#28: The man's a joy magnet!

[laughn]

from stripedshirts at CV...

I forgot to add something to last night's report. The crew from American Idol has been at the Schubert last Fri. to interview Clay. I believe it's either Idols: Where Are They Now?, or 'Idol Chatter'. This info was shared to me during tkt purchase.

Not sure what that is about, but it sounded interesting to me.

Happy Birthday JennaZ! :2164:

[liney23]

{{{{{aikim}}}}} We had rabbits for pets when my kids were younger. One of them would play tag with the kids. Great pets!

keeping... Happy Anniversary!!!

Jenna.... Happy Birthday!!!

:00003653:

Here's a present for all of us to enjoy together...

I sure hope Clay can get himself some hip help today! He's probably got rehearsals with the new Galahad tomorrow afternoon besides the regular show.

That recap of Clay and Chris in the curtain call Sunday night just about did me in... Chris started out being unsure of Clay being in the show and ended up really really liking and respecting him and his talent. Now, Chris didn't tell me this, but in hearing the recaps, I think it is a pretty sure thing to speculate. LOL

[treenuts]

The prone one gets me, too, but cause of that chest, tho the hand is very nice. I love it when Clay gives us glimpes of his verra verra niiiice chest! (panting rapidly with tongue hanging out at chestage)

Oooo, I quite agree! I've always thought for one so frequently refered to as skinny that there was nothing concave about that boy's body! heh

*takes a moment*

I loved/still love the EW pictures, every one of them. I liked seeing Clay without make-up, freckles showing, red hair--he looked real..

I am probably alone here but wth....I have all to often been torn between "natural" Clay and "slightly fluffed&folded" Clay. I adore this man as he is. I absolutely flove his freckles and natural lashes and whatnot. So it's difficult for me to sometimes see him all made up without thinking "he just doesn't need that". But I have to admit I am sooo drawn to his more "artful" photographs as well. They do bring out the dramtically beautiful features that you can't capture in pics. So with that said I am going out on a limb here to softly say while I completely adore the new CD Cover photo, and can appreciate the beauty it captures, I really wish they had not dolled him up quite so much. It almost looks too perfect for me. I love Clay's natural features, coloring and eyebrows. Why did they trim up his eyebrows so much?

But he is sure purdy there. I'll admit that. And I would soo do him!

Oh yea, and I'M GOING TO NEW YAWK CIDEE Y'ALL. SPAMMIN' THIS WEEK...EEEEEEE

[ldyjocelyn]

{{{{{aikim}}}}}}}}}}} So sorry all this happened at once over the weekend!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JENNAZ!!!

It's interesting when those EW pictures were brought up yesterday. I'm positive that I was one who was drooling, and squeeing, and back to drooling again, when those pictures first appeared. Looking at them again yesterday....I was like "who IS that guy? I don't even feel like it's the same person." Know what I mean? And I do that with a lot of the early pictures now. Ones that I thought were so very gah-worthy back then now sometimes make me go "eh." I find that rather strange, actually...

For the record, I love the cover picture (I thought that was a clever way to catch the hysteria around Clay at that time), and still love the two pictures with him and the dog (and remember how some interviews then thought that dog was Raleigh?). My favorite, though, of the early photo shoots with Clay, are the Time magazine shots, especially this one (made into a wallpaper for me by Betty897x):

I've always loved his pose in that picture -- confident and cocksure (heh). I also love the outfit they've got him in, I think this is a fantastic suit. And the way the tie is loosened up a bit....gah.

[muskifest]

So with that said I am going out on a limb here to softly say while I completely adore the new CD Cover photo, and can appreciate the beauty it captures, I really wish they had not dolled him up quite so much. It almost looks too perfect for me. I love Clay's natural features, coloring and eyebrows. Why did they trim up his eyebrows so much?

But he is sure purdy there. I'll admit that. And I would soo do him!

Ah, treenuts...join me and Claygasm in our assessment of the beautiful CD cover shot. As I posted way back, I do believe it's the overly aggressive use of tweezers and pencil on the eyebrows that make this just too pretty. (I guess all posed pics of celebrities will get the inevitable airbrushing and jawline enhancing and whatnot.) I wish I was a photoshop person 'coss I'd experiment with putting in a more natural eyebrow in place of this very femininely groomed and shaped one. I LIKE Clay's eyebrows and have seen them groomed yet still much more natural (and masculine)...don't know why they think they have to do all this extra work on such a face with such naturally amazing features. (For example, I have as my work desktop, this picture

I think he looks amazing here...just gorgeous and hawt and his eyebrows look great and like a man's eyebrows, you know?

