#32: Man with titanium balls and the voice to back them up!

[Ansamcw]

WORD Couchie...

testing my avie...thanks to Cindi for getting it to work...and gibby of course.

[gbmifan]

As much as I wish Clay's number were higher I am just glad he did as well as he did. I hope that he gains respect. The Fox station that Playbiller mention was just mean spirited in their comment. He is one talented man and deserves to be treated that way.

I stayed up and watched Leno last night. He was wonderfull, and sang that song great. I had to go to a computer class this am and got up at 5am, but I could not miss the performance and knew that even though I taped it, waiting to late this afternoon was not going to do. Surprisingly I was not to tired even though I had an hour drive to get to the class. He is always worth being a little tired. I just can not believe how gorgeous he looked last night. He just gets better looking all the time.

[annabear]

The next installment of Spot's recap as the Spama-Monk carrying the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch.

*peers around nervously to see if HDD angst/hoopla/relief/celebration has subsided*

On Broadway: Act the Second, Part the First

9:15 p.m. Thursday, May 1

The cue numer for the very expensive forest dollar-signs is Electrics two-oh-six-point-one, for those who are dying to know. That’s one of my favorites, so I had to make a special note of it.

While King Arthur is getting all depressed, Lee, my initial email contact after winning the auction, has come into the wings and Sheri points him out. Earlier in the show, he’d waved at me on an entrance and said, “I’m Lee.” Sheri calls him over and re-introduces us and I say, “I didn’t realize earlier you were THAT Lee!” He’s in his real tap shoes for Bright Side of Life (as opposed to the fake tap shoes worn in Knights of the Round Table). All the dancers are adept at walking on the rubberized soles on the balls of their feet, to avoid making tap sounds until they actually start dancing. It’s a skill I never completely mastered in my tap-dancing days.

I ask Sheri if she remembers whose idea it was to auction off a walk-on role. She says she’s not sure about that exactly, but that she thinks it was Clay’s idea to auction off his costumes. I observe that he’s had some experience in THAT area. Sheri tells me about some of the previous auctions Spamalot has done, such as Hank Azaria recording a greeting for someone’s answering machine. She mentions how there was enough of a following for someone to bid on the opportunity to come and sit with Sean in the pit. I tell her about Sean and Jesse, Clay’s pianist and conductor, having their own fandom-within-a-fandom.

Sheri remembers that Spamalot had a walk-on appear once before -- Natalie Morales, an NBC Today correspondent. (I found this video of Natalie’s behind-the-scenes report for NBC. She got a line, a curtain-call, and a program insert. Not to mention a better costume. NBC must have paid more than I did. If they’d only asked, I’d be happy to appear as a Special Correspondent.)

During Bright Side of Life, I notice the lesser Knights of Ni sitting over in the corner in a circle with their headpieces off. They’re all girls, as you might surmise from the high-pitched squeals they make onstage. Sheri tells me that their costumes are so heavy they can’t stand up with them on for long periods, so they sit over in the corner until their next cue to go on. I don’t see Rick; I have no idea where or how he rests with his stilts on. Maybe there’s a scaffolding on the other side of the stage.

I’ve been watching Sheri call the cues, and I ask her if she does it just based on instinct and timing of the lines and musical beats. She says yes, pretty much, and explains further that when the regular crew is on, they have a pretty comfortable rhythm of the cues, but if there’s a substitute light operator for example, they have to be a bit more diligent and anticipate a bit more so the cues won’t be late.

We talk about the various parodies of other musicals that appear in the show, and Sheri says she appreciates that I catch them, that not everybody gets it. I say that “Bright Side” (which they’re just finishing up) is obviously based on Singin’ in the Rain. I ask her about the part where the knights dance the three different little interludes just before the Killer Rabbit scene; the final one is obviously West Side Story, but what about the others? She’s not sure about the first one, but the second one is a parody of the Bob Fosse dance style.

