#31: The Very Handsome Sir Clay of Aiken

[bottlecap]

Hee. The consensus on the CV stream about the roof farewell: "That was freakin' cool!"

[aikim]

From CV cellstream:

Someone just said that one of the girls wiped a tear from his face at the end!

[claytonic]

It's just after midday (Monday 5th) here in Oz. And it's a public holiday. Obviously to mark Clay's farewell performance on Broadway!!

I am rushing back and forth to my PC so as to catch the latest post about what's happening in NY. I wonder if there is any chance that some official clack was produced tonight.

[laughn]

Clay Aiken, I love your mad talented, tender-hearted, freakin' Broadway star, soul!

[merrieeee]

Clay Aiken, I love your mad talented, tender-hearted, freakin' Broadway star, soul!

Too long for a thread title??

[Iseeme]

Just got off the phone with SusanD.....not a whole lot new. She did say after YWSOB that the crowd went nuts and Clay was just standing in front of the king. Finally the king said "take a bow" so he did. Then it kept going - so he said again "take a bow" and Clay did. She said this afternoon when Clay sat down at the piano he hardly lifted his tunic at all. Tonite he just lifted it up and stood there for a second showing off that cute tush before he sat down. Crowd went nuts!!!

They talked to the lady that won the Champagne toast and she said it was a wonderful experience. She had 15 minutes with him and Hannah in Hannah's dressing room - they got to take all kinds of pictures etc. She's the same one who won the Broadway Cares Sir Robin bear and had it with her for pictures. She told them it was worth every penny! (and yes, Clay drank his champagne!) They also talked to the two that got the carraige ride and dinner at Tavern on the Green. Mary went with Clay. They said the evening was just awesome. Jerome dropped them off at their hotel after.

Susan said Clay coming out the window to stand on the marquee was just genius. The crowd outside the Shubert had the alley completely jammed and half way around the block. He walked up and down blowing kisses and signing that he loved them and kept holding up 6 fingers - she laughingly said they didn't know if he meant May 6th or buy 6 CDS!

She's going to call later when they're back at the hotel. She said there were so many funny and wonderful moments in this last show that she has to think about then for awhile.

This is kind of neat:

[ldyjocelyn]

Clay Aiken, I love your mad talented, tender-hearted, freakin' Broadway star, soul!

Too long for a thread title??

Not too long for me! I love it!

Iseeme, thanks for bringing over that brief recap! It sounds like that place was filled with so much love -- both from the fans and the cast. I'm so emotional I don't even know what to day.

And thanks to ALL the recappers, and those who bring over recaps. I love this network of friends.

[Ansamcw]

WOW I love all the excitement...

What a great way to end in going out on the marquee ...what an experience...but I think its not just for clay and us but for Broadway as well.

I can;t wait for his next Broadway show...I;m sure something will come along again.

[ldyjocelyn]

*waves at YSRN*

From ME... hee! at the CH stream:

Spot/Kimiye...

Shubert Alley is PACKED. Clay came out on the overhang over the gift shop... she missed it... never even saw him out there. She saw a picture and it was kinda dark, so no lights were on him or anything. No stage door... they're having a party or whatnot backstage.

Working backwards... Curtain call... everyone jumped up. You couldn't even hear him sing it was deafening in there. During the singalong all the chorus girls gave him boquets of flowers, and another woman came out from the wings and gave him more. He made a zero to Patsy... he was reveling in the cheers. She felt sorry for the probably 10 people who were there just to see Spamalot cuz they didn't have a clue.

The funniest thing tonight was the guard scene. Most things played normally... when he does YWSOB, he tried to shush the applause so he could do the piano part, he was like wait, wait, wait... got to the piano, turned around one more time to tell everyone to hush... then he DELIBERATELY did the biggest tunic flip of all time... at the end of it he kneels in front of the king and then got up and the applause is still going on, so he got down, got up, got down, got up... the applause continued... he kept milking it -- the applause wouldn't stop...finally the applause starts to stop and the king is waiting and waiting and the King took JUST the right pause before "Gosh"... it was perfect.

The guard scene played pretty much straight... then he starts to braid the ribbons like before and he's slowly braiding and the laughter and cheering won't stop and he's starting to get to the bottom and she hears a huge laugh, look up and Tom's finally just sat down, and then they all three sat down and just waited and waited for Clay to braid and sniff and whatever...and it finally ended, but she doesn't remember how... Ficus thinks maybe Clay looked at them all like what are you doing...

More spot and kimiye...

At the end of Act I, they're running from the cancan dancers, usually the one who tries to drag him behind the curtain was spanking him, and spanking him hard. The girls were all over him tonight. Any girl who normally gets within two feet of him was grabbing him around the neck and kissing him.

What was his expression at curtain call? He was reveling in all the attention and the joy (*sniff*)... the whole cast was... they mostly went with it even thought sometimes the applause took over the show... For example, Tom comes out to do his narration and the cheers made them have to stop the graphics cues.

