Clay Aiken To Bring Broadway Home

Clay Aiken performs on Raleigh stage. AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds

Dancers To Benefit Inclusion

NC Theatre Slates Fundraiser

Clay Aiken will be among five featured performers for "Bringing Broadway Home," June 21 fundraiser for the North Carolina Theatre Group. Subscriber tickets for the musical evening at Raleigh Memorial Auditorium got underway yesterday with general seating set for Monday, April 19.

In addition to Singer Man, the benefit concert celebrating 27 seasons of Broadway at the NC Theatre will star Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrance Mann, and Quiana Parler. Brief bios of all five are printed below.

Tuesday afternoon WRAL's Out and About column and Playbill posted stories promoting the NC Theatre benefit. Broadway World is also featuring the release, Aiken Joins Broadway Stars for NC Theathre Concert:

North Carolina Theatre, the region's only producer of professional Broadway musical revivals, announces "Bringing Broadway Home," a spectacular benefit concert on Monday, June 21st at 8 PM in Raleigh Memorial Auditorium at the Progress Energy Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Raleigh.

This one-night-only event will celebrate 27 seasons of Broadway at North Carolina Theatre and will feature Clay Aiken, Lauren Kennedy, Sharon Lawrence, Terrence Mann and Quiana Parler.

Clay Aiken is a multi-platinum recording artist and is set to release his sixth album, Tried and True, this summer.

Since his meteoric rise to fame on the hit TV show American Idol in 2003, Aiken has launched eight tours, authored a New York Times best-selling book called Learning to Sing: Hearing the Music in Your Life, starred on Broadway in Monty Python's Spamalot, and has guest starring roles in TV's Scrubs, 30 Rock, and Saturday Night Live.

Before all of these accomplishments and more, Aiken performed on the North Carolina Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776 in 1996.

Theatre Benefit Flier

Cotton, a Clay Aiken fan from North Carolina, outlined the following plan for those who would like to secure tickets during this week's NCT membership pre-sale. Pricing is shown on the double-clickable flier above.

For the subscriber membership, you can buy two of the three shows offered in the Mini Pack (Cinderella, Annie, Little Shop of Horrors). You have to order tickets for specific shows and locations (i.e., Sun Aug 1 2PM, Mezz).

If you choose weeknights and balcony, you can become a subscriber for $100 or so plus fees. A weekend ticket subscription comes to around $120. I was able to buy eight benefit tickets Tuesday morning with no problem.

NC Theatre on Facebook suggests: Call 919-831-6941 x6943 or x6944. Hurry - tickets are going FAST!

Benefit To Celebrate 27 Seasons

Abbreviated bios and clickable photos of the five featured NC Theatre fundraiser performers are printed below. Their benefit concert will celebrate the theatre's 27 seasons. The above flier is double clickable.

Clay Aiken

CLAY AIKEN, a Raleigh native, rose to fame in 2003 as the runner-up on the second season of American Idol. The multi-platinum singer has recorded five albums with RCA Records; and his first CD with Universal Decca, "Tried and True," is scheduled for release June 1.

Aiken has launched eight North American tours and performed on a variety of holiday, comedy, and talk shows on television. His 2008 Broadway debut as Sir Robin in Monty Python's Spamalot received rave reviews from audiences and critics alike.

The singer won honors in North Carolina when he performed "This Is The Moment" from Jekyll and Hyde. In 1996, he performed on the NC Theatre stage in Shenandoah and 1776.

Lauren Kennedy

LAUREN KENNEDY, a native of Raleigh, is an actress and singer who has performed many roles on Broadway. She most recently originated the role Off-Broadway at Second Stage last summer.

Among her Broadway roles include Lady of the Lake in "Spamalot," Fantine in "Les Miserables," and Betty Schaefer in "Sunset Blvd." Kennedy is a member of the Board of Directors at The North Carolina Theatre, an Artistic Advisor at Farmer’s Alley Theatre, and Producing Artistic Director at Hot Summer Night’s at The Kennedy.

Sharon Lawrence

SHARON LAWRENCE, a seasoned stage actress, Sharon Lawrence was recently nominated for an Ovation Award and won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award for her acclaimed performance as Vivian Leigh in Pasadena Playhouse’s Off-Broadway hit "Orson’s Shadow." Her last Broadway appearance was as Velma Kelly in "Chicago."