Whatever...I'd still do him in a nanosecond.

[ldyjocelyn]

More recaps from last night:

Thanks to NYMom for calling me while traveling home last night. It was exciting to talk to her and send some news to you all. But I kept her on the phone blabbering so long, I apologize!

I see there've been a couple great recaps from last night. And I'm not a great writer, but I have a couple things to add.

This was a family trip for me. Last fall when I told my 2 sons and daughter (who all know and love Monty Python's Hold Grail) that Clay was going to be in Spamalot, they raised their eyebrows and stared at me in disbelief. So I just had to get them into NY to see it.

Well, my family totally LOVED the show. My oldest son had seen it early last year and said this cast is so much better. They were all amazed at the great job Clay did, and couldn't even believe he had an injury. They were impressed with the fact that he still performed.

My 80 yo mil loved it, too. She doesn't know Clay at all, but was surprised to hear he wasn't an experienced Bway actor. She liked the YWSOB number the best of the entire show. She offered that this show would need to be seen more than once to pick up on all that's happening. Dh and I thought the crowd took quite a long time to warm up last night. They were absolutely dead during the coconut/swallow number. But they seemed to warm up after the caught on to the humor. Certainly by the second half they were alive.

OK on to Clay.....

From my Row A mezzanine seat, I could see Clay had a hard time attaching the grail to his hat before the bottle dance. He fumbled with that for what seemed like a long time, but couldn't have been since that number moves so fast. We all noticed it, and concluded we think it must be held on with velcro. Plus it appears there may be a small flap that has to be placed partially over the base of the grail. He was fumbling with that flap with both hands and had his leg extended before he got it secured. I was thinking how funny it would have been if it fell off! I'd love to see the ad-libbing that'd occur after that.

Darn, I'll have to take notes next time, cuz I definitely saw lots of new things. AGAIN.. and can't remember where. I hate to admit to senior moments, so I'll chock it up to the Aiken fog.

There was part when he filled his cheeks with air and made faces while his cheeks were puffed, and can't remember which scene that was. But was real cute! LOL! Maybe Austen fan or others remembers where that was?

Also, when the cow fell into Patsy, Clay grabbed it's tail and swished it around on Patsy. First time I saw that.

He seems to be giving more opportunities for applause during and after YWSOB, now. He stops longer before going to the piano for applause, acting like the song is over (but we know better). But the new thing is, when it's all over and before he kneels before King Arthur (not sure if I even remember him even kneeling), he hops up and down in excitement, extends his arms to us inviting even more applause.... he is a total and absolute ham. This is before Arthur says 'Gosh'. It's really funny and this number is surely the show stopper of the play. The audience rewarded him with appaluse at every opportunity.

His dim-witted guard scene is truly getting longer and more funny because of his facial expressions alone. My sons belly laughed during this entire scene. I love seeing my 3 children, and mil laughing so hard... also my dh, but this was his third show, so I got to see him love it twice before. He's swooning over Hannah, so it doesn't take much to talk him into going again and again.

Peasant seat was D101 and was a man. He acted like he had no idea, so was really funny. Also, Clay extended his had for a shake and didn't get one, and hammed it up big time.

You know, each time I see it, I come back amazed at this being the perfect gig for Clay. He is grabbing every opportinity, small and large, to get more laughs and applause. This show surely gives him the chance to ad-lib and ham it up ... big time. I simply adore it.

If I think of more I'll post. But overall he's still amazes me with every performance. I MUST go again before May 4, and I surely will.

English family sitting next to me. Never heard of anybody connected with the show (including Mike Nichols!) but they wanted to see a Broadway show and remembered Monty Python. At the intermission, they were asking me if Robin was the one who was leaving. I said no, that's the American singer Clay Aiken. She said "He's a terrific comic actor -- I can't picture him singing!" She asked if she could find anything about him if she Googled him. Ya think? They (and the teenage son & daughter) were smitten. It's amazing how different the reactions are when there are no pre-conceived notions. Husband said somebody who was that good a comedian would have a show on the air in Britain.............. He couldn't picture him singing either, but said if he can actually sing he should have a variety show.