Rick did a few different things tonight... he did his humping realllly slow, when they are all four doing their own rude gestures, Rick "did" Tom -- lifted up his tunic and acted like he was working Tom (heh).

Knights who say NI sang My baby takes the morning train... laughter, he just kept making up silly verses, and the minstrels are losing it and the king is about to lose it... Clay was about to lose it... Rick still going and the King starts to open his mouth, and Rick starts again... they just milked it all.

Tuesday is gonna be like hittin' the wall... (aww).

*waves at footloose*

from CV

Just got off the phone with Suz, she was talking so fast and it was so noisy outside. Very, very excited. She said that someone got video of Clay on the roof.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

[Gibby]

Aw, such great recaps and reports! Thanks for bringing them over. It's kind of a schmoopie night. I'm sad that Spam has come to an end, but glad that we will have the album in a few days. And I'm thrilled for everyone who was there for Clay's Spamalot farewell.

Can't wait for pics, and hopefully video, of the marquee goodbye!

ETA: EEEEEE, I just saw in the post above that there will be video clack of Clay on the roof!

[ldyjocelyn]

ABC7online.com Interview with Hannah

You might have to scroll through a few of clips to find the Spamalot one. She calls Clay "the lovely Clay." *sigh*

[jamar1700]

[HeidiHo]

Those who know me know that I’m not normally the schmoopy type. But, dang! I’m so there right now!

Spamalot was, IMO, the best thing that Clay has ever done, for a variety of reasons.

He was introduced to a whole lot of people who never would have ordinarily have sought him out – and he was almost universally raved over.

It was so unexpected as to be brilliant. I think there is a large group of people, both in the business and outside of it, that are looking at him in a different light. They are seeing what WE see – a brilliant, intelligent, and genuinely funny and lovely man. Someone who deserves everything in the world.

He found yet another family who loved him, I would bet unconditionally. And think about it – wherever this man goes, he makes people love him. There is no higher compliment to a man’s character and integrity and plain ole personality – he makes friends wherever he goes. How rare is that? We picked good, ya’ll. A winner, no matter what.

No matter what the reviews say (although I would argue that they aren’t that bad), we will always have Spamalot – and I think it was perfect. A perfect choice at a perfect time. Every report I read, every show I saw, made me extraordinarily happy. “I feel Happy” became a catch phrase in the eHp, at least when I was around them. And what a catchphrase!!! That it was really and truly felt. He was an unquestionable success in this show – and I love him more than ever.

One final note – I have come to love the cast of this show, Spamalot. They are all brilliant – Tom, Rick (yum), Chris, David (who I immensely enjoyed talking to after one show – lovely man) Hannah, da King, the new Galahad who is strikingly gorgeous up close and personal – all of them. And it actually pains me a bit to think of them carrying on without Clay – not only is a part of their family moving on, but so is Claynation. That will feel like a loss to them, I’m sure. It makes me sad to think that the energy we brought may go away. I wish it weren’t so.

[Ansamcw]

WORD heidi!!!

I do hope that Spamalot continues to make people laugh for a long time and all the success for all the cast on the show!!!

[ldyjocelyn]

Mark the date: Heidi got schmoopie. *g* But I agree with every word. This was pure genius on his part, and I love that he pulled it off with aplomb.

He's so fantastic.

[laughn]

Sendspace of Clay on the roof from Zippy at the CB

[ldyjocelyn]

Thank you laughn! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

I can go to sleep now, with a smile on my face.

Good night, sweet Sir Robin.

[laughn]

Goodnight Broadway! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[HeidiHo]

Goodnight Broadway! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

Now I'm REALLY gone!!

[keepingfaith]

I love that video on the roof. Our guy is a Broadway Superstar after a 4-month replacement run!!! And Hannah called him a natural comedian and a great actor.

His Broadway buzz will live on, and I would be surprised if there's not a musical comedy being written especially for him right now.

One day, one hour ......

[merrieeee]

Now I'm REALLY gone!!

Me too! What a sweetie!!!

[keepingfaith]

Ya'll weren't already gone? I've been gone for a good long while now.

[HeidiHo]

Now I'm REALLY gone!!

Me too! What a sweetie!!!

Heh, and as the schmoopy tries to fade away, I realize how fucking (sorry merrieeee) studly he looks in those pictures!! Good lord! He's buff!!! I saw it in person just a week ago, but it smacks me in the face from time to time.

Ya'll weren't already gone? I've been gone for a good long while now.

Well, yeah, I was GONE, but not schmoopy gone, which is happening right now! Or should I say, the schmoopy is fighting with the lustful for dominance. <g> The schmoopy gets quickly pushed aside for the lustful. Ya'll that know me had to know it wouldn't last overly long.

And suddenly, Rick's slow hump of the castle wall from last weekend leaks into my mind... Shit.

[jmh123]

They are seeing what WE see – a brilliant, intelligent, and genuinely funny and lovely man.

Thread title!!!

[Iseeme]

Laughn - THANK YOU!!!! Especially for the screen caps!