#38: The man just oooooooooozes awwwwwness

[Iseeme]

Cotton:

Maybe Clay is busy working behind the scenes . . .

doing the voiceover for an animated movie?

That would be wonderful! Either that or recording a song for a Disney soundtrack! Wooooeeeee.

[Claygasm]

Cotton:

Maybe Clay is busy working behind the scenes . . .

doing the voiceover for an animated movie?

That would be wonderful! Either that or recording a song for a Disney soundtrack! Wooooeeeee.

Sounds good to me!

Or maybe getting ready to star in the big screen version of some musical! I mean, if we're going to dream, let's dream big!

I know with Clay, dreams and big sort of go hand in hand......

**Sniff** I have the news on here. The station I watch sponsors Musikfest (which I always think is Muskifest!) and they just did a bit on it. I miss Clay performing at Musikfest (or anywhere...).

**Sniff** This was followed by a commercial for Spamalot, coming to Philadelphia. I miss Clay being Sir Robin in Spamalot.

Its not that I don't have a life, its just that these Clay things are so much damn fun!

[Iseeme]

I know with Clay, dreams and big sort of go hand in hand......

CG is smutting......

[FearofH2O]

Watching Scrubs with Clay for the millionth time.

[goldarngirl]

Just finished watching Canadian Idol, which I thought was exceptionally good tonight. The mentor tonight was Tom Jones, who I absolutely can't and never have been able to, stand...but he seemed to bring something out in them tonight! Great show!

I haven't voted for several weeks, as I've thought the shows have been pretty boring the last few; but tonight I threw in a few votes for each of Drew Wright and Theo Tams.

Absolutely have NO idea what the judges are seeing in Mookie Morris and Earl (someone or other)....ick! Poo! Blech!!....and IMO Mark Day should have never been in the Top 10...but there he is, hangin' in there! Shows what I know! :lmaosmiley-1:

I like Nigel on SYTYCD too...looking forward to seeing it this week as well.

I watched CI too. Though it was Theo's best performance to date. He is a wonderful pianist but found him riveting tonight. Of course, Tom Jones is one of my favs, so we'll have to agree to disagree on that and I was excited to see him on. Hope they let him do his new stuff instead of 'It's Not Unusual' et al. that DWTS had him do. I think people feel he hasn't done anything new in years.

I think Theo, Amberly and Earl will be in the top three. I thought that Mark did well tonight. I am ready for Mitch to go though. So we'll see tomorrow.

[Couch Tomato]

CG I think Clay just wanted to keep his business to himself which is his right. I never thought he was physically tired and worn out but that's a good enough public answer. I just think this may be something we may never fully know. My guess about the album was that it was May or end of the year and careful consideration went into both options. I think also some things happened like the strike that may have limitd some of his promotional opportunities after the date was set. And IIT is true then I have no doubt that it would have played a HUGE part in his decision making. Maybe I'm wrong but such a life changing decision? I'm sure parents here can attest to how much thought and planning goes into that. Hell I'm just changing jobs and it's all I've thought about for months.

I'm willing to bet Lyle has taken off 3 or 4 months or even six months or even skipped a year here or there and yet is still considered someone who tours constantly. I wonder if his fans consider it a drought LOL.

Tonight I'm listening to the prayer... and smiling. The first thing I'm gonna do if it's not true...is get back on my ship LOL.

ETA: Kandre? Moonlighting is available on DVD?

[KAndre]

Young and fit people get burnt out just like old and fat ones...I'm still not quite sure why three months off is such a shocker - as I said, if he went into teaching, even at 23 don't you still get three months off? Not everyone has the urge to work themselves into exhaustion even for a career they love. And I still have a hard wrapping my mind around the notion that even a year off seems to be strange for a performing artist...it's really not. As for summer extending to October, it depends on where you live. Not all places do the four season thing (We in Houston pretend to have a spring and a fall, but when the average high in May is 86 and the average high in October is 82, we're sort of deluding ourselves).

