to the house of an officemate who's helpful and can lift things

3. far away from everything but my new address will read Clay Road

[ldyjocelyn]

Video in this CB thread

I had some recaps here too, but I screwed up and lost them. Hopefully someone will bring them over before I get to work. If not, I'll recreate.

Nevermind, I've got the time...

Recap from NYCITYCLAYFAN at CV! (I pulled both from getclayaiken):

I'm BAAAAAAAAACCKKK!! Sorry - this is gonna be a little long, lol.

OMG!!! I just have to say - I LOVE CLAY AIKEN!!!!

First off, picked my son Daniel up after work and we headed back into the city. We arrived at Shubert Alley around 6:30. We walked over to Juniors and were seated right away. BTW, the service is very slooooooowww. Anyway, we had dessert only (black & white cookie and tea for Daniel, strawberry shortcake cheesecake and a cappucino for mommmy).

We finished and were out by 7:15. We headed over to the box office so I could get 4 tickets to take both kids and my BFF Diane on March 20th. I got 4th Row on the aisle in the Right Orchestra (and got them for the discount price - $70 insead of $111!!! How cool is that? The money saved on just one ticket should pay for an inexpensive dinner!

Anyway, after we got the tickets, Daniel wanted his souvenirs. I promised him, so off to the stand we went. He couldn't decide between the coconuts and the killer rabbit puppet and I said what the heck and got him both. I bought myself the souvenir brochure with the Clay poster in it (and good thing, too!).

After they opened the doors we headed up to the 2nd row center mezzanine seats we had (dead center!). No one was sitting in front of Daniel, so he had a clear view of the stage at all times. He held onto that Rabbit puppet as if it were the last toy on earth and had a ball with it, putting it on my shoulder and playing around with it all night, but behaving (considering he was off his meds by the time we got there, I was thrilled he sat as still as he did).

He loved the show! Clay was SO ON tonite! Not like he wasn't great the last two times I saw him, but what a frickin' major improvement since opening weekend! His facial expressions are priceless and the dance moves just flow like he was born to do this (and I'm beginning to think he WAS). The LOTL wasn't Hannah and I was more than dissapointed, though Daniel thought she was good - I hope she's back when we go back next month - then he can compare the two.

During the encore, Daniel stood and sang along to Bright Side Of Life with the rabbit in his hands moving it all around. Trust me, I have a point to the whole rabbit scenario.

Oh and just to mention there might not have been a lot of kids in the orchestra, but there were a TON in the mezzanine and balcony and quite a few of the teenagers (both boys and girls) knew who Clay was and were excited to see his performance.

Back to us, lol.

As soon as the show was over, we headed to the stairs on the right side which lead us right outside next to the barricade at the stage door. I got Daniel right up to the barricade and he held onto that rabbit for dear life. I gave him a playbill to hold and get signed (its for a friend who can't make the show) and I took out my poster and folded it over and got out my camera!

We waited no more than 10 minutes before Mr. Aiken came out with his arm around a redheaded girl he introduced to us as Shannon. He said she takes my pants off each night and you had to see the twinkle in his eyes when he said that. He told us he wanted it all over the internet and knew we could do it. He even posed with her for pictures, lol, just to make sure we got one. I wasn't quick enough to get one, but I'm sure others did.

He started down the line from my left (about 15 feet away) and worked his way towards me and Daniel. He signed my poster then looked down and Daniel and said "Well hello there young man - did you have a good time tonight? I saw you up there, " and he looked up and pointed "you were sitting in the middle upstairs right Mom?" and he looked right at me. GAH!!! I wanted to die! Anyway I was able to get out that this was Daniel's FIRST B'way show ever and he said "I saw you and your rabbit all night upstairs. Did you enjoy the show?" To which Daniel just smiled and nodded as Clay signed the Playbill in his hands. I thanked him and he smiled and winked at me before moving on to the next person.

Rick Holmes (Lancelot) was out signing as well and they passed each other (they started on opposite sides). When Rick got to us, I called out his name and he recognized me from last Friday evening and I pointed down to Daniel and reminded him that I was bringing my son. He asked Daniel if he had a good time and he signed my souvenir brochure for Daniel. He even took a picture with Daniel. (I'll put them up on photobucket tomorrow and post them here, together with the few pictures I was able to get of a cuteblondsexysingerguy who was wearing a blue Carolina hoodie).

