Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.

~Hamilton Wright Mabie

On Saturday, Clay Aiken was mentioned many times on Social Media.  So many people wished him Happy Birthday.

The following picture montage and message was posted by TDF.

Wishing a Happy Birthday to @clayaiken, who last appeared on Broadway last season in Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show! ^Ricky

TDF is the Theatre Development Fund. The most visual project that they have is running the TKTS Discount Booths.  These booths offer tickets to Broadway and Off-Broadway musicals and plays at up to 50% off.

According to their website:

The Theatre Development Fund is the largest not-for-profit service organization for the performing arts in the United States.  It was established in 1968 to foster works of artistic merit by supporting new productions and to broaden the audience for live theatre and dance. For 50 years, TDF has played a unique role in strengthening the performing arts in New York City.

They also have an  Accessibility Program that launched the Autism Theatre Initiative that makes theatre accessible to children and adults on the autism spectrum, as well as their families.  It was  nice that this group remembered it was Clay’s Birthday.

Do you have anyone at your house who is waiting for a wish from Santa Claus?  Somehow, Santa brings a bit of joy and magic to Christmastime!!

In December of 2005, Clay Aiken played the role of Santa’s helper and participated in a TV show titled Dear Santa.

Dear Santa was broadcast on December 9, 2005 and was on the Fox Network.  It was based on a selection of the most compelling letters the U.S. Postal Service received from children asking for Santa’s help. Their dramatic and heartwarming stories were told as their holiday dreams were fulfilled.

Ann Oldenburg of USA Today said the following about the show:

Amid the Rudolph and Grinch classics and the made-for-TV seasonal movies comes something a little different this year: Dear Santa, an hour-long reality show from Fox airing Dec. 9 at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Producers have teamed with the U.S. Postal Service, which delivers more than 1 million letters from kids sent to Santa Claus at the North Pole each year.

“We thought it would be a great idea if we could answer these children’s letters and have their dreams come true,” says David Garfinkle of Renegade 83, executive producer of the show.

Each of four segments will feature a child who is wishing for something big. For example, one little girl just wants her daddy to come home from Iraq for Christmas. She also likes Clay Aiken. She winds up getting both at a base Christmas party.

I still remember this special and the excitement of seeing Clay on TV was running throughout the “Claynation”.

It was fun to find a YouTube of this Clay Aiken performance.  The first half of the video sets up the story, but the 2nd half is great so don’t stop watching!

Did you see this show in 2005?