As for expectations of privacy, I frankly don't think a partially "public" life - and frankly we all have a partially public life - just because someone makes their living as an entertainer doesn't mean they lose even most of a reasonable expectation of privacy. Ninety percent of entertainers, actors, musicians or singers walk around not being bothered by anyone. I was reading an article about Brendan Frasier and how he manages to have a perfectly nice career and fairly normal life not doing the "Hollywood" thing. That fact that the Brangelina had twins recently won't impact my decision to see either of their latest flick. I think it was John Mayer who make stupid comments about being "garbage" - if he has a tune I like, I don't actually care about him. I don't think about what an asshole Wagner was when I enjoy "Ride of the Valkyries", I don't care that Willis and Shepherd hated each other while doing "Moonlighting" - I bought the DVD and laughed my ass off at the antics of David and Maddie.

As far as Clay's career, hell, I think he's doing pretty frickin' well for a 30 year old, and will probably easily win "Most Successful Grad" at his ten year reunion.

[strummer6]

Ooooh! Ooooh! I have the Moonlighting DVDs (except for the last season) too. Agreed - didn't care the Cybil and Bruce disliked each other *understatement* I just love watching the timing, the banter -- especially the Taming of the Shrew takeoff.

Stopped in to say hi to y'all. It's been awhile.

I'm still in Pollyanna mode and think we might get a second round of appearances in the fall on the TV shows that were already pre-booked when the album came out so quickly. There's also a bit of practicality to that - I think he'll need to reintroduce to the general public that OMWH is actually out there so that it's more viable to tour: getting more butts in the seats, venues to invite him, etc. Maybe we won't have to wait until summer; but early spring like the IT.

But yeah, I miss him. In a downloading sort of way, since I'm not one of his portable 3,000. Earlier this year I bought a new external hard drive and I haven't had to set it up yet. Who knew? *sniffle*

Hope everyone is well and been having a good summer. I've mostly been ducking heat and thunderstorms - we've set records here and those are the kind of records I can do without.

[ausdon]

Cotton:

Maybe Clay is busy working behind the scenes . . .

doing the voiceover for an animated movie?

That would be wonderful! Either that or recording a song for a Disney soundtrack! Wooooeeeee.

Sounds good to me!

Or maybe getting ready to star in the big screen version of some musical! I mean, if we're going to dream, let's dream big!

I know with Clay, dreams and big sort of go hand in hand......

**Sniff** I have the news on here. The station I watch sponsors Musikfest (which I always think is Muskifest!) and they just did a bit on it. I miss Clay performing at Musikfest (or anywhere...).

**Sniff** This was followed by a commercial for Spamalot, coming to Philadelphia. I miss Clay being Sir Robin in Spamalot.

Its not that I don't have a life, its just that these Clay things are so much damn fun!

Which movie musical would anyone love to see him in?

Rocky Horror springs to mind!

I'm trying to think of a more likely one but my mind seems to be stuck.........

[Cotton]

Maybe totally OT - but . . .

I'd like to see him do more characters on TV - take what he learned and what people in the biz learned OF him and appear in several shows as NOT CLAY AIKEN.

I'd like to see him have small parts - the geek dude who saves a senator from her antiquated work patterns by bringing her up to speed with the techno tools. I'd like to see what he could do with a political role of some sort, an aid, or whatnot, who saves her protocal butt (SP?)

I'd like to see him be whatever bad guy he'd like to play.

People just have to see that he can do these things successfully!

Bring it on, Clay?!

Whatcha workin' on, Honey??? *gently pulls the elbow of his plaid shirt*

Why couldn't he do a UNICEF Christmas Special??

Okay - y'all ruminate on that a while.

Sonata is not putting me to sleep like I need. but it's also not letting me type straight, either!!!

I'm gonna drag myself to bed and hope this time to SLEEP!!!

I'd like him to show up in guest roles in the most unusual unexpected places - from a lowly garbage man to the guy mopping the floor who looks at "their puzzle board" (police or private detectives, etc) and he quietly figures it out for them - - lots and lots of those roles. A chance to show that he can act, that he can be many people because he's such a many-facited Man!