We waited for a few more minutes after Clay and Rick left to see if anyone else was coming out, but I think maybe Tom and Chris snuck out when we weren't paying attention. I told Daniel that we'd wait again next time, since he won't have school the next day so he can meet them then.

Well - that was an adventure, wouldn't you say?

Clay totally made not only my evening, but definitely made Daniel's first Broadway experience an enjoyable one!

More recaps from Ms. Marm (CH)

Austen Fan at CB wrote:

I was at the show tonight and I have some stage door video that I'm processing as we speak. Yes, there is 'pants clack'. Clay and Shannon. Is that 'shack'?

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, jus 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.

Video to come...

Love the bit with Daniel.

kareneh, thanks for the pictures, and have fun with whatever you do!!!!!

Oh, and I love my change jar. It will partially finance my trip to NYC in March.

[duckyvee]

There was many a time I had to wear a hankie bobbypinned to my head when I couldn't find my chapel cap to go to church. There was one time all we could find was a Kleenex!

I forgot about that. I wore tissues on my head many times! Seemed we were always walking over to church from school for something or other, and I wasn't always prepared. If you didn't have your little head doily or manitlla (loved that!), you had to put on a tissue.

[claytonic]

Clayoradoan called: Clay has a message for us, he introduced his "dresser", Shannon, and he wanted it out on the internet that she helped him in and out of his clothes.

So....how much does Shannon pay

the producers for her

"job"?

[ldyjocelyn]

playbiller and the rest of ya'll who don't care for shipping, cover your ears and sing "la la la" for a few seconds....

Shannon and Clay make a cute couple. Hee.

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

87 Days until The Closing Night of Spamalot!

91-98 Days until The New CD!

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[duckyvee]

There was many a time I had to wear a hankie bobbypinned to my head when I couldn't find my chapel cap to go to church. There was one time all we could find was a Kleenex!

I forgot about that. I wore tissues on my head many times! Seemed we were always walking over to church from school for something or other, and I wasn't always prepared. If you didn't have your little head doily or manitlla (loved that!), you had to put on a tissue. Our grade school sold mantillas in Mother Superior's office . You were allowed to buy one after 3rd grade. All those rules.....

[KAndre]

lena will be my Chief Financial Officer under my new world order...y'all need to start sucking up to her now.

Tsk, tsk – the rule for quickies at the FCA is the same as the rule for gum in class – you have to have enough for everyone here!

He is the teasingest man…I love it. Does Shannon take bribes? Just wondering…

Kareneh, you are such a doll – like we wouldn’t have bailed on you in no time flat. Front row center orchestra? We would have left you a message though. From the front row center orchestra. And will have a party anyhoo. We like parties.

I hate to tell you this, ToldForThis (heh), but that little angle thingie does not erase the smut intentions – the smut intentions are strong – ask 00lsee.

Hmmm, Scarlett – lifting things is important but maybe the lifter person would be willing to drive wherever necessary to lift things? And we will simply name your new place “The Clay Estate” and you can stick it in your address. We’ll put up a sign for the post office.

[muskifest]

So....how much does Shannon pay

the producers for her

"job"?

BWAH! I'm alone in my office early this morning and that's a good thing 'coss I guffawed big time at that one, claytonic!

Reflecting on the rather questionable state of my mind these days, I was actually thinking about this on the bus this morning. I've done community theater and remember all the mad clothes changing backstage. The idea that some have that Clay goes 'without' under those white pants of clingy goodness is one that I just :lmaosmiley-1: at.

I mean, REALLY. Can you imagine Clay Aiken with his bare ass and boys out there in the breeze while he sheds the mesh chain mail tights and puts on the White Pants of Clingy Goodness---all in the crowd of actors hurrying and scurrying backstage?

Yeah. Right. Like that would happen.

[playbiller]

playbiller and the rest of ya'll who don't care for shipping, cover your ears and sing "la la la" for a few seconds....

