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Clay Aiken Album to Be Released in May



By David Caplan
Originally posted Wednesday February 20, 2008 07:00 PM EST


Clay Aiken Photo by: Albert Ferreira / startraks Get ready Claymates, a new Clay Aiken album is just around the corner. The former American Idol
contestant is in New York City currently recording his fourth album,
which he expects to be released in early May, he tells PEOPLE
exclusively.


"We're hoping the next album will be out about May 6," Aiken, who is currently starring in the Broadway run of Monty Python's Spamalot as Sir Robin, tells PEOPLE.

Aiken's
keeping a hectic schedule, recording tracks for the RCA Records album
when he's not on stage. "We've picked most of the songs," Aiken, 29,
says. "Sonically, I don't know that we're going down any path that's
crazy. I'm not trying to be cool, I'm not trying to be hip. I'm not
trying to do anything other than sing stuff that I'm good at."

So what's the inspiration behind Aiken's upcoming album? "In
the past five years there's a lot I've learned about life, and I think
people learn a lot in the twenties," says the singer. "So we found a
lot of songs that speak to that. I would like to wrap a lot of the
music around that theme. It's early to promise that, but it's a goal."

Aiken adds he has no plans to perform a duet with another
singer, but he knows at least one star he'd love to sing with. "I've
always wanted to do a duet with Martina McBride. I think she has one of
the best voices," he says.

And is Aiken planning an image overhaul, tied to the album?
He says, "Last time I came out with dark crazy hair. We did that
intentionally. But I'm just going to do what I do this time. We don't
have any plans this time. But I've got the red wig [from Spamalot] – maybe I'll do that!"

The Associated Press



Clay Aiken Deftly Acts Supremely Silly

Quote:

Let's clear things up right away: Clay Aiken can handle supremely silly. That's not an inconsiderable talent when you are appearing in something as daffy as "Monty Python's Spamalot," the madcap medieval musical that has just added the "American Idol" alum to its cast. We knew Aiken could sing. "Idol," television's favorite trial-by-fire, proved that. So it was only natural that Broadway, eager for new faces that might sell tickets, would call — just as it did for Fantasia, Frenchie Davis, Constantine Maroulis and others from "Idol." But don't go expecting a star turn. Aiken is a team player — and that's meant as a compliment. The ingratiating performer fits seamlessly into the extended high jinks of "Spamalot," which has been running at the Shubert Theatre since March 2005. The guy gets the goofy humor that is the Python trademark and goes with the flow, most prominently when he is portraying the perpetually petrified Sir Robin. It's one of three roles he plays in the musical. Aiken also exudes the physical buffoonery that underlines the cartoonlike nature of the characters and their quest to find the Holy Grail. He radiates a delightful benign bewilderment. What's more, for someone born and raised in North Carolina, Aiken does a credible British accent. And the rest of the production, directed by Mike Nichols, holds up quite nicely, too. The tale, concocted by "Python" legend Eric Idle, is loosely based on the movie "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," and film buffs will recognize some of their favorite bits from the film. Idle also wrote the lyrics and shares credit with John Du Prez for the music. If there is anything approaching show-stopper status in this "Spamalot," it's the performance by Hannah Waddingham as the Lady of the Lake. The statuesque Waddingham, who originated the role in the London production, is sensational. She's funny, sexy and blessed with one of those powerhouse voices that really shakes up the score. But then Nichols and choreographer Casey Nicholaw have kept the musical in tiptop shape. From Jonathan Hadary's robust King Arthur to the preening Galahad of Christopher Sieber (an original New York cast member who recently returned to the show) to Rick Holmes' sexually fluid Lancelot, the cast gets a high amount of laughs from low comedy. And then there's Tom Deckman as the hilariously fey Prince Herbert and David Hibbard as the aptly named Patsy, singing and tapping his way through the show's best known moment of musical cheer, "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life." This is ensemble comic lunacy at its most inspired. But attention Aiken fans. He appears in "Monty Python's Spamalot" only through May 4.

great review. There was another somewhat less positive review in EW yesterday so maybe we'll start seeing more reviews soon.

Interestingly enough, EW panned Fantasia in The Color Purple.

EW does not ever say anything nice about Clay Or a lot of the other Idols. I think they have a stick up their butts about people who make it from AI. It's funny, EW didn't really say anything bad - just he wasn't silly enough. I can't even imagine Clay not being silly enough He is a giggly one

EW was about the only negative review Fanty got, so that says a lot to me about their attitude toward AI. I am not a fan of Fanty AT ALL, but I did read a TON of excellent reviews for her in that role.

Happy to read that Clay is doing a new CD. He's a busy guy right now.