I think TV could be his "break out" single without any radio, figuratively speaking.

Y'all chew on that a while!

I'm crawling back under the covers and,Lord Willin' and the Crick Don't Rise - I shall SLEEP!

And I shall wake to find that I am full of crap and know nothing!

:cryingwlaughter:

ETA:

Sorry for the double post. I fix it in the am! Noway I should be trying to "operate machinery" in my current state! :lmaosmiley-1:

[luckiest1]

I also think that NOT touring for a while might have the effect of growing his audience some - how many people just need a break from concerts (me) requiring travel, who are cash poor from Spamalot and the preceding Xmas and summer tours, and maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I have also been thinking along these lines, so I tend to agree with you. Sure didn't hurt his gala sales! Blink and you'd have missed them, they sold out so fast. To me, that will only increase the longer we don't hear from him. Sure, there are a few fickle fans who will move on, but they would have eventually anyways.

Just finished watching Canadian Idol, which I thought was exceptionally good tonight. The mentor tonight was Tom Jones, who I absolutely can't and never have been able to, stand...but he seemed to bring something out in them tonight! Great show!

I haven't voted for several weeks, as I've thought the shows have been pretty boring the last few; but tonight I threw in a few votes for each of Drew Wright and Theo Tams.

Absolutely have NO idea what the judges are seeing in Mookie Morris and Earl (someone or other)....ick! Poo! Blech!!....and IMO Mark Day should have never been in the Top 10...but there he is, hangin' in there! Shows what I know! :lmaosmiley-1:

Hee, glad to hear you voted, cuz I crashed immediately when the show was over, and never got around to it! I would have voted for Drew & Theo, so thanks! :F_05BL17blowkiss: I don't get Earl, I will never get Earl, I thought he was totally horrendous in that Eric Clapton cover last night, so much so that I couldn't even watch the end of the song, I covered my eyes. And then the judges heaped so much praise on him......I.just.don't.get.it. Mookie is cute and entertaining but the boy can't sing! Mark can, but no one would pay to go and see him, because he has no stage presence whatsoever. Amberly is sweet and has a beautiful voice, but the last few weeks I haven't been inspired to vote for her. And don't even get me started on Mitch. What was that? Way to totally butcher and ruin a classic, heartfelt John Lennon song. Bye bye.

ETA the link for our American/international friends who might want to check out the Top 7 Canadian Idol performances.

Cotton, hope you finally got some sleep!

[FromClaygary]

I also think that NOT touring for a while might have the effect of growing his audience some - how many people just need a break from concerts (me) requiring travel, who are cash poor from Spamalot and the preceding Xmas and summer tours, and maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder.

I have also been thinking along these lines, so I tend to agree with you. Sure didn't hurt his gala sales! Blink and you'd have missed them, they sold out so fast. To me, that will only increase the longer we don't hear from him. Sure, there are a few fickle fans who will move on, but they would have eventually anyways.

Just finished watching Canadian Idol, which I thought was exceptionally good tonight. The mentor tonight was Tom Jones, who I absolutely can't and never have been able to, stand...but he seemed to bring something out in them tonight! Great show!

I haven't voted for several weeks, as I've thought the shows have been pretty boring the last few; but tonight I threw in a few votes for each of Drew Wright and Theo Tams.

Absolutely have NO idea what the judges are seeing in Mookie Morris and Earl (someone or other)....ick! Poo! Blech!!....and IMO Mark Day should have never been in the Top 10...but there he is, hangin' in there! Shows what I know! :lmaosmiley-1:

Hee, glad to hear you voted, cuz I crashed immediately when the show was over, and never got around to it! I would have voted for Drew & Theo, so thanks! :F_05BL17blowkiss: I don't get Earl, I will never get Earl, I thought he was totally horrendous in that Eric Clapton cover last night, so much so that I couldn't even watch the end of the song, I covered my eyes. And then the judges heaped so much praise on him......I.just.don't.get.it. Mookie is cute and entertaining but the boy can't sing! Mark can, but no one would pay to go and see him, because he has no stage presence whatsoever. Amberly is sweet and has a beautiful voice, but the last few weeks I haven't been inspired to vote for her. And don't even get me started on Mitch. What was that? Way to totally butcher and ruin a classic, heartfelt John Lennon song. Bye bye.