Among her many TV credits are NYPD Blue, Desperate Housewives, Monk, Law and Order:SUV, Grey’s Anatomy, and Curb Your Enthusiasm. She will star in a new comedy pilot for CBS entitled Hitched.

Terrence Mann

TERRENCE MANN made his big break-through in the original Broadway cast of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats, playing the lead role of Rum Tum Tugger. Other Broadway performances include Javert in the original Broadway cast of Les Miserables, Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and Chauvelin in The Scarlet Pimpernel.

Mann is currently playing the role of Mal Beineke in The Addams Family, which opened on Broadway on April 8.

Quiana Parler

QUIANA PARLER, a native of Charleston, SC, began her professional career singing for Calvin Gilmore of the "The Carolina Opry." In 2003 she parlayed a Top 48 placement on American Idol Season 2 into touring vocalist with Clay Aiken.

Parler's vocals can be heard on albums by Clay, Bianca Ryan, and Renee Olstead. She has recorded with some of the industry’s most respected producers and performed on numerous national television programs. She debuted in 2008 as Effie in the NC Theatre production of Dreamgirls.

After years on the road, the singer has returned home and assembled an incredible group of players and singers. Quiana Parler and Friends is an exciting, interactive band, a group with deep-rooted musical sophistication and an extremely diverse song list that travels throughout the USA and abroad.

Celebs Dance for Inclusion Project

In an annual benefit for the Foundation, the National Inclusion Project and A Step to Gold International Ballroom will co-host Dancing Like the Stars at Raleigh's Southern Women's Show on April 25.

Local celebrity participants have been practicing with their professional dance partners to provide great entertainment for the show attendees. Bios of the celebrity participants and their dance partners, as well as each couple's practice video, are provided here.

DLTS participants include Renee Chou (weekend morning anchor/reporter for WRAL-TV) and Dan Barber; Billy Dukes (music director/night DJ at 94.7 WQDR) and Kay Truitt; Scott Fitzgerald (WPTF 680AM radio personality, author, playright) and Melanie Dale; Bill Reh (meteorologist for NBC-17) and Amanda Shannon; Tina Seldin-Cash (WRAL TV) and Mike Gepner.

After watching the practice videos, use this link to vote for your favorite couple and make a donation to the National Inclusion Project. Every dollar donated will count as a vote towards the contestant of your choice (minimum online bid of $10).

Donations are 100 percent tax deductible. Voting will end at 11:59 EDT Saturday, April 24.

A MUSICAL STROLL - Founaindawg's latest graphic highlights Clay Aiken's six RCA albums and the much anticipated June 1 release with Decca, "Tried & True."

Fans on TNT Snippet Alert

Clocks have slowed to Larghissimo and Lenton assai tempi as time draws near for Amazon to post snippets of the upcoming "Tried & True" CD tracks. You can bet CA fans are staying in close contact with sites that will soon reveal smidgens of the new album's songs.

Another safe bet would be the Clay Aiken page at Decca Records.

Animation by gerwhisp

Larghissimo and Lento assai are slower than Largo, Lento, and Grave. I know I'm ready for the Vivace, Vivacissimo, and Vivacissimamente variety. How about you?

Below is a clickable of Fountaindawg's wallpaper:

Have a great week, Clay Nation!

Caro

Clay Aiken Sites on CD Countdown

Unchained Melody by Clay Aiken
Montage by SueReu

Until CD Release, PBS Special

Widgets, Montages Pass Time

As website widgets steadily mark off the time until the June release of "Clay Aiken: Tried and True" and the PBS Special that will feature songs from the singer's first CD with Decca Universal, excitement levels throughout Clay Cyberspace are registering all-time highs.

With each discovery of new performance sites for this summer's Cluben Not-a-Tour, fans immediately begin charting concert/travel possibilities.

Meanwhile, the creative branch of the Clay Aiken fandom consistently boosts anticipation gauges up a notch with amazing new montages and art.

In the introduction at YouTube, SueReu wrote this about her sepia-toned Unchained Melody montage:

A final listen to Unchained Melody -- soon to be redefined by Clay Aiken on his upcoming album 'Tried & True.' Be prepared to be blown away!

View the montage in the player above or at YouTube. For a full screen experience, click on the arrows on the player's right. Your comments about an artist's work are always appreciated here and at YouTube. You can download the montage with this Sendspace link.