Brave Sir Robin has just had his bottom burned off, his penis split, and his pants thoroughly soiled. I inch further into the wings to try and observe exactly how they do the Black Knight illusion. (My efforts don’t succeed, but on a subsequent knight, er, night in the second row, I think I figured it out. ) While I’m watching intently in the wings, David Hibbard waves at me from his spot behind a piece of scenery and makes me giggle. What a peach he is.

Rick is winding up for his “we are now the Knights who saaaaay..” improv. I ask Sheri if he is allowed to just spring a new one anytime he wants, or if he’s required to clear it first. She says they trust his judgment and he can pretty much do anything he wants, but if he does something really out of line he’ll get a note on. On this evening, the Knights say “It’s three a.m. and somewhere in the White House a phone rings…”

YWSOB is in full swing. Clay makes a brief exit just behind me to make way for the tap-dancing yentas, then immediately re-enters. Sheri keeps pulling aside the black to give me a better view of the stage, but I assure her the action in the wings is more interesting. I’m watching Tom Deckman get his wig changed from the Gene Shalit-lookalike movie reviewer back into the minstrel. I have to stay tight into my space next to Sheri during this whole number, as the wings get very busy with people making entrances and exits.

Hannah comes into the wings and says hello as YWSOB is ending. She’s dressed for her diva number, which I tell her is one of my favorite moments in the show. She says it’s her most exhausting moment; I bet. I’d just read on the boards that a line about Heather Mills had recently replaced the line about Posh Spice, so I ask her how many different lyrics she has to remember now. She says, “Actually I was just talking to Eric on the phone about that, that I want to stick with the Posh Spice lines,” and I say, “I don’t even know who Heather Mills is,” and she says “Exactly!” Perhaps she’ll remember to mention my keen artistic vision to good ol’ Eric, just in case he needs a new assistant or something. While I’m chatting with her, somehow I manage to completely miss Clay’s exit with the king after YWSOB, which should have happened right under my nose.

Hannah goes over to the edge of the black and waggles a long slender leg out where Rick can see it as he rides onstage with Concorde. She comes back over to me and says, “Every night it’s a different body part.” I remark to Sheri about all the antics in the wings and she says it’s a good way to keep things from becoming too canned and boring in such a long-running show.

As Lancelot finishes the scene with Concorde, Jim comes over and takes my hand again, leading me upstage. “Are we engaged now?” I ask. “Only if you’re filthy rich,” he replies. “Not since I paid for this auction,” I quip. Jim pulls out his small flashlight and shines it onto the floor, moving the beam around to help Concorde find his way as he exits into the darkened wings with his clip-clop-OW, clip-clop-OW. (Later I realize that there’s a stand-in doing this role tonight and that’s probably why he’s getting a little extra help.)

It appears we’ve gone upstage to see how Prince Herbert’s castle comes together behind the curtain while the diva laments. It’s a bit of an anti-climax after everything else I’ve seen, but I appreciate the gesture. Jim leads me back to my corner and melts away as silently as he appeared.

Hannah grabs her flowers thrown by the conductor and runs offstage toward me, and Tom begins to sing Where Are You. As my eyes follow Hannah I realize Clay has come into the wings dressed in his guard costume. Hannah goes right over to him making a “waaaaaaah” face. I hear him say, “What’s the matter?” I can’t hear the rest of the exchange but she’s clearly in some kind of distress and sharing it with him.

Hannah walks away and Clay immediately charges right over to me and sticks out his hand. “Heyhowareyawhat’syername?” I tell him. He repeats it. Eeee. Clay said my name. It sounded goooooood.

There’s no hint of recognition on his part; I suppose that’s a GOOD thing, but it takes a bit of self-control for me to not say, “You don’t remember me? You called me rude last night at the stage door.” Heh. At least now I can assume my face and a camcorder aren’t COMPLETELY interchangeable. Barring that clever-but-dangerous rejoinder, I really should have said, “And your name is?” Ah, hindsight.