:thbighug-1: Exactly! Absolutely horrendous! ...and yes, I agree about Mitch too; so memorable I forgot he was even there.

Mark does have a decent voice most of the time; and he has the Maritime vote. But I agree, it just ain't gonna happen, and I think actually it will be him that leaves tonight.

I also agree with those thinking that, first of all, Clay DOES need the rest. Like most jobs you don't do....I think we have NO idea what "being Clay Aiken" entails on a day to day basis.

I've seen other "supposings" re the revival of White Christmas on Broadway this year; I'd be up with that, even though NYC is so expensive. I'd love to go back, and I enjoyed Clay in Spamalot. Really, though, I just need to see Clay being Clay~which of course I did NOT get out of Spamalot. I feel like I haven't seen Clay since Christmas, and that's a looooong time for me. I'm really, really looking forward to the Gala; I think that's partially why thinking I had not gotten tickets just threw me for a loop.

Movies? Again, I'd love to see that for him and I definitely think it would be a career-booster for him, as I'm quite sure he'd do well. Me...I need to see him in person. Preferably, even, feel him to make sure he's real....

[Cotton]

G'mornin' . . .

I think.

I hatessess when I have one of those nights. Even with Sonata I didn't get to sleep until in the 3:30 neighborhood and still woke frequently betweent hen and when DH got up around 5:30. Ugh!

Then woke up with a giant sinus headache. Not fun.

One good thing, I'm not scheduled to work today.

Had lunch with a couple of Clay friends yesterday and, apparently, we all needed to talk about IIU . . .

I wonder what the neighboring diners thought we were getting so - um - passionate - about!

*waves to Claygirl* :F_05BL17blowkiss:

When all is said and done - no matter where we stand on IIU - or what reasons we speculate on - we all want Mr. Aiken to be happy and want him entertaining us till we're old and gray.

Oh. Wait a minute. I'm already old and gray!

:lmaosmiley-1:

Yeah. Maybe so - but I Ain't Dead Yet!!!

Did anybody watch GMA today?

Whoopie Goldberg just stepped into Xanadu with - get this - NINE DAYS of rehearsal!! (She said it showed, too! )

Have a great Tuesday everybody!

[aikim]

Good Morning Everyone,

I have an unexpected day off of work today due to some painting they are doing in the library; guess they don't want to subject us to the fumes.

Lots of nasty weather in the area last night and this morning; so I am kind of glad I don't have to go out...we just got rain, thunder and lightening...but some areas north of us had high winds and even a couple of tornados touched down. All quiet now.

74 Days until The BAF Gala!

"waves to Scarlett"

Everyone have a great day!

Kim

[annabear]

Its not that I don't have a life, its just that these Clay things are so much damn fun!

Thread title?

That's all I've got until I get my coffee and indulge in one of the fresh baked chocolate chip cookies left on my desk this morning by our resident baker as a belated b-day gift.

[Cotton]

Like what you see, Clay???

So - there's discussion, speculation, rumination on White Christmas on Broadway, eh?

How about - since there's a Foster connection w these two -

Clay and Michael Buble???

I'd go see it!

[liney23]

instant gratification just ain't his thang!

You said that on purpose, knowing where minds might wander....

Which is why, classy broad that I am shutup, I didn't smut on it...

anna... muski... sure is good to read smut/not smut again! muski... I've really missed you jumping on everything that is even remotely smut! :F_05BL17blowkiss: Glad things are where you can join in again!!!

I hope and pray that Clay keeps right on doing whatever he's doing and lets us wait even though I (completely selfishly) check the boards every day for any little crumb of news.