Yes he is Lau! Another good review!

http://www.newsday.com/services/newspaper/printedition/monday/partii/ny-etaik5590463feb25,0,2714496.story

Review: Clay Aiken fits as Sir Robin in 'Spamalot



BY LINDA WINER |linda.winer@newsday.comFebruary 25, 2008

• 
  

Hey, it's not dead yet. In the words of one of the supremely goofy
bad-taste delights from "Monty Python's Spamalot," the musical may be
approaching its third year at the Shubert Theatre. But the thing's not
dead yet - in fact, not even close.


Forgive our suspicion that "Spamalot" might have reached the uh-oh
point in its heretofore long and happy run. After all, Clay Aiken,
unknown until
he was the runner-up in the second season of "American Idol," had been
cast, with alarming hoopla, to play Sir Robin and assorted zanies - in
a
British accent, in a role created on film by (author, lyricist,
co-composer) Eric Idle himself and recreated on Broadway by David Hyde
Pierce.


We know that Fantasia, Aiken's fellow breakout survivor from
gladiator TV, had a phenomenal stage debut last year as a replacement
for the star in
"The Color Purple." But what are the chances that another newbie from
the South with zero stage experience would be able to slip into a
high-maintenance Broadway hit without dragging it down like a boulder
tied to its soft shoe?

So it's excellent
news for Aiken and "Spamalot," not so good for drama schools. Aiken is
a charmer. With his aging cherub face and a frizzle-pageboy wig, he
goes sweetly and deftly Medieval on Broadway - a world described in the
show as "a very special place with people who can sing and dance, often
at the same time."


And so he does, frequently at the same time. Aiken blends into the
sophomoric adorableness of the show, even toying with his own girlish
charisma at a piano
topped with a Liberace candelabra. His voice has range and color. He
dances with a childlike skip, he yodels and sings falsetto and gets
through the scenes
when Robin "soils himself" with no visible humiliation. This is not a
debut for cowards.


Overall, Mike Nichols' cartoon spectacle has been spiffily
maintained. The actors - including Jonathan Hadary's little-king
Arthur, Christopher
Sieber's droll Galahad, David Hibbard's loyal Patsy and Rick Holmes'
thoroughly demented French Taunter - play with the abandon of bright
kids
discovering a new toy. Hannah Waddingham is a force of nature as the
many faces and voices of the Lady of the Lake.


For the record, Britney Spears' name has indeed been replaced by
Posh Spice in the "Diva's Lament," because, according to the creators,
"we don't laugh at sad people." They do, however, laugh at just about
everyone else, from Jews to gays to the Finnish. And they still sell
the
best show-related merchandise on Broadway. Killer-rabbit bunny
slippers? Nice touch.


MONTY PYTHON'S SPAMALOT. Book and lyrics by Eric Idle, music by
Idle and John Du Prez, directed by Mike Nichols. Shubert Theatre, 225
W. 44th St. Tickets:
$36.50-111.25. Call 212-239-6200. Seen Friday.

I'm so glad to see one good review after another for Clay's work here - and now it's coming from reviewers, not just fans. I wish I could afford another trip to NYC, but I'll just have to be happy this went so well.

Same here Abrahammy. I am thrilled for Clay and all his fans who get to experience this - many several times! No way I can go see him though. It has been a blast reading all the fan recaps and seeing all the stage door vids. At least I get to experience that much!

I am so glad that Clay is a Broadway hit. I thought he would be, but it is great that the critics think so.

Clay will be interviewed on WRAL tonight at 5:00 PM about his new CD. You see a little of the British Producer in the snippet you can watch here.

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2489196/

You can listen to a demo of one of the songs here:

http://www.tsrocks.com/r/ryan_tedder_texts/on_my_way_here.html

Which was written by Ryan Tedder of One Republic. It is a beautiful song that sounds perfect for Clay!

The producer is a Grammy winning producer who has worked on CDs for Sting and Mary J.Blige. His name is Kipper (that's all I can remember ) I will have to hunt down his full name, I just keep seeing people calling him Kipper.

Clay is sick and missed his performance last night. Fans got refunds and were told that Clay has an excellent doctor. Any Clay fan who has been reading his boards knows that 3 cast members were out sick last night and that many others have missed shows in the last few weeks so something is going around in that theater! Get well Spamalot cast!!

I hope Clay is better soon. The flu is running rampant in NY and NJ. Several school districts shut down for a few days in the last few weeks.

YAY! Clay is better and was back on stage tonight!

At the WRAL site you can watch 3 clips of Clay talking about his new CD. The middle interview is 16 mins long and the best Clay interview in ages! He looks great and talks all about the songs and the producer of the CD. Great news Abrahammy - Lover All Alone will be on the new CD!!! If you are a Clay fan at all this middle interview is "Can't Miss!" He is pushing to get the CD in stores my Mother's Day. I know I will have that on my gift list!!

http://www.wral.com/entertainment/story/2489196/

Things sound very promising so far. I like that the producer seems to enjoy working with Clay.

Here is this morning's WRAL clip with footage of Clay in Spamalot!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2499560/

firecracker wrote:

Here is this morning's WRAL clip with footage of Clay in Spamalot!