“Ya look so very niiice,” he says, admiring the shapeless brown sack I’m wearing. “Isn’t it charming,” I agree. “High fashion.” “Are ya havin’ a good time?” he asks. Well, now I am, sugar-pie. Come a little closer and take off that silly hat and breastplate. Hannah returns to Clay’s side for a moment and there’s a brief exchange between them. She leaves again and Clay turns back to me and says, “I got sick one day and I was about to throw up and she had some kinda British medicine that I chewed on.” I observe that Europe is a little less uptight about selling OTC medications, and how I once had some really good seasickness medicine that came from France. Oboy, spot, way to go. Let’s compare nausea remedies. Just the conversation with Clay I imagined. Why isn't one of the voices in my head Jemock?

“I don’t like anything that comes from over there,” Clay says. “Those European foods and medicines…I don’t trust ‘em.” “You don’t like HER?” I inquire with a smirk, gesturing after Hannah; aren’t I clever. Or apparently not. “No, I LOVE her – it’s foods and medicines I don’t like,” he intones in his best patient-with-a-small-child voice. Got it, Clay – YOU do the jokes from now on.

“Are you enjoyin’ yerself?” he asks, forgetting he already asked once. I tell him I’m afraid my face is going to split open from grinning. “Have you been here the whole time?” “Oh no, I’ve been downstairs to watch the lifts come up…” “Oh yeah? That’s good!” he says in a pitch just short of a dog whistle. “You know, we were thinkin’ about auctionin’ this off separately” – he makes a circling hand gesture to indicate Sheri and the wings – “with the stage manager, and then the walk-on would just stay wherever and then walk on, so you kinda got a dual thing…” “I would’ve done the stage manager thing in a heartbeat,” I interrupt him. “I do community theater and this is just like –“ “Oh really,” he says as I struggle for an adjective. “I don’t even have to DO the walk-on,” I assert.

“This is the easy side of the stage,” says Clay. “‘THAT side of the stage?” He squinches his face up in mock horror. “It’s a - it’s a – ZOO over there.” (I could swear he almost said, “It’s a bitch”, but maybe that’s wishful thinking.) “Everybody has to have a position, like, I know where I can stand at certain times, and I can’t move and when people are fillin’ in, like (stand-in actor) is tonight, he doesn’t ever know where to stand because it’s so busy, that’s how unbelievably busy it is, all the traffic happens over there.” Now you tell me. Where do I sign up to be the traffic cop? I say, “Well, it’s choreography in the wings just like it is on the stage.” Yowzah, what a clever zinger. I bet Clay’s going to put me on his list of Most Interestin’ Fans EVAH. Well, on some list anyway. “It is,” he agrees, “there’s more that happens backstage than onstage has she told you about all these little switches and buttons over here?” When you get him wound up, he never takes a breath or puts in a punctuation mark. He’s gesturing to the switches for the multiple-cue lights. I tell him yes, she’s explained how they work. I suppress a smile; Clay wants to teach me what the stage manager does. I say, “So you’ve learned how all this stuff works too?” “Well, I’m only over here for this part of the show, so I watch to see how it’s done, becoss there’s no time when I’m over there have fun.” Suddenly there’s a lance in his hand and he’s already five feet away, poised just inside the black; Herbert’s father calls for his guards and Clay strides onto the stage. “Thanks,” I say belatedly to the whoosh of negative air pressure.

To paraphrase King Arthur when faced with the Trojan Bunny, what the hell was that? The guy reminds me of the original Star Trek episode Wink of an Eye, where if you drank water laced with an alien concoction, you speeded up to where you were just a mosquito-like buzz to everyone normal. *Phew*. I need a nap.

To be continued, at less-than-warp speed.

[keepingfaith]

We're both in love with Forget I Ever Knew You, and 12 other songs.