I love him. I want him to have a life.

wanda... WORD, the bolded part especially!!!!

[Couch Tomato]

You know those people that win the lotto and say they are going to keep working? I think I could find things to do that didn't involve work on a regular basis.

After his triumph in spam I think he could tacke about anything. I'm not sure what White Christmas is but it sounds too staid for our adventurer, like somehting he could do in his sleep hee. I could go for a regular gig on tv. I'd love to see that.

[claytonic]

Kandre, I agree with you to a point about the private lives of entertainers. Frankly, I am appalled at the extent that the paparazzi and tabloids will go to .. in order to get a story, or fabricate a story. I just cannot believe people like Parez Hilton actually exist. However, having said that, I do support human interest stories, and I am always interested in what celebrities do to direct more focus on important world issues, be it the work of UNICEF or simply the Brangelina rainbow family, where every child is loved equally. I just love how Brad Pitt looks when he's got a kid on his shoulders!

If, however, I were to find out that an entertainer I liked was an abuser of women or children, there is no way I could ever watch that actor/artist again, no matter how talented they are.

[annabear]

You know those people that win the lotto and say they are going to keep working? I think I could find things to do that didn't involve work on a regular basis.

I hear Brother Maynard belting out an Aaa-aaa-aa-men to that!

[keepingfaith]

Wish List:

Clay in a recurring role as Kenny's brother or cousin on 30 Rock.

Clay as Willie Wonka on Broadway.

An edgy TV-variety show on Sunday nights (in the vein of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour from the 60's) with recurring skits and musical guests.

A movie, not a musical, but a straight comedy role, in something directed by Mike Nichols.

Clay eventually recording an album of songs with his own lyrics and titling it "Clayton"

I have been entertaining the thought that Clay may actually be rushing through albums because he has some other options when his contract with 19 Recording expires. Could it be a 5 album deal and Clay has done 4 of the 5 obligated projects? I'm thinking that Kelly Clarkson was on Idol in 2002 and has put out 3 CDs, while Clay was on Idol in 2003 and already has 4 1/2 albums under his belt, a bestselling book and a successful run on Broadway. I know RCA gets a rap for handling Clay's recording career, but do we know anything about 19's influence? I'm curious that 19 Recordings owns a piece of Clay's contract and yet wouldn't have him on AI in May because, as Clay said, they want to move on.

I think Clay has been working regularly since 2006 and I'm happy he's on an extended break to recharge. As far as absence making the heart grow fonder, I'm of course reminded of AI5 when I hadn't heard Clay's name mentioned in at least over a year (I never heard of the Jukebox Tour, among other things) and when I saw him on AI5 it was like a new incarnation of Clay Aiken that I fell in love with -- for the first time. I liked him before on AI2, but from my perspective he had reinvented himself and this was a signal that Clay Aiken was back better than ever, and I fell right in line. People just have different preferences, and while I know each and every one of you here adore the early Clay from Independent and NAT, I watch a lot of that clack and he is still green and learning the business so that some of it is just okay for me, yet I realize and respect that for most of you it's a pinnacle for him. I'm in the boat that Clay is still coming to terms with what he wants and how he wants to accomplish it, but he's always growing and improving and maybe even surprising himself a little all along the way. If I could change one thing about Clay, it would be for him to stop declaring boundaries for himself, because I think he can do anything he wants to do. He could say I choose not to do this, rather than I can't be taken seriously doing this. But, to sum up, I think the longer he's "away" the more changes we're apt to see when he returns. It's long-term advice from David Foster that the best career move an artist can make is to disappear from the scene for a while and come back with a BANG! If I could change one thing about the fandom in general, it's the sense that if Clay ever said it, he still means it. I couldn't count the numbers of times I changed my mind about some pretty important things between the ages of 25 and 30, and 30 and 40, and 40 and 50 -- and I think the plot, or subplot, of OMWH is that of change. So I don't go back to things Clay said four or five years ago to determine what his current mindset may be, or to hold his feet to the fire on something he said in a magazine interview once upon a time -- time and change are inevitable. I do know that there are immutables, and I still feel the same way today about some things that I felt at 13, so there are core beliefs in each of us, but a lot of stuff is variable, and should be, IMO. Life is for growing.

