Aiken, Fans Celebrate Birthday

What a Difference a Year Makes - Happy Birthday, Clay!

Amidst Spamalot 'Extemporania'

Sir Robin Adds 30th Candle

For the past five seasons, holiday tour audiences of Clay Aiken fans have commemorated Nov. 30 waving glow sticks and serenading their favorite singer. It's anyone's guess what will occur when the singer adds his 30th candle in the extemporaneous stratosphere of the Spamalot stage Sunday.

A theatre full of CA fans are in New York City to celebrate the special event while those back home anxiously await full-fledged recaps.

As in years past, commemorations of Clay's birthday range from a profusion of chairtable donations, the creation of special montages like the one by luluasst above, and a profusion of gifts that will fill his small dressing room at the Shubert.

The birthday montage, featuring "Seasons of Love" by the cast of Rent, can also be viewed at You Tube.

PHOTO INTERLUDE: This clickable interlude features a Thanksgiving collage by Fountaindawg, 1; birthday greetings by Amazing_CA and Fountaindawg, 2, 3; and cindilu2's very special December calendar, 4. For the widescreen version, see the artists's Yuku page.

LALATE2 Marks Date with Contest

LALATE2 is celebrating Clay's birthday with a video contest. Voting, which was to end at midnight Sunday, is still active. You can view and vote for one of these four montages at the LALATE2 link:

LULUASST: Clay Aiken - That's What It's All About
LOVESCLAYSVOICE: Can You feel the Love Tonight?
SUEREU: Clay Aiken, An Amazing Five-Year Journey (Redeux)
LEE: Clay Aiken Fan

In addition to The Bubel/Aiken Foundation and UNICEF, Spamalot's fundraising campaign for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is this year a beneficiary of fan board birthday donations honoring the Nov. 30 event. The Broadway Cares drive will continue through Dec. 7.

Animation by SueReu

Top Hat Bids Off the Chart

Recently added to Spamalot's BC/EFA fundraising on eBay is the white pop-up top hat worn by Clay during the show's wedding scene. Here is part of the spiel at eBay:

From the company of Broadway's Tony Award winning hit musical comedy SPAMALOT comes this unique piece of authentic theatrical history for your very own. As if superstar Clay Aiken has not been generous enough coming up with ways to raise money for Broadway Cares' annual Gypsy of the Year Competition, he has found a way to TOP himself, and we mean literally!

This authentic white pop-up TOP hat is the actual one worn by Clay in the show during the wedding scene. We can not even send it to you in time for Christmas as we have to wait for the's show's final performance before shipping it out.

But your holidays will be even brighter knowing that when all the props and costumes are packed up and shipped off after the final performance on January 11th, 2009, this particular costume piece will not only be going to one auction winner's home, but in addition, Clay will personalize it for that TOP bidder.

BC/EFA, the nation's leading industry-based, not-for-profit AIDS fundraising and grant making organization. Since its founding in 1988, BC/EFA has raised over $140 million for critically needed services for people with AIDS, HIV or HIV-related illnesses.

Clay Converses with Fans

Another BC/EFA fundraiser, Conversations with Clay, is taking place between the matinee and evening shows Saturday. Those who made the donation are participating in a half hour chat with Sir Robin. Here's the story from Broadway World:

Ever wonder what really goes on backstage or onstage at a Broadway Show? Ever have a question for one of the stars of one of Broadway's biggest hit shows and could not corner them at the stage door to ask?

Well, one of Broadway's newest and biggest stars, Clay Aiken, continues to shine on Broadway at The Shubert Theatre every night where he is currently reprising his role as the dashing Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot.

The generous Mr. Aiken has agreed during one of his busiest two-show Saturdays to conduct a talk-back: "Conversation With Clay" at the Shubert Theatre where the public may pay to come in and sit and chat with him as a group and ask all the questions that time allows.

A Very Busy Thanksgiving Day

Grandson Kai's Thanksgiving Day was spent with family and friends in a neighboring city. Although he has acquired some front teeth, his menu tended toward softer portions of the traditional dinner.

Now walking, my 14-month-old grandson gives us a brief tour of the premises in the video below.

Man on a Mission

Despite a baggy pants problem, Kai was a man on a mission, spending the pre-dinner time busily inspecting every room in his host's home.

When we received the Thanksgiving video, [fairy godmother] Sally commented that she was surprised the rolls of TP were still intact. I later quizzed my daughter, who said this was only due to her quick reconaissance work before grabbing the camera.

Edited by Sally

As the clickable indicates, Kai wore himself out during the insepction tour and was down for the count during the adult meal. He's resting up to do this all over again at Christmastime.

MARK YOUR CALENDAR

On Monday, 12/1, Jann Carl of Entertainment Tonight goes one-on-one with Clay Aiken, who talks candidly about being a doting daddy to his baby son Parker and about his decision to come out to the world as a gay man.

See video at the ET site. Favorite quote: "I'm trying my best to be the one who doesn't always let him [Parker] get what he wants, but he owns us."

Happy Birthday, Clay ... and have a wonderful week, Clay Nation!

Caro

TECHNORATI TAGS: Clay Aiken, On My Way Here, Monty Python's Spamalot, montage, 30th birthday, collage, Thanksgiving, LALATE2, Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, top hat eBaby bidding, grandson, Official Fan Club, Clay Nation