12 other songs? Please don't tell me you too to don't like my Muppet song!!!!

Now dry your eyes. I love "the Muppet Song" too. But I have the Walmart CD in my car and that's what I've been listening to the most. I listen to all 18 tracks from my computer when I go to sleep at night. OMWH has replaced going to sleep with the TV on, and that's unheard of, for me.

Note to self: Burn all tracks on a CD for my car.

I'll get right on it!

[playbiller]

promotion.

I think this album is going on a much smaller budget. I realized what I missed from this album promotion that I saw a lot of for ATDW - middle of the night ads. Now some people have said they saw advertisements, but I don't seethem in the vault. As a perminent night owl, I can testify that I used to see ads all mnight long for at least 3 weeks for ATDW. I do not see them now. I expected to see them because of that one ad on the web site, but I have not. TV advertising must be out of budget and on line ads prolifigate.

I also find a lot more fan inertia. Maybe we are worn out.

[cindilu2]

I also find a lot more fan inertia. Maybe we are worn out

Huh? What more is it you think fans could have done that we didn't? We bought. We streamed. We did our viral thing. The only inertia I feel is towards fan-incited calls to undermine what Clay clearly stated in his blog. It's funny, because I just said to someone tonight in IM that as much as I want to just shut down the computer when I read all the angst and fan-management (not here - in Clay Land), I hate that it would give anybody the perception that it was anything to do with Clay. So I keep on keepin' on.

I think we are still going to see new and different ways from TC of promoting this CD. I simply don't believe they put all they have into this beautiful CD to let it languish.

[aikim]

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/Clay-Aik...8Tf8Qtq.1U1wSUv

Clay's video of OMWH...lots of new yummy footage...go watch!

Kim

[ldyjocelyn]

*basks in the glow that is WINY*

Yes folks, I finally got my QVC order today. I'm in heaven! WINY is fantastic! And I'm not remembering the AOL Sessions Invisible at.all! MOAM is memorable to me though, because of a couple of things: 1) I find his clearing his throat at the very beginning so incredibly CUTE; and 2) my husband was at my computer on night a long time ago, troubleshooting something for me. He pulled up a video clip...and it was the AOL Sessions MOAM. He sat there, listened to it, and then said "wow, that's a great performance." I'll remember him saying that for a LONG time.

*joins couchie in burning candles for Clay's talk show* I think this would be a fantastic showcase for ALL his talents -- singing, acting, comedy routines, even dancing! I know the failure rate for talk shows is pretty high (unless Oprah is in your corner), but I think Clay could pull it off. Or at least, I think he should TRY it -- success or failure.

[Claygasm]

We're both in love with Forget I Ever Knew You, and 12 other songs.

12 other songs? Please don't tell me you too to don't like my Muppet song!!!!

Now dry your eyes. I love "the Muppet Song" too. But I have the Walmart CD in my car and that's what I've been listening to the most. I listen to all 18 tracks from my computer when I go to sleep at night. OMWH has replaced going to sleep with the TV on, and that's unheard of, for me.

Note to self: Burn all tracks on a CD for my car.

I'll get right on it!

PHEW!!! I was beinning to worry about my beloved Muppet song!

Shit! I forgot to get my mail today and my QVC CD may be in my mailbox right now! OH well, it will have to wait until tomorrow I guess.

I am thinking of trying an experiment. I work with a very nice 27 year old woman. She doesn't really know Clay from Adam. When I first mentioned going to Spamalot back in January I thought I would test the waters and mentioned Clay Aiken was it. She looked puzzled at first, like she had no idea who he was. I asked if she had ever watched AI. Then she said "Oh I remember him. What ever happened to him?" I just told her about Spamalot and he had put out a couple of albums. I did catch her googling him and when she saw the long blonde hair pictures she said he really looked different. She has no idea I am a fan.