Shannon and Clay make a cute couple. Hee.

Cute or not - Two different worlds - they come from two different worlds,,,lah dah dah

She will soon be dressing other men and putting on their pants. I saw her backstage when sitting on the side. Clay had come down from the tower and was having his hat changed. Clay called out bring out your dead while his hat was adjusted and his back to the stage and someone else hit the triangle, Then Clay turned, grabbed it and ran out. I think there is very little time to admire when getting him in and out of his pants.

[Ansamcw]

playbiller and the rest of ya'll who don't care for shipping, cover your ears and sing "la la la" for a few seconds....

Shannon and Clay make a cute couple. Hee.

Cute or not - Two different worlds - they come from two different worlds,,,lah dah dah

She will soon be dressing other men and putting on their pants. I saw her backstage when sitting on the side. Clay had come down from the tower and was having his hat changed. Clay called out bring out your dead while his hat was adjusted and his back to the stage and someone else hit the triangle, Then Clay turned, grabbed it and ran out. I think there is very little time to admire when getting him in and out of his pants.

Play...you better put more emphasis on the word TIME in your last sentence...or else muski will go after you!!!!

[merrieeee]

I think there is very little time to admire when getting him in and out of his pants.

I am glad you added the word time in there because if you had not it would have started a whole different conversation.

[claytonic]

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the current banner and hope it does not get replaced too quickly...

[playbiller]

Maybe I should have said a limited period of time.

[zena]

In spite of my usual nocturnal wanderings and ramblings, I love dropping in here in the mornings.

It just makes me smile from ear to ear.... gets me warmed up...um...all over..

Couchie, after you've done all the legwork of researching and replacing your beloved mug, could you let me know how to get one. Lena told me she wants one .... errrr.... for Ole's valentines present.

okay, have a great day everyone......mine is going to be a long one.

oh brother, my mind is stuck in one track; i may need to go find a hanky and confess my sins sometimes very soon.

[muskifest]

okay, have a great day everyone......mine is going to be a long one.

oh brother, my mind is stuck in one track; i may need to go find a hanky and confess my sins sometimes very soon.

Welcome to my world, zena!

...well, except for "the need to confess my sins" part...

[Scarlett]

Maybe I should have said a limited period of time.

Well even 2 minutes, when multiplied 8x per week over 4 months will add up. And the Service Level Agreement probably allows for, say 1 or 2 malfunctions a month -- "Oh, my, it's stuck. I don't know how that happened." No one expects perfection except from Clay. I think there was a day when it took him a long time to get back from Brother Maynard to Robin. Same thing, just more convenient if it had happened later.

KAndre, lifter seems willing to drive but we probably need a base that's closer to the airport for those 5:30 am flights. Also, the "lift" part is relative because you know my type could never lift anything more than a small child.

[luckiest1]

From CH:

We had previously explored doing our annual Champions of Change gala this spring in New York City in conjunction with Clay Aiken’s appearance in Spamalot on Broadway. After consulting with various parties, we have decided it would be in the best interests of the Foundation to delay our 2008 gala until at least the fall. We are still looking at New York as a possible location but all details are yet to be determined.

We want to make sure we maximize the potential of a wonderful event that raises awareness for the efforts of people and organizations around the country who are working to make inclusion a reality. We hope that many of you can join us for our celebration in 2008.

Thank you for your support!

Aron Hall

Director Services

[playbiller]

Just as well, I don't think Fear can schedule another trip up here so soon. heh. She definitely hit a record number of trips this year.

[keepingfaith]

This is even better. From CH:

QUOTE

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.

The other guy wasn't named Waldo, was he?

I'm the one who might not show since I need to finally decide on and sign a new apartment this Saturday (after dyeing yarn for the Striped Sock Sirens). I'm down to 3 choices:

1. very close to KAndre and the iGallop, one of our offices, a hop & skip away from Montrose and my primary care physician

2. very close to the airport (for last-minute flights) and our other office, has attached garages and is close to the house of an officemate who's helpful and can lift things

3. far away from everything but my new address will read Clay Road

If it were me, I'd be going to the Montrose. I love the spirit of the neighborhood. And just as Neil Young wrote about North Ontario ..... all my changes were there.