Below are clickables of three screen shots from the montage by SueReu:

Wednesday's addition of TNT to the New Music Tipsheet signaled the album's drop date is a step closer.

Inclusion Project Allocates $700k

Wednesday the National Inclusion Project announced more than $700k will support over 45 "Let's All Play" camps in 23 states.

To read the complete story, click on this Carolina Newswire link: National Inclusion Project Announces over $700,000 Support for 'Let's All Play'. Here are the opening graphs:

Raleigh, N.C. – The National Inclusion Project (NIP), co-founded by entertainer Clay Aiken, announces over $700,000 of support to programs nationwide as part of its Let’s ALL Play initiative.

In just three years, the Project has invested over $1.7 million to expand Let’s ALL Play across the country. Let’s ALL Play brings an inclusive recreational experience to children with disabilities by giving them the same experience as children without disabilities.

Children with disabilities and their peers without disabilities come together to participate in recreational activities such as swimming, arts and crafts, community service, physical fitness and more. The Project will support over 45 recreational programs in 23 states in 2010.

In 2004, the Project instituted the inclusive recreational experience for children with and without disabilities. Since its inception, the Project has impacted over 20,000 children nationwide.

"My son does not have Down syndrome, wear hearing aids, or have difficulty with his speech,” said the mother of a camper. “He is simply a camper."

To learn more about the NIP and how to get involved, visit the Inclusion Project website.

Somewhere In Time @ Yahoo! Video
Montage by LovesClaysVoice

PBS Montage 'Somewhere in Time'

Using black/white promo stills from Clay's March 12 PBS concert taping, LovesClaysVoice created a memorable montage set to the beautiful "Somewhere in Time" theme by John Barry.

You can view the montage in the above player or at the Yahoo site. For a full-screen effect, click on the rectangle in the bottom right corner. To download, here is a Sendspace link.

Below are three clickable screen caps from the Somewhere in Time montage by LCV:

Oboe Takes Tumble at Cantata

My church's Lenten cantata and March Madness always seem to share a weekend this time of year. Fortunately, the Saturday rehearsal and Sunday performances don't interfere with basketball tournament games. They do encourage me to take the quickest route home, however.

The only kink in this year's event came while I was setting up my instrument and music for Sunday's 8:30 a.m. service. With reeds soaking in a cup on my stand, I checked to make sure the selections were in program order.

In the 45 years I have owned my oboe, I have never dropped it. While preparing for the first service, the oboe, standing at ease between my knees, suddenly toppled over face first. I quickly inserted a reed to see if everything was in order, noted some resistance, but thought all was manageable.

My Loree, which has been mentioned in previous Carolina blogs, was the main topic in a November 2006 entry -- Trusty Oboe Could Tell Tales -- after I learned of its intriguing pedigree.

Throughout Sunday's initial performance, I remember thinking how much more air I seemed to be using. Afterwards, I asked Anna, the other oboist, to play my instrument with her reed and see what she thought.

Immediately, she discovered that much of the airstream was escaping through a key in the upper joint; and she marveled that I was able to produce a sound. It's probably a miracle I didn't get dizzy and take a tumble myself.

Anna is a very capable technician; and, with her screw driver, adjusted the instrument in several places. For this oboist, the second service was a much more enjoyable hour.

'Wayfarin' Stranger' a Family Affair

The beautiful "Wayfarin' Stranger" Lenten Cantata, planned and conducted by my brother-in-law, minister of music for Jamestown United Methodist Church, was a very special experience for the congregation, as well as the 66-member choir and 35-piece orchestra. My sister and her daughter comprised the flute section.

Gathering music included selections by Bach, Gaubert, Holst, and Monteverdi, while the cantata featured sacred American hymn and spiritual arrangements by Mack Wilberg.

Among my favorites were "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," "Peace Like a River," "Bound for the Promised Land," "I'm Runnin' On," and "Thou Gracious God Whose Mercy Lends." At both services, the congregation and the choir stuck around for the orchestral postlude, "Lift High, The Lord Our Banner" (Delavan/Kirkland).

Sunday was indeed a "family affair" as our nephew, Taylor, a Greensboro College freshman, attended the 10:55 service and joined us for lunch afterwards.

My "Heels are alive" in the NIT and will play again on Tuesday, March 30. Have a wonderful weekend, Clay Nation!

Caro