Bob Keyes at the Maine Sunday Telegram wrote about an interview he had with Clay Aiken.  They talked about Clay’s role as Joseph in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.  It is an excellent article and a few things stand out:

1.  Clay still thinks he can’t dance!

2.  Director Jayme McDaniel enjoys Clay’s voice.

3.  Clay is aware of the excellent reputation of the Ogunquit Playhouse.

4.  Clay has the respect of the entire cast.

The following are a few highlights from the article:

Clay Aiken’s not just any Joe

Instead of ‘Idol’-ing along, the pop star rises to the challenges of theater in ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.”

Clay Aiken is not afraid of acting, and the whole world knows singing comes naturally to one of the most popular stars to ever emerge from the “American Idol” TV show.

But dancing? No way.

He’s as clumsy as can be, he says.

“I like this role because it doesn’t make me dance,” he said with a laugh by phone last week from New York, where he and the rest of the cast of the Ogunquit Playhouse production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” were rehearsing…

…He said he chose to do the show because he knew the reputation of the Ogunquit Playhouse, and is interested in doing more theater.

“Ogunquit is a storied and respected theater throughout the country, even in Manhattan, but really throughout the theater world. The opportunity to do a show like this in a place that is so well-respected was hard to turn down,” he said…

…”I was certainly familiar with his voice before we started the process, but now, listening to it every day, I hear how he’s been influenced by so many styles. The remarkable thing about his singing is how it appears so effortless,” McDaniel said.

“He just sings higher and higher, and you never question just how high it can go. It’s not like any ‘Joseph’ that we have heard before.”…

…”I found him to be a warm, well-rounded and talented person,” Kenney said. “The character of Joseph needs a fresh, appealing centerpiece.

“Vocally, he needs to be an outstanding pop performer who can handle Andrew Lloyd Webber’s best songs in a first-rate and interpretative fashion. The character is a white sheep in a family of black sheep brothers. You need warmth to pull it off, and Clay has that. We just found him to be very down to earth and genuine.”…

…His peers appreciate him too. McDaniel said Aiken has not received special treatment because of his star status. The cast, who are members of the Actors Equity union, voted him their deputy to serve as a go-between for the cast and management.

It’s unusual for an actor with celebrity status to take on that role, and it speaks to the cast members’ fondness for, and trust in, Aiken, McDaniel said…

A big thank-you to Mr Keyes for this great article.  Be sure and visit the site to read the entire article and please, leave a comment.  We do want the writer and the paper to know that Clay has lots of fans who appreciate positive articles about Clay!!  You can read the article at NOTJUSTANYJOE

What was your favorite part of the article?