Anyway, since she doesn't know him or his music I had this idea. I thought I would burn a CD and give it to her unlabeled (don't worry - I will purchase one to make up for the burning!) and ask her to listen to it and tell me what she thought of the music. She seems to have pretty eclectic taste in music so it might be interesting. I thought I would tell her a friend gave it to me to listen to and asked me to pass it on. I just think it would be really interesting to have feedback from someone out of his alleged demographic without her knowing who was the artist so there would be no prejudice or preconceived notions. I think I will do that this weekend. Depending on her feedback, I may ask her to pass it on to someone else but not to tell them who it is and report back. Could be an interesting experiment - and a way to get the CD heard.

[KAndre]

Man, I loved that video! It had my very favorite Clay picture of all time!

My man has a theme and he's stickin' to it.

He is laying it out - I was here and now I'm here. I like messy dark hair better than messy blond - but all the photoshoots were sweet!

[cindilu2]

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/Clay-Aik...8Tf8Qtq.1U1wSUv

Clay's video of OMWH...lots of new yummy footage...go watch!

Kim

EEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!

Wonderful! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

[playbiller]

Oh, great quoting and fast rep;y isn't working again. I need to clean my computer and move up to a better browser.

Anyway.....I think Team Clay needs a little advice from our montage makers, heh. the pictures are a bit abrupt, but I have many yahoo singing, so this video will get a good review from all of them. Clay looks very professional and mature in most of it.

I can only get the video to play in an old netscape not mozilla or ie.

[ldyjocelyn]

I love seeing the behind the scenes of the latest photo shoot. Him on that couch (not couchie LOL) is simply divine.

Need to watch again....

[merrieeee]

Me likey the video....definately a theme of I was there and now I'm here.

CG I don't have any issue with people who actually....like...see a show and then trash it. Even if I don't agree*g* Everyone is entitled to their opinion. But when you haven't even seen Clack of it and you condemn it well that is just wrong.

[Claygasm]

Ok, I am a continuity freak so there weer some things that bugged me about that video.

For about the first half whenever they switched back and forth from his right side to his left, the pictures from the right side he was not wearing headphones but then when they qucikly switched to the left side he was! It was driving me crazy!

And with the flash back pictures, they really should have shown a steady progression. Instead after several old pics from the spikey hair days they showed one ATDW way picture then went back to spikey hair for awhile and then back to ATDW. The shouldn't have mixed them up.

But overall I liked it. I wish they had showed more pictures of the past - from AI to maybe some shots from the TITN video to maybe something from the Invisible video to maybe some concert footage to JBT days to maybe a shot or two from his UNICEF trips (like lovely gorgeous bearded Clay!) to ATDW Clay to even Spamalot Clay to today's Clay. I liked the concept, I just think it needs to be sharpened a bit.

And have better continuity.

I guess I should just be grateful there were no skateboarders!

Now, if he is "premiering" this on Rachel Ray do you think they'll show the whole thing - you know so people can hear the WHOLE song???

[aikim]

Loved the video; but yeah whoever did the splicing; not a good job; but Clay looked Gorgeous and I still love the green sweater, but the jacket is fine...shoulders...yum!

Kim

[cindilu2]

Mmmm, you can biggie it too!!!

Sighhhhhhhhh. He's a good boyfriend.

ETA: LOL, 'but' is the catchword in this fandom, isn't it? Always missing something.

[muskifest]

Clay Aiken Takes a Firm Hold of His Niche

Oh, is that what we're calling it now?

(off to watch the video before tomatoes fly! :lmaosmiley-1: )

[Couch Tomato]

Let us know what your coworker thinks CG..can't you just play it in the office?

I was just thinking of having a montage contest with the new songs. I may even try...I think I've always been scared to do it because of just how much clack there is to chose from.

[muskifest]

CG...I wonder if it would 'work' better if you did a compilation of songs---most Clay but maybe one or two of somebody else and just see if she says anything about the different voices...

[Claygasm]

Let us know what your coworker thinks CG..can't you just play it in the office?

