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Clay Aiken – Always In The News

By musicfan123 · Comments 9903(7)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fclay-aiken-always-in-the-news%2FClay+Aiken+-++Always+In+The+News2010-06-30+07%3A47%3A07musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9903
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010

Each day there seems to be new articles that mention Clay Aiken. Some are excellent, informative articles that report about what he has been doing or, perhaps, what is in his future plans.  Then there are the rumor sites that take one sentence and take it out of context and use it as a headline.  An example of the latter is the over 100 sites on google that are claiming that Clay wants to replace Simon Cowell on American Idol.  It really is crazy, but I guess it means that his name still equals hits!!

The UPI is a legitimate news source. Their web page says the following about their organization:

Since 1907, United Press International (UPI) has been a leading provider of critical information to media outlets, businesses, governments and researchers worldwide. UPI is a global operation with offices in Beirut, Hong Kong, London, Santiago, Seoul and Tokyo. Our headquarters is located in downtown Washington, DC, surrounded by major international policy-making governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Over 2.8 million unique visitors visit our web site every month and the number is rising. In December of 2008 alone, UPI.com received 6.5 million page views.

Each day UPI publishes its content directly to UPI.com, reaching an online audience that is constantly growing.

On Tuesday, Jun 29th, UPI posted the following article about co-hosts on The View.

NEW YORK, June 29 (UPI) — Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Kate Gosselin and Clay Aiken have signed on as guest co-hosts of the U.S. chat show “The View,” ABC said Tuesday

The show’s regular hosts are Barbara Walters, Whoopi Goldberg, Joy Behar, Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Sherri Shepherd.

Numerous celebrities, including actor Ferguson, reality TV personality Gosselin and singer Aiken, have agreed to fill in for the regular hosts as they take days off in June and July, Bill Geddie, the show’s executive producer, said.

Also to appear as guest co-hosts are actresses Valerie Bertinelli, Yvette Nicole Brown and Rachael Harris; Jamyce Lee, winner of the “Good Morning America” Living the Dream contest and a 27-year-old mother of three; TV personality Bryant Gumbel; political commentator/talk show host Laura Ingraham; chef Marcella Valladolid; and TV/radio personality Jacque Reid.

Interesting that the one picture they have with the article is one of  Clay Aiken.  To see the article and the picture visit UPI

Robert W. McDowell is a writer for The Triangle Arts and Entertainment site.  According to their site, it is A News Magazine Devoted To Visual and Performing Arts.

On Tuesday, McDowell wrote a nice review of the  Bringing Broadway Home concert that was held in Raleigh on June 21st.

IN “BRINGING BROADWAY HOME,” CLAY AIKEN DELIGHTED HIS FANS, BUT LAUREN KENNEDY AND QUIANA PARLER WERE SHOWSTOPPERS, TOO

Last Monday night, the North Carolina Theatre, whose gala home-grown productions of big Broadway musicals compare favorably with many of the bus-and-truck tours that play the Triangle, staged BRINGING BROADWAY HOME: CELEBRATING 27 SEASONS OF BROADWAY, a spectacular benefit concert last Monday night, featuring effervescent performances by NCT alumni Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mann, and Quiana Parler and a splendid orchestra led by frequent NCT musical director and conductor Edward G. Robinson.

Aiken is the 2003 “American Idol” runner-up and a multi-platinum recording artist who also played Sir Robin in MONTY PYTHON’S SPAMALOT; Kennedy is a rising Broadway star, who has played Betty Schaefer in SUNSET BOULEVARD, Fantine in LES MISÉRABLES, and the Lady of the lake in SPAMALOT; and Lawrence is a television star probably most famous for playing assistant district attorney Sylvia Costas Sipowicz in the ground-breaking crime drama “NYPD Blue.”

Mann created the roles of the irrepressible Rum Tum Tugger and the implacable Inspector Javert in the American versions of CATS and LES MISÉRABLES, respectively, as well as starred as the Beast in the original Broadway production of DISNEY’S BEAUTY AND THE BEAST; and Parler is a superlative African-American actress and singer who gave a career-making performance as troubled diva Effie Melody White in the 2008 North Carolina Theatre production of DREAMGIRLS.

Hometown favorite Clay Aiken opened the show with a rousing rendition of “Home” from THE WIZ, then delighted his legion of local fans with two saucy selections from his new album “Tried and True,” released June 1st on Decca: “Mack the Knife” from THREE PENNY OPERA and “What Kind of Fool Am I?” from STOP THE WORLD I WANT TO GET OFF. Aiken also added crowd-pleasing performances of “This Is the Moment” from JEKYLL & HYDE and “Those Magic Changes” from GREASE, and sang dynamic duets of “Last Night of the World” from MISS SAIGON with Quiana Parler and “In Whatever Time We Have” from CHILDREN OF EDEN with Lauren Kennedy.

Another highlight of the evening was the delightful reprise of “What Do the Simple Folk Do?” from CAMELOT by Terrence Mann and Sharon Lawrence, who played Arthur and Guenevere in NCT’s very first production in May 1984. Mann also reprised his role as Inspector Javert with brio as he sang “Stars” from LES MISÉRABLES, and his vibrant version of “Where’s the Girl?” from THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL also earned applause.