Couchie, after you've done all the legwork of researching and replacing your beloved mug, could you let me know how to get one. Lena told me she wants one .... errrr.... for Ole's valentines present.

okay, have a great day everyone......mine is going to be a long one.

oh brother, my mind is stuck in one track; i may need to go find a hanky and confess my sins sometimes very soon.

Me too, me too! For my very own Valentine present to myself!!!

[lilyshine]

Scarlett, I think my son lives in Montrose. He used to be in the Heights, but they moved. They are 3 or 4 blocks from the Kroger on ??Westheimer??. I have a terrible memory for street names if I'm not driving!

I'm going to be in Houston at the end of February. Any parties planned????

[BrightLights]

I just LOVE LOVE LOVE the current banner and hope it does not get replaced too quickly...

I agree it is really nice.

[luckiest1]

Welcome BrightLights!

From the PythOnline newletter (via CH):

SPAMALOT – Clay Aiken's first week in the cast of the Broadway production of Spamalot has been nothing short of spectacular. If you can't make it to see Clay on Broadway, take your favourite snapshot of Mr. Aiken with you to Spamalot in Melbourne or Las Vegas, and fantasize your heart out. Likewise for the touring company which stops in Nashville, TN from 12-17 Feb at Andrew Jackson Hall, and of course London, which will have a NEW Lady of the Lake with her first performance at the Palace Theatre on Monday 11 February 2008.

[liney23]

Welcome BrightLights!

From the PythOnline newletter (via CH):

SPAMALOT – Clay Aiken's first week in the cast of the Broadway production of Spamalot has been nothing short of spectacular. If you can't make it to see Clay on Broadway, take your favourite snapshot of Mr. Aiken with you to Spamalot in Melbourne or Las Vegas, and fantasize your heart out. Likewise for the touring company which stops in Nashville, TN from 12-17 Feb at Andrew Jackson Hall, and of course London, which will have a NEW Lady of the Lake with her first performance at the Palace Theatre on Monday 11 February 2008.

luckiest... thanks for bringing that over. I am thrilled to see it, but I want more. I want the regular Broadway reviewers to say how wonderful he is, dang it. When are those reviews going to happen? I keep thinking any day now. Maybe next week! Sigh! I have to be patient. I'm sure the producers won't invite them to come until they feel Clay is truly ready. Sigh! It's only been 3 weeks tomorrow.

Welcome, Brightlights!

[FromClaygary]

:F_05BL17blowkiss: all!

Awww. I think he's teasin' us.

I agree. He's probably looking forward to all the speculating and extrapolating that will inevitably result!

He's such a little shit!

Marilyn, I bet he would have LOVED your quickie comment! You should have left it in!

No, thats the point. I DID leave it in!!! I took out the reference to Mr Happy though!!

Aw shucks! I bet he would have loved that too!

So yay, the lady at marvelous mugs said she knows that graphic is around there somewhere and she'll keep looking...so nobody has posted the picture yet? Surely someone has Clay's feet photos cataloged? Ya'll are slippin!!

So....couchie....if you manage to get them talked into it, I'd LOVE one of those! Aren't they cheaper the more you get?

I wanted one so bad when I first saw them at CH, but yah, like THAT was gonna happen!

But I still want one. :

(whine)Well, we had about 2 ft of snow here overnight. Took me almost an hour to get out of the house, as I couldn't get down the front steps which were completely buried....and my car was in the garage ....and my car exactly fits the garage. So you have to sliiiiiiiide down the side of the car, bend the mirror in, sliiiiiiiiiiide as close as you can to the garage door handle, and try to figure out HTH to get the door open when you can't reach it!

Altogether, NOT a good start to the day.

And then I got out, to find that my snowplow driver had, unbeknownst to him, dropped the load of snow from my driveway....onto the front steps! So I had 2 ft + 6 ft from the driveway to get thru. (/whine)

Have I mentioned how much I hate winter??

ETA: I WAS glad to see that note from Aron re the Gala though...I figured as soon as we gave up on him and booked for Spamalot, they'd book it either the week before or the week after we were there