Nope. No music in the office. Our ADD boss says it drives him crazy! Besides, this way she can really listen without being interrupted by, you know, work!

I was just thinking of having a montage contest with the new songs. I may even try...I think I've always been scared to do it because of just how much clack there is to chose from.

Shit. I haven't learned the new version of iMovie yet!

ETA:

CG...I wonder if it would 'work' better if you did a compilation of songs---most Clay but maybe one or two of somebody else and just see if she says anything about the different voices...

Hmmm. That might be interesting. Have to give that some thought.....

[annabear]

http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/Clay-Aik...8Tf8Qtq.1U1wSUv

Clay's video of OMWH...lots of new yummy footage...go watch!

Kim

That is all.

[Claygasm]

Watched the video again. Whoever edited it was on drugs!

Or maybe they haven't quite learned how to use iMovie either.....

ETA: Damn Clay's voice is AMAZING on the Muppet song!! Turn it up loud and listen!

[Couch Tomato]

I think they just want to remind everyone that the blond guy IS Clay Aiken. So many different looks.

[00lsee]

Yeah, so I'm re-gifting my post from the CH...I'm too tired to write TWO posts right now. I promise a brand-new exclusively FCA post tomorrow. Love this board, y'all

Wow, thanks for the link to the Yahoo video! It led me to watch a Yahoo exclusive interview I can't believe I missed back during ATDW promotion. Might be of interest to some who may also have missed it. Poor man was so hoarse.

I like the video, but then again, I'm pleased to have something new, instead of the video I have already seen (total green sweater one).

To me, mixing in some of the older photos of Clay is an excellent way to help people reconnect with the Clay Aiken they might remember. Same goes for mixing in clips from previous album videos. The audio is simply beautiful and Clay looks great while singing. Shots of Clay interacting with his producer and the studio musicians puts Clay in such a grown-up position...gives him a real 'working artist' vibe. The photo-shoot clips, to me, just show a star being treated as a star, with photographers and helpers buzzing around the subject of their attention.

There's no doubt 'someone' could have done a 'better' job with this video, particularly with such a photogenic subject...but since this is apparently the 'official video', I signed in to Yahoo music, gave it a high rating, added it to my playlist...and reloaded it a couple of times for good measure. Then I clicked on all the related Clay videos. If this video seems to make any kind of impact, perhaps it will seem 'worth it' to invest in a better video somewhere down the road.

Yahoo has not been kind to Clay this week, what with Lyndsey Parker and her tacky blog ending up on Yahoo's front "entertainment page". So, to me...like it, hate it...this video represents an opportunity for fans to respond positively (on Yahoo) to Clay and to the album he is promoting.

Here's another thing.

I know some others have been making positive comments to reviewers, DJs, etc. who are "fair" (even if they don't simply loooove Clay or the album). I just want to say that I have heard back from EVERY person I have emailed...each person thanking me for noticing and commenting on their work. Some have added more positive comments about Clay in their replies to me. People seem to appreciate when they get positive attention, y'all.

Bill Lamb just got a brief, appreciative note from me for giving his well-thought-out opinion.

Respectful media behavior ought to be rewarded, yo.

I can't do a lot. But I can do that.

Those are my deep thoughts for the night. Oh, and woo-hoo for making top three. That will get some media attention, no doubt.

Oh, and my first listen of "Forget I Ever Knew You" had me scratching my head, going 'huh'? It's such an unusual song, I didn't 'get it'. But...the second time I listened to it, my whole body got slammed back into my seat. Clay's long, elegant fingers grasped both armrests and yanked as he loomed closer to pour out his heart's resolute valor in my ears. Gah. What an amazingly complex, difficult arrangement...unusual rhythms, unexpected chords and structure. He's disappointed, angry, determined, hopeful...and...prevailing? And that last exhalation where his throat clings to the note even as he releases it? *dead* LOVE. Masterful.