From the moment she sashayed onstage to sing “Popular” from WICKED, wearing a rhinestone tiara and a purple boa over her little black sequined and fringed dress, with a white sash emblazoned with “Raleigh’s Own” printed on it tied diagonally across her chest, Raleigh’s own Lauren Kennedy OWNED the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium audience lock, stock, and barrel. Her perky performance continued with vivacious versions of Jason Robert Brown’s sassy “I Can Do Better Than That” from THE LAST 5 YEARS, Fantine’s (and Susan Boyle’s) showstopper “I Dreamed a Dream” from LES MISÉRABLES, the wistful “Send in the Clowns” from A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, and “Hold On” from THE SECRET GARDEN.

Sharon Lawrence served as an informal mistress of ceremonies and contributed a charming version of “Shy” from ONCE UPON A MATTRESS, and Quiana Parler’s solo on “What I Did for Love” from A CHORUS LINE sparkled. But even if Clay Aiken was the evening’s most flamboyant showman, his erstwhile singing partner Quiana Parler one-upped Aiken and the rest of this stellar cast with her simply fab-u-lous rendition of “(And I Am Telling You) I’m Not Going” from DREAMGIRLS. After that next-to-last number, the company’s grand finale of “Imagine” by ex-Beatle John Lennon seemed anti-climactic.

All in all, BRINGING BROADWAY HOME was a bracing program of music and reminiscences in which backstage tales were told and North Carolina Theatre founder and head honcho De Ann Jones and her son and successor, Wally Jones, were given their due. NCT is a shining jewel in this state’s cultural crown and, for one magical evening, a fabulous quintet of NCT alumni, emphatically demonstrated how excellent this critically acclaimed regional theater is as a springboard to show business fame and fortune.

The article includes nice pictures of Lauren Kennedy, Quiana Parler and a picture of Clay’s CD,  On My Way Here.

Please take a moment and give the site a visit and leave a positive comment.  It is important for the publication and Mr. McDowell to know that we support Clay and enjoy news and reports about him on their site.  You can see the article at  TRIANGLE ARTS

On Tuesday evening, the following was posted on Facebook by Universal Music Singapore:

Universal Music Singapore Gooood morning Singapore! First update of the day: To Clay Aiken’s fans. Tried and True will be available at all record store this coming July. Visit us more to find out the exact date.

It looks like the International Promo for Tried & True is starting.  Of course, sales outside the United States do not show on the Billboard sales charts, but they do count towards total album sales statistics.  RIAA recently awarded Clay a sales plaque for 6 million sales internationally.

Today is the last day of the month.  We can only hope that the buzz around Clay Aiken continues in July.  Are you ready?

Comments 9903(7)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2010%2F06%2F30%2Fclay-aiken-always-in-the-news%2FClay+Aiken+-++Always+In+The+News2010-06-30+07%3A47%3A07musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D9903
Categories : Clay News
Tags : American Idol, Barbara Walters, Bill Geddie, Billboard, Bringing Broadway Home, Bryant Gumbel, Clay Aiken, Decca Records, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, FaceBook, Google, Joy Behar, Lauren Kennedy, North Carolina Theatre, On My Way Here, Quiana Parler, RIAA, Robert W McDowell, Sharon Lawrence, Sherri Shepherd, Spamalot, Terrence Mann, The View, Triangle Arts and Entertainment, Tried & True, Universal Music Singapore, UPI, Valerie Bertinelli, Whoopi Goldberg

Clay Aiken – “It Was Incredible…Really Great!”

By musicfan123 · Comments 7033(14)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2009%2F11%2F14%2Fclay-aiken-it-was-incredible-really-great%2FClay+Aiken+-+%22It+Was+Incredible...Really+Great%21%222009-11-14+09%3A07%3A08musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D7033
Saturday, November 14th, 2009

On November 12th, Clay Aiken wrote a long and exciting blog on his Official Fan Club Board.  He discussed this and that including some news about his next album and even some snippets on some political thoughts.

One of the things he mentioned caught my eye.  He wrote:

“While in London last time I went, with Hannah, to see Sister Act: the Musical. I went because I thought it would be a disaster and I wanted to see how bad it would be. I was SOOO WRONG. It was incredible. REALLY great. The sets were some of the most amazing I have EVER seen on a stage and the music was SPECTACULAR. Alan Menken, who wrote Aladdin and Beauty and The Beast and MUCH more, wrote the music for this… it was SOOO good. Makes me REALLY want to do hunchback of Notre Dame (which he also wrote) on Broadway. Anyone know anyone at Disney Theatricals? Wanna pull some strings? ;-)

I thought it would be interesting to learn more about this show.

Sister Act The Musical is a new musical comedy based on the international hit movie of the same name. The show is currently at the London Palladium and opened on June 2,  2009. The show is produced by Whoopi Goldberg who starred in the Sister Act movies.

I am sure you all remember the story of disco diva Deloris Van Cartier, who witnesses a murder. She is put in protective custody in the one place the police are sure she won’t be found – a convent!