[muskifest]

It's amazing how different the reactions are when there are no pre-conceived notions. Husband said somebody who was that good a comedian would have a show on the air in Britain.............. He couldn't picture him singing either, but said if he can actually sing he should have a variety show.

GAH....Oh, how I'd love to be there when these people actualy see and hear him singing---like BOTW or Solitaire or AIW or Without You or...

Well, hell---any ole' thing!

And that first sentence in the quoted part? So true...so very true.

post ho'ing here...

Treenuts! You're going to be in NYC this week? So am I! And so is Gibby! And so is ldyjocelyn! When are you going to be there?

[KAndre]

Man, I hate the "fun" part of my job....

Anybody out there have the opening sequence for Saturday Night Fever? You know, where Travolta is strutting down the sidewalk checking out the chicks? Hell, the closing sequence for Stayin' Alive would work too. Dammit. If I have to waste my Netflix slot on Saturday Night Fever, I'm gonna be PISSED.

Ahem.

I love prettified Clay. Hell, I like prettified me, even through every guy I've ever dated claims to like au natural moi - stuff for the archives is not getting the unplucked, unmade up, uncombed hair me. HD has not been good for many celebrities, in my pseudo-humble opinion.

[Couch Tomato]

I wanna be in NYC this week! And next week! and the week after that.

KAndre..what the hell are you doing? Why do you need a struttin' John Travolta!!

[aikim]

Thanks everyone for all the hugs! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Kim

[treenuts]

It's amazing how different the reactions are when there are no pre-conceived notions. Husband said somebody who was that good a comedian would have a show on the air in Britain.............. He couldn't picture him singing either, but said if he can actually sing he should have a variety show.

GAH....Oh, how I'd love to be there when these people actualy see and hear him singing---like BOTW or Solitaire or AIW or Without You or...

Well, hell---any ole' thing!

And that first sentence in the quoted part? So true...so very true.

post ho'ing here...

Treenuts! You're going to be in NYC this week? So am I! And so is Gibby! And so is ldyjocelyn! When are you going to be there?

Oh yea, a Primetime Variety Show would be kinda cool. There aren't any on the air right now so it could be a good time for one. Just as long as it didn't interfere with his music. :oMy dream......Clay Aiken: Entertainer of the Year award; Grammies; Emmy; Oscar; Tony and maybe a Presidency one day?

muski, I am going to be there Friday and Saturday of this week, baybay!! I hope to get a chance to meet you guys while there. I am staying at the Hampton Inn on 8th & 51st (I believe...haha)

I hope (((Clay and Clay's hip))) are mucho better by then. I do care so much about him (so I don't appear to be the selfish bitch that I am) and I really really wanna see the slo-mo horsey thingy at it's deepest and lowest. hee

[KAndre]

Couchie, I work for delusional bankers who apparently think they were the shit back in the day...

Do we have a clip of Clay doing the strut? For my personal collection? Though I hafta admit, imagining Clay in skin tight pants, perfect hair, striding along the streets of NYC is hot...and yes, it would have to be dark haired emo clay - blond dudes strutting in a totally shallow manner doesn't work for me...

[Lotus]

Thank you all of you who post recaps here. I cannot get enough of reading about how good Clay performances are and I just feel so privileged that I will be seeing him in just over 2 weeks.

I just finished watching the following amzing 18 minute talk by Jill Bolt Taylor who is a neuroanatomist. She is describing what it felt like to be having a stroke caused by a cerebral hemorrhage. It is a fascinating insight from someone who studies the brain and brain disorders and I was so impressed by it that I just have to post the link for any of you who may be interested.

I hope you don't mind my interjecting this in the midst of all the celebration of Clay's beauty.

ETA ooooo Clay strutting, tight pants...love the image.

And...wow I just noticed I'm a body guard now...does this position come with any privileges?

[playbiller]

Well... K'Andre, we do have a clip of Clay, Ruben and Josh singing Staying alive while standing in one place!

[djs111]

Lotus, that is an awesome - in every sense of the word - talk. Thank you!

CD cover - to me, it is deliberately and gravely beautiful, it looks like it was meant to be a stylized portrait, not a candid shot. It is more like the idea of Clay - you know he could turn his face aside and laugh at any moment, but it looks sort of iconic.

Okay, that made no sense. He looks purdy.

[Claygasm]

Now THIS is cool!