FYI: My company left this morning. If it took the threat of a storm to move them along, Viva Edouard! Not that I don't love my family, but to get a call out of the blue saying .... I need to get away for a while and I'm on my way to your house, and it's 10 pm when you get the message and they arrive at 11:00, and they stay for ten days ..... I am hospitable, but that's pushing it, don't you think? My mother was all, Tell them it's time for them to go home! ... but I have a hard time with that. I was, however, considering having KAndre give them a call for me. If I only had her gumption!!! Again, thank you Edouard!

LdyJ! :F_05BL17blowkiss:

ETA: Just because Clay's out of sight, doesn't mean he's on vacation. He could be working quite diligently -- reading scripts, rehearsing, putting together a tour band, taping, filming, writing, letting his hair grow longer, etc. Just because we can't see him, doesn't mean he's not working. Maybe he's working out in the gym and he'll come back in muscle shirts.

[Bella19]

I've seen other "supposings" re the revival of White Christmas on Broadway this year; I'd be up with that, even though NYC is so expensive. I'd love to go back, and I enjoyed Clay in Spamalot. Really, though, I just need to see Clay being Clay~which of course I did NOT get out of Spamalot. I feel like I haven't seen Clay since Christmas, and that's a looooong time for me. I'm really, really looking forward to the Gala; I think that's partially why thinking I had not gotten tickets just threw me for a loop.

Movies? Again, I'd love to see that for him and I definitely think it would be a career-booster for him, as I'm quite sure he'd do well. Me...I need to see him in person. Preferably, even, feel him to make sure he's real....

If I can't see Clay this year in concert, I'll happily take him in White Christmas, if and when it might happen. NYC is expensive, but since I'm not going to the Gala, I could probably swing it. Now I'm glad I've been hoarding airmiles for a few years and there's always Porter Air from TO to Newark - I just checked and it's $324.25 Cdn round trip, which includes all taxes and fees.

Sigh...I'll take Clay in NYC any time of the year!

[luckiest1]

Eeeep, a trip to NYC at Christmas for me might be iffy, but I'd try to figure something out, if it came to that. I'm still hoping for some Christmas concerts closer to home, like say in Michigan. *g*

[muskifest]

Maybe he's working out in the gym and he'll come back in muscle shirts.

BWAH! Oh, Lawdy, keepingfaith! This brings back some memories of early days and an appearance of Clay's where there were some behind the scenes pics of him standing legs apart, arms folded over chest and everyone was going nuts about how broad his shoulders looked and how his arms seemed more pumped or something.

Much fainting and drooling ensued.

And then the speculation started about how he was probably working out--now that he was a star and whatnot, donchaknow---Of course, he was touring at the time, and it CMSU to think of him working out--lifting those barges and totin' those free weights---while touring and being on stage 5 days out of six or some such absurd thing.

So I wrote a little 'essay' called "Clay Aiken---Buff Enough?" and proposed a scenario that Clay had outfitted one of his tour buses as a portable workout gym!

Heh...I gotta go look for that one...

[Cotton]

You know those people that win the lotto and say they are going to keep working? I think I could find things to do that didn't involve work on a regular basis.

After his triumph in spam I think he could tacke about anything. I'm not sure what White Christmas is but it sounds too staid for our adventurer, like somehting he could do in his sleep hee. I could go for a regular gig on tv. I'd love to see that.

Broadway production of the Bing/Danny Kaye movie.

Berkeley was "postulating" after seeing the Broadway news about the show.

FYI ... Broadway World has confirmed that "White Christmas" will have a NYC production this year. Previews begin Nov. 14 and the show will run through Jan. 4 at the Marquis Theatre. No word on casting yet.