Claymation, or "Oh, My Aiken's Back!!"

Week 42: New York, NY

I am prefacing this post, in retrospect, in response to some comments I have received from Clay's fans who seem to think that I am somehow critical or lukewarm about Clay's performance as Sir Robin. I think those folks should read this post again. I am a fellow performer, playing the same role as Clay in a major national tour of the identical production. My point of view is not as a Clay Aiken fan, but as a fellow artist. When I say Clay may be an "inexperienced stage actor" what I mean is that he has not had as much experience in theatrical roles as he has as a concert performer. I have, for those of you who doubt my credentials, 20 years of stage acting experience behind me and my views. If you will really look at what I wrote here, you will find me very complimentary and supportive of Clay, and the benefit his stardom is lending to the Broadway production. I am really impressed by the way some of Mr. Aiken's fans have come to his defense, but there is no need to defend him or to insult me. I really did enjoy Clay's take on Robin...


A bonus blog post prior to my going to Toronto, as I had the opportunity to see a Sunday matinee of "Spamalot" on Broadway with Clay Aiken as Robin. Well, first of all, this is the first time I have seen the show from out front since I went into it last December, and it was very illuminating and very surreal as well. Hearing the familiar lines and songs and being out in the audience while my mind was running through exactly what I would be doing offstage... very strange. When the overture started, I almost involuntarily leaped out of my seat because at that moment I should be waiting for my entrance behind the tower window stage right! The Broadway production and the tour production are virtually identical but there are some differences. The tempos are lightning fast on Broadway; much faster than anything we are doing on the road. It's like "Spamalot" on speed. It's also a very different energy on the whole from this particular ensemble of performers. I was delighted to see Michael Siberry back as Arthur; he was my first king on the road and indeed was THE first king on the road, having originated Arthur in the touring production. Rick Holmes, who started as Lancelot on tour and has been doing the role on Broadway for quite some time, is as quick, funny and terrific as he was a year ago when I first saw him in it. And I have to say I am a fan of Merle Dandridge as the Lady. Spectacular voice, gorgeous to look at, and with a comic sensibility that is wry and tossed off--almost bored-- which gives her Lady a great diva edge. I also got to see and say hi to other buddies from the tour--the lovely Piper Arpan and the delightful Wally Dunn, who plays Bedevere.




And then there was Clay Aiken. I think he is very amusing as Robin and I enjoyed many of his choices and personal touches. He plays it rather foppish and fussy, a bit eccentric. Clay may be inexperienced as a stage actor, but he has great instincts and a goofy comic sensibility which works for "Spamalot." And then of course, there's that effortless, amazing voice--and the creators of the show have inserted a few bits into the show for Clay to show off his vocal talents. But, even though these are slightly gratuitous (what isn't in "Spamalot?"), he carries them off nicely and they are charming moments. While his take on the character is extremely different from mine, it is consistent and it holds together. Truly, this is the test of well crafted material--that different performers can take on a role and infuse it with completely different energies, and it still works.

Now, watching Clay perform at the Shubert Theatre is rather like watching a child star in the school play with his entire family out front. At the performance I was at, there was a group of Clay's fans right in the front who whooped and clapped and cheered Clay's every look, gesture, and word. While it wasn't completely disruptive of the flow of the show (yes, dears, there are other performers on stage!) it was odd to say the least. They reminded me of that gaggle of girls in "Bye, Bye, Birdie" who scream in unison over Conrad Birdie's every move. Nevertheless, Clay carried on like a pro, and sold the big number with panache, acknowledging his cheering section at the perfect moments to please them and to please the rest of the audience. "Spamalot" is really not a star vehicle, per se, but I thought Clay was allowed to have his shining moments while still being an integral part of the ensemble of actors. He very generously met me back stage after the show, and we chatted about the part and about my injury, which he begged me not to go into detail about as he was afraid it might happen to him in the same spot in the show! His very nice bodyguard Jerome snapped a photo of us together and it was a nice moment. We are, after all, the only two performers playing Robin in all of North America, so I enjoyed meeting him. Clay went to take a nap before his evening show, and I left feeling charged up to return to my company and get back to work.

Before I leave you and finish packing for Toronto, I can answer one of your questions about the tour.

Caitie asks:

My daughter has a question for you. What do you do with your apartment, your bills and the like. Most of us are used to sitting down at the kitchen table at least once a month and going through the bills. But what happens when your kitchen table is in a different city every week? Do you get mail on the road?


Everybody has a different solution to the issue of where "home base" is. Many company members sublet their apartments. In my case, my building doesn't allow subletting, so I am paying my New York rent while on the road. Some company members aren't maintaining a home base at all, as they are saving to buy a home. As for the bills, I pay everything pretty much on line and by automatic withdrawal. My laptop is my lifeline to my life back home, essentially, and my kitchen table is frequently the desk in a hotel room or a table at Starbucks. I travel with a filing system and do all my record keeping on the fly. My mail is picked up by a friend of mine and dropped at the shows production office in New York. They forward all of our mail to wherever we are once a week. In this age of technology, it's easier than ever to manage your life while working on the road.

Okay so NOW I am off to Toronto! More from there at the end of the week.