From ReMiss Mona at the CH:

My boyfriend's sister has done some theater and is pretty connected into the theater world. (She lives in a rent controlled apt. through SAG - it's nice!). Anyway, we were talking theater and before I could say anything she mentions that she had just gone to see Spamalot recently. She went backstage because one of her friends is good friends w/ the star of the show. I wonder who that would be? She said he was the guy who makes up all the adlibs. She then proceeded to say she met that Clay Aiken guy who was playing Sir Robin and how talented he was. She said he has a big, warm and engaging personality and she can see why he has been so successful. She also happened to mention that Tyra Banks was backstage looking beautiful.

The fun part of this little exchange is that she had no idea that I even knew who Clay Aiken was and proceeded to discuss with me how difficult it would be to step into a role like that coming from his background and how impressive it was. So. That was fun.

Now that is great to read!!!

[merrieeee]

It's amazing how different the reactions are when there are no pre-conceived notions. Husband said somebody who was that good a comedian would have a show on the air in Britain.............. He couldn't picture him singing either, but said if he can actually sing he should have a variety show.

GAH....Oh, how I'd love to be there when these people actualy see and hear him singing---like BOTW or Solitaire or AIW or Without You or...

Well, hell---any ole' thing!

And that first sentence in the quoted part? So true...so very true.

post ho'ing here...

Treenuts! You're going to be in NYC this week? So am I! And so is Gibby! And so is ldyjocelyn! When are you going to be there?

I wrote this over at the CH but I thought it was appropriate here too:

When I was growing up in England there were a lot of talented comedians who sang very well but were never considered "singers".

One that comes to mind was a man named Harry Secombe. He was always playing comedic roles on TV and films and I had no idea that he was a classically trained singer. He had the most beautiful voice but there were only small parts where he would use his voice! I just didn't consider him a singer. Until I bought a record of him singing Amazing Grace I had no idea of the scope of his talent.

Variety shows are much more popular over there and I think Clay would do extremely well if he went to England.

[muskifest]

She also happened to mention that Tyra Banks was backstage looking beautiful.

Am I the only one who thinks just how freaking cool and surreal it is that Tyra Banks was backstage to visit CLAY AIKEN!?!?!?!?! I bet he's still pinching himself. (Oh, is that what we're calling it now? )

[Gibby]

Treenuts! You're going to be in NYC this week? So am I! And so is Gibby! And so is ldyjocelyn! When are you going to be there?

Yay, a bunch of FCAers in New York! But I'm flying home Friday evening - will I miss treenuts and ldyj? I hope not!! I'd love to meet both of you.

This is a hilarious skit about Chair Guy, Libraray Guy and City Guy. BWAH!

Silly Clay Skit

[Couch Tomato]

The Clyra..Book 2...Just saying!

I hate Mondays. Glad it's over.

[jamar1700]

I hate Mondays. Glad it's over.

Amen.

[treenuts]

She also happened to mention that Tyra Banks was backstage looking beautiful.

Am I the only one who thinks just how freaking cool and surreal it is that Tyra Banks was backstage to visit CLAY AIKEN!?!?!?!?! I bet he's still pinching himself. (Oh, is that what we're calling it now? )

Hmmm.....So would this be waaayy back when Tyra was reported to be there or could this be later on and a possible second visit? Hmmmm? verra verra interesting

Gibby, I hope we get a chance to meet. Will you be there for the Friday night show at least?

[FearofH2O]

Just to be little contrary today. I don't think of eyebrows as being masculine or feminine. For example my husband has perfectly shaped eyebrows which as he gets older are a little wilder now but in his youth they were perfect. I just never thought of them as being feminine. Whereas mine are sparse and all over the place. I wonder if they do eyebrow transplants?

I guess I grew up in an era when it was politically incorrect to classify things as either masculine or feminine. Although I did have a transvestite work for me on a contract basis and I'm sure he would love for me to have said he was feminine but I never did.

[playbiller]

Heh, these little stories thatr Fear{/b] has that I have never heard before....

[Lotus]

I have just finished watching a video of DHP on the View on YouTube. Warning it is terrible video quality.

When asked How do you do that all that dancing he replies "Two words, physical therapy" He also mentions that occasionally his pelvis gets stuck.

Also he tells of a family in the front row who was passing a bag of potato chips back and forth..so distracting, cell phones ringing and one time a lady who threw up on the person in front of her and didn't even apologize.

Something to keep in mind when we see or read of audience behaviour we don't like.