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/2499560/

Uh oh, no page anymore.

broadway .com Interview with Hannah Waddington

Snippets

Quote :

A self-described “complete geek” about all things Monty Python, Waddingham was taken aback during rehearsals for the London production when Eric Idle pulled her aside to help revise “The Diva's Lament,” her big Act Two number. “There's a line about the Tony Awards that doesn't mean anything in England, and he said, ‘We need to change this a little.' I thought, ‘Oh my god, I'm rewriting lines with Eric Idle!'" Adding to her excitement was appearing opposite Tim Curry as King Arthur. “He and Carol Burnett and Bernadette Peters singing ‘Easy Street' in the film Annie was the reason I wanted to do song and dance,” she says now. “It was unbelievable to work with him.”
Broadway, Here I Come: At last year's Olivier Awards ceremony, the Spamalot producers asked Waddingham if she'd be interested in appearing in the Broadway production. She was a step ahead of them: “When I took the role in London, I thought, ‘If anything is going to get me to Broadway, it's this, if I do it right.' Broadway is musical theater mecca; it's what I've worked toward all my life.” By the time Waddingham's visa came through, her debut was set to coincide with Clay Aiken's as Sir Robin. “He's a triumph in the show,” she says of the American Idol runner-up. “His accent is flawless and his voice is beautiful. In fact, I said to him, ‘You must get this all the time, but I'm your colleague now, so can I have one of your CDs please?'” As for herself, “Coming out of that floor [as the Lady of the Lake] and thinking, ‘I'm on Broadway,' is everything I dreamed it would be.”

Clay's new CD is up for pre-order at Amazon! I pre-ordered mine yesterday. It was number 1 last I checked due to all the pre-orders going through yesterday. I will still buy one for my mom the week it hits stores.

Such an exciting time for Clay fans!

Hey Badger or Abrahammy - Tucker Carlson said something about Clay and all I know is it is being discussed in the den. Could one of you please check it out and let me know what Tucker said? Just curious.

Please and thank you!

From what I gather, he had a couple of women gossip columnists to talk about the kerfuffle between Claymates and haters over Clay only attending one meeting of that Presidential Committee he's on.

Oh. Thanks Badger! Glad that's all it was. That "only going to one meeting" is old news. I guess the news to him is that "Claymates" got upset . Like that is news

I do remember him telling someone at a M&G that he had a 300 page report to read, so I imagine he's keeping up with what's going on.

The hardcore Claymates can turn every molehill into a national crisis. That's why I don't hang out over there so much anymore. Well, that and my nagging suspicion that he might have a happier life if they hadn't forced him so far into the closet with such hysterical, angry force that he can't even breathe. Or love. I think that's where Lover All Alone came from.

I'm a weirdo. I just like to hear him sing because he's got this instrument that's just a gift from God, and I hear he's quite the philanthropist, too. Oh, yeah, and he's funny as hell.

I don't think the CHers have that much to do with "national hysteria" or pushing him far into a closet. They seem more rational there. It is some of the other Clay Boarders that really try to fight all his battles. Some of the boards where you can't even hint at any doubt of his sexual orientation - as in you will be deleted and cautioned. I don't know if he is pushed into a closet or is just horribly confused, or in denial or both. I do think "Lover All Alone" is very telling.

Firecracker, I once got banned from CH for a single day because I made a post pointing out that he was stuck in a catch - 22: If he's straight, he can't prove it because any evidence he provides - including a marriage, complete with children - will be labeled a beard; if he's gay, the slightest evidence will damn him forever in the eyes of those who are hell-bent on outing him.

That got me a punishment.

I prefer the independent Clay Fan route.

Interesting. I've seen plenty of posts there that touch on "what if" or "who cares anyway". Perhaps just not as detailed as yours was.

I do know that at CH they practically beg fans not to write or email or call or anything else when a writer/interviewer etc. says something negative about Clay. So I was really trying to point out that I don't think CHers have anything to do with the "hysteria" since they seem to hate that some fans do that.

At least at CH you can at least say "so what if he is gay". At The Clay Board that comment would be deleted so fast! You cannot even hint that you doubt a word he says. Don't even get my started on some of the "more religious" boards

Your post there was 100% on target though. At "a certain other board" I would put a pic of Clay "with a date" because that is what was assumed when he was out with a woman, and a "certain" person would immediately type "BEARD". So yeah, if Clay is seen out with a female that is exactly what is said. Hey, there are people who think Tom Cruise's wives were all beards and that Katie was really pregnant with her old fiance's baby Once the gay label has been attached to you there is no way it goes away - even after marriage and children. John Travolta is going through that too right now

So anyway, it seems the mods went a bit overboard with their reaction to your post. Maybe things have eased up a bit there lately, or it just has to be worded every so carefully. I wouldn't be a good member there because LORD knows I am not good at wording things carefully