When she turns her attention to the convent’s off-key choir, she tries to help the nuns find their true voices and breathe new life into the rundown neighborhood. This is good for the convent, but bad for Deloris as her cover could be blown for good.

Sister Act features a score by Alan Menken, who is an eight-time Oscar winner and the man behind many songs from the Disney movies, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin and Enchanted. The Sister Act musical lyrics are by Alan’s long-time collaborator, Glenn Slater.

The book is by the award-winning team, Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, whose writing credits include the classic television comedy Cheers. The production is directed by Peter Schneider.

Whoopi Goldberg is producing this musical version of Sister Act. One of the best-known performers in the world, Whoopi Goldberg’s career spans from film and television, to stage and recording, to radio host and best-selling author. She is one of the few people who has won an Academy Award, a Grammy, a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Tony Award.

The Telegraph is the largest selling British “quality” paper in the United Kingdom.  Their review of Sister Act follows:

A production of Sister Act at the London Palladium proves more enjoyable on stage than on film

I caught the show at the final preview with an audience of regular punters rather than the usual first-night rent-a-mob, and the cheers and standing ovation at the end were both genuine and deserved. The book, by Cheers writers Cheri and Bill Steinkellner, is strong, funny and touching. And the disco-inspired score by Disney favourite Alan Menken, with neat lyrics by Glenn Slater, is a cracker. Frankly, what’s not to like, especially when you’ve got a chorus line of jiving nuns singing their hearts out ecstatically?

Clay Aiken seems to have great taste in his picks of musical stage productions.  Sister Act, the Musical seems to be a show that should be seen.  And, how nice that Clay got to spend some time with his good friend, Hannah Waddingham.

I have included a couple of videos that feature the cast of Sister Act, The Musical.  I hope you enjoy them.



httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHVqAgllDBQ

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTnPt2QuGQ4


Comments 7033(14)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2009%2F11%2F14%2Fclay-aiken-it-was-incredible-really-great%2FClay+Aiken+-+%22It+Was+Incredible...Really+Great%21%222009-11-14+09%3A07%3A08musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D7033
Categories : Clay News
Tags : Alan Menken, Clay Aiken, Glenn Slater, Hannah Waddingham, Sister Act The Musical, The Daily Telegraph, Whoopi Goldberg

Clay Aiken – Remembering Patrick Swayze

By musicfan123 · Comments 6291(10)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2009%2F09%2F16%2Fclay-aiken-remembering-patrick-swayze%2FClay+Aiken+-+Remembering+Patrick+Swayze2009-09-16+07%3A14%3A57musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D6291
Wednesday, September 16th, 2009

The world received sad news on Monday when it was reported that actor Patrick Swayze had lost his long battle with pancreatic cancer. Patrick’s family was at his side.

Patrick was a three-time Golden Globe nominated actor, dancer, and singer/songwriter.  He is probably best known for being the romantic lead in the movies, “Dirty Dancing” and “Ghost.”  He also had a starring role in the TV series, “North and South.”

According to Broadway World, Patrick’s first professional job was in Disney on Parade where he put his dancing skills to use.  On Broadway, Patrick starred as Danny Zuko in the musical, Grease. In 2006, Patrick made his London stage debut in Guys and Dolls

Patrick’s peers from Hollywood and Broadway have been reacting to the news of his death.  Jennifer Grey, his co-star in “Dirty Dancing” said:

“When I think of him, I think of being in his arms when we were kids, dancing, practicing the lift in the freezing lake, having a blast doing this tiny little movie we thought no one would ever see. … Patrick was a rare and beautiful combination of raw masculinity and amazing grace.”

Whoopi Goldberg talked of Patrick on The View.  She stated that because of Patrick, she won an Academy Award.  She was visibly upset on the show as she remembered him.

I will always remember “Dirty Dancing.”  I saw it so many times I could almost say the lines with the actors.

But, when I think of Patrick Swayze, I think of “Ghost” and the beautiful song Unchained Melody. I am so glad that Clay Aiken likes the song too.  His rendition of the song is vulnerable, yet full of passion.  No one can sing it better.

There are two videos to see attached to this article.  The first is of Clay singing Unchained Melody at a Benefit Concert for David Foster’s Charity.  The second video is Clay’s part in the AFI – 100 Songs from the movies.  Clay recalls his memories of the movie “Ghost” and his love of Unchained Melody.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AZHYG2AiNY

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUUzhRJnC7g

Comments 6291(10)http%3A%2F%2Fclaynewsnetwork.com%2F2009%2F09%2F16%2Fclay-aiken-remembering-patrick-swayze%2FClay+Aiken+-+Remembering+Patrick+Swayze2009-09-16+07%3A14%3A57musicfan123http%3A%2F%2Fwww.claynewsnetwork.com%2F%3Fp%3D6291
Categories : Clay News
Tags : Clay Aiken, Dirty Dancing, Ghost, Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swazye, Whoopi Goldberg

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It is not always about performance art, but about receiving positive energy from people with positive spirits. Sometimes we can see someone's spirit, and those are the people with great energy. Those are the people that get me through the day, especially on Broadway. -Clay Aiken

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