Saturday, September 20, 2008

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.

23 comments:

Anonymous said...

I am glad you got to meet Clay, and enjoyed the show.

♥ E.T. Suzy ♥ said...

You rock! Thanks for sharing your night on Broadway with your readers. Great photo of you and Clay. Maybe they should change up the show and give Sir Robin a twin brother.

Get that show over to San Francisco!

Poppy said...

Oh for pitys sake! I'm so sorry you got taken to task by some of Clay's fan. They do tend to get overzealous and completely overreact if/when they think Clay is not 250% appreciated. *insert eyeroll*

Glad you enjoyed the show. What an experience it must be to see it from the flip side :)

Anonymous said...

I am a Claymate & a big Clay fan! Therefore I feel somewhat qualified to comment. I felt your "take" on Clay's performance was very complimentary! Clay would be the first to say that he is a novice on Broadway! Every actor puts his own "spin" on a role & that is a GOOD thing! Good luck to you in Toronto! I would love to see your "Sir Robin"!

Anonymous said...

I have been lucky enough to see both of you perform.

Clay is fantastic is in his own right as are you.

There is absolutely no reason you should have to 'preface' anything. There are the Clay-nut-cases and then the Clay fans.

Those of us that are actual Clay fans recognize talent when we see it. You've got it my friend.

Well done.

Anonymous said...

I would like to apologize on behalf the crazy people that call themselves Claymates. Some of us 'Clay fans' know how to act respectfully and would never EVER insult or attack a fellow performer such as yourself.

We're not all like that. I swear.

I enjoyed your blog tremendously and love the pic of you two together.

Im glad you enjoyed your evening and am looking forward to seeing you perform again!

Anonymous said...

James, I'm an avid Clay fan and I want to say how much I enjoyed reading your blog. It was definitely an interesting point of view. Not all of "us" are over the top and have to defend Clay about every little thing. I hope you don't think the entire Clay Nation is like that. Because we're not!

Love the picture, by the way, and I'm so glad you got to meet Clay.

Unknown said...

James,

I am sorry that some over zealous fans took you to task. Your blog was discussed, quite civilly, on some Clay boards. Unfortunately, some fans don't realize that Clay is a grown man and that he doesn't need anyone to defend him.

Thank you for handling this in a mature manner. You should not have been attacked for simply voicing your opinion.

Thanks for a sharing a fantastic picture. You are both quite handsome.

Anonymous said...

I am sorry you felt you had to preface your blog because of a few people. I am a Clay fan. Clay has many fans and some call themselves Claymates. Not all fans or Claymates feel the same way about everything. It is a shame that a few over zealous 'protectors' seem to cast an image on all of his fans. Believe me it is not that way. And usually it is out of love for the guy.

That aside, I do respect your take on the Broadway version and Clay's acting. However, I think that there is a slight difference in perspective in that Clay was brought into the show as a star to promote the show. In that respect, his portrayal of the part of Sir Robin, Guard 1 & Brother Maynard should not be compared to those of other seasoned and experienced actors who play the same part in other parts of the country. Your critique should have set that apart...like apples and oranges, they are not the same...

Anonymous said...

James - I saw Clay in Spamalot in April and enjoyed it so much that I took a few friends to see the touring company when you were recently here in Philadelphia. I loved both Sir Robins! The entire cast of both shows was fantastic!

The fans that defend Clay are out there on their own. He's specifically blogged asking them not to do it.

I'm glad you two Sir Robin's had a chance to meet!

Anonymous said...

James, I am a huge Clay fan but not one who over analyzes everything written or said about him (not all of us do that). I found absolutely nothing wrong with your blog and thought it was very good. IMO you said nothing out of line. What you said regarding Clay in my book, was all good. I loved it. I am sorry you were a victim of some fans' over analysis of everything.

Anonymous said...

I've been reading your blog for a long time and very much enjoy your comments about the city you are in, your dresser for the week and your sightseeing.

Please don't think all of Clay's fans share the same opinion. I saw you perform in Fort Worth and enjoyed it - yes it was different than the way Clay performs it, but every actor in the touring company was a little different than the Broadway performer. That's perfectly OK.

Keep doing your thing. You are great!

Anonymous said...

I've seen Clay's performance on Broadway and look forward to seeing your interpretation of Sir Robin when the tour makes it to my town.
I'm glad that you had the opportunity to meet Clay and hope that the actions of some won't sour you on the whole.
Break a leg in Toronto!!

Allegra said...

James,

Thanks for giving your point of view of Clay's performance. It must have been a bit strange watching someone else do such a different take on it. Oh, and please don't judge all of Clay's fans by the few that feel the need to defend him at every turn. They certainly don't speak for all his fans.

Good luck when you return to the tour.

Anonymous said...

I was disappointed that you did not get to see how much many of us have come to love and appreciate ALL the actors in SPAMALOT(and how much we miss the ones who have left since Clay's first run.) At first, I felt you were generalizing, and judging all of Clay's fans by your experience.

But, there is no excuse for insults. Some of Clay's fans are very protective, and tend to overreact at every perceived slight. No matter how many times it leads to trouble; no matter how many times Clay says he doesn't need us to "defend" him, it never does any good.

So, I hope you don't pay any attention to those who feel it is their job to defend Clay.

Anonymous said...

Really enjoyed your blog. Glad you had the opportunity to meetup with Clay. Thanks for sharing your perspective as an actor.

Anonymous said...

wow, as a fan of Clay's it continues to amaze me that his "mommies" feel they need to jump in and defend him. I appreciated your review and loved the picture of you and Clay. Glad you two got a chance to meet and talk.

Anonymous said...

James, you were fabulous in the touring company! I actually saw your cast before the Broadway version with Clay and was coming from a different viewpoint altogether. I think you described his performance very well and were absolutely positive on the man as a comedic actor. If some screwballs chose to bash you, I hope you will not by any means consider them representative of the vast majority of Clay's fans, who LOVE the kind of blog you've written and readily show great affection and appreciation for other artists. (A great deal of Clay's admirers are already huge fans of Hannah Waddingham, Rick Holmes, Tom Deckman and Chris Sieber who kicked the SPAM stage on its bum nightly.) Also be aware that there is a small, organized contingent of Aiken haters who simply delight in doing to those who praise Clay exactly what was done to you in hopes that opinions will be turned against him and his fans. Everyone on the internet is not who they claim to be. Thanks for the continuous, terrific behind-the-scenes blogs!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry that some so called "Clay fans" had to put a damper on your otherwise wonderful blog about your take on Sir Robin and how Clay performs it.

I think it is very interesting to read the different interpretations each actor brings to the character. I'm sure it helps to keep a show refresh and new.

Best of luck on the tour!

Anonymous said...

Mr. Beaman, I've been reading and enjoying your blog for some time now. I've very much enjoyed the descriptions of the cities you've visited and especially your insights into performing in a national tour. Your blogs are intelligent and well written.

Unfortunately, if you read the comments on any internet story concerning a celebrity, it becomes quickly clear that respectful and thoughtful responses are disappearing and being replaced by the quick, faceless attack.

Please continue with your blog. You've got a devoted reader here.

Anonymous said...

I have been a fan of Clay's for about 5 years. I have to say that I am really embarrassed by any fans who "took you to task" about your blog. As a whole, I thought you were very complimentary of Clay. Please know that not every Clay fan shares the views of those who complained about your blog. Unfortunately the complaining few are heard muci louder than the rest of us.

Glad you got to meet Clay and Jerome. They are both wonderful!

No doubt Sir Robin is in good hands with you. Maybe you'll come to Texas and I'll get to see you perform in it some day!

Anonymous said...

James, I've also been reading your blogs for several months now and I have seen both of you in Spamalot. You are both great. I liked reading your thoughts on seeing Spamalot in NYC. I found it very interesting. I'm glad you got to meet Clay and get a photo taken.

I don't know why I feel the need to apologize for something someone else did, but as we are lumped together as fans, it does reflect poorly on all of us when a few act disrespectful. Your response was mature and shows what a great person you are which I am not surprised after following your blogs for the last few months.

You are a top notch performer and great person. May life continue to be good to you.

Anonymous said...

James-

Saw you perform in...Boston, i think it was? Anyway, I loved you. Your character was absolutely stunning! I'm a second year acting student at Emerson College, and it's always really inspirational to see actors who have worked so hard getting great roles :) Congrats again.