With Clay Aiken having wrapped up his run as Sir Robin in Spamalot, the Idol quotient on Broadway was down. Fortunately for theatergoers, it's Taylor Hicks to the rescue. Kind of. He's a bit of a step down from Clay Aiken, isn't he? I mean, Clay's new album debuted at number four, and Taylor was dropped from his label.
Whichever way you see it, Hicks will be joining the cast of Grease to take on the role of Teen Angel. Should you be in the area, you can head over to the Brooks Atkinson Theater and hear his version of "Beauty School Dropout." An interesting TV side-note, this production of Grease stars Laura Osnes and Max Crumm. You may remember them as being the winners of the ill-fated NBC show, You're The One That I Want.
Clay Aiken's career track is an interesting one. For someone with my musical tastes and interests, he virtually disappeared after his season of American Idol was over. His act is really just not for me. Unlike so many other also-rans from the show though, a couple times a year, he pops up again. Clay is performing here. He's sold another million albums there. And along the way he's managed to build one of the most devoted fan bases anyone could ask for.
That brings us to the latest rise of Clay on to the radar for the rest of us. He's kicking off the release of his fourth studio album next Monday, with an appearance on QVC. I'm reminded of Arsenio and the old "things that make you go hmmm" bit. I'm not sure I get it, but we should probably just not question Clay's judgment. He seems to be doing alright. He's never going to have the media exposure of Kelly Clarkson, but he's not going to just fade away either.
Hey all you Idol maniacs. Want to know where your favorite Idol contestants past and present will be making appearances? Of course you do. You've already got the RV packed, notes to the kids' schools written explaining their prolonged absences and a case of Funyuns jammed underneath the passenger seat. You're a member of the Soul Patrol, a Clayniac and are still suffering from McPheever. Oh you've got it bad.
But MJ's Big Blog has what you need. No more aimless driving around America shouting "Can anyone tell me where Gina Glocksen is performing tonight?" or "Has anyone seen Jessica Sierra, she still owes me bail money?" Now you can go to one place and plan your journey like the Deadheads before you. Now you can follow Ace Young as he travels around various Borders signing Chicken Soup for the American Idol Soul, and you can catch Diana DeGarmo at the Braves opener. Oh, and if you're in Atlanta at Kroger tonight, look up Melinda Doolittle, buy some ice cream and tell her I said "Hi."
(S05E05) Tonight's episode took place at the Tempe Improv and despite the fact that it didn't look exactly like the old LA room, any fan of comedy had to get a little excited when they saw that brick wall and the big Improv letters attached to it. I felt like I was sucked right back into 1988 and I was watching what was, for me, one of the defining shows of my childhood: A&E's Evening at the Improv. The only thing that was missing was Bud Friedman introducing each comedian while wearing a ridiculous monocle.
The bad news tonight was that none of the comedians had the 80's comic uniform on: jeans, skinny-tie, and sports coat with the sleeves rolled up. I would have liked to see that.
The good news? Well, tonight's episode was actually kind of enjoyable...
TV Tattle reports today (via SyFyPoral via The Houston Chronicle -- ah, the twisty fun of giving internet credit!) that, if you're a Jericho fan, you apparently have Clay Aiken to thank for the show's upcoming revival.
Aiken said he "...started blogging about [Jericho] on my fan site. It got canceled and I started blogging about how upset I was. I said, 'The Claymates can do anything. How do we get this show back on the air?'"
His fans sprung into action and, "Honestly, within a week, they had organized a campaign amongst Jericho fans to send nuts to CBS. It kind of started in that place. And it's back on the air. It just blows my mind."
Several American Idol alumni, such as Fantasia and Diana DeGarmo, have taken their musical talents to the Broadway stage. But now, Idolmania has actually inspired an original Off-Broadway show called Idol: The Musical. The story revolves around a group of outcasts that idolizes Clay Aiken.
According to press notes, the show is described as "a satirical musical comedy that focuses on the outrageous and delusional fan base of the hit television show."
What exactly is 'Chris Daughtry-itis?' Does it involve a fever and a rash? Does it cause baldness? And most importantly, is it curable?
Simon Cowell complained in this week's Entertainment Weekly that the current batch of finalists just don't want to win badly enough. And this laid-back attitude is effecting their "A Game," or creating a lack thereof.
Simon said, "I think that we suffer from Jennifer Hudson- and Chris Daughtry-itis, which is people who didn't win getting great careers and now a lot of the contestants believing it absolutely doesn't matter."
"They thought for one person to get through they thought it was going to be me." -Marisa Rhodes.
Dear Marisa, Don't forget you're on a reality show. They aim to pump your ego so high during the taping that when they are ready to burst your bubble, they will be prepared with elevator surveillance to capture the precise moment you break down. The worst thing any contestant can do is align themselves openly with another contestant. The producers see this as great fodder for drama and will be compelled to break you apart. Has it only been a day that we've forgotten Shyamali and Sanjaya Malaka? You could have seen from a mile away that there could only be one American Idol per household.
On a sweet note, Clay Aiken professed his love for Jimmy Kimmel by wearing his air bushed face on his shirt...
I watched the first few seasons of American Idol and enjoyed it, but after too many singers got through that shouldn't have, and singers got cut that shouldn't have gotten cut, not to mention screwed up phone lines and fans flooding the phone lines to pick someone they "like" and not necessarily the best singer, I had to give it up. Here are 5 reasons why maybe you should too.
1. Its time has come. Seriously, what season is this? Is there really anything new to the process, to the auditions? Is it that surprising who makes it through and who doesn't? Sure the show continues to get mega-ratings and coverage, but I think there comes a point where you have to say, "it's not worth watching anymore."
We've already seen Survivor and Big Brother go the all-star route. And The Amazing Race is getting set to kick off their own version. Heck, it seems like every time I click by MTV there is another show filled with past Road Rules and Real World cast members. So why not American Idol?
According to TV Guide, Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe is trying to sell Fox on the concept. It's part of the planned songwriting competition. Lythgoe's idea is to narrow those entries down to ten songs and then bring in ten former Idol contestants to sing the songs on the show.
I'm not an Idol fan, but I have to say, that's a solid idea. I'm guessing they won't be able to get Kelly Clarkson, and chances are Jennifer Hudson won't be involved. But assuming that they can manage to get ten of the more popular contestants, this should make for another huge week of ratings. And an American Idol All-Stars CD... And an American Idol All-Stars Special Edition DVD... And... good grief, Idol is just a machine. At this point it's rivaled only by the power of Harry Potter.
Claymates are in for a special treat this Valentine's Day when American Idol's second season runner-up, Clay Aiken, appears on Jimmy Kimmel's ABC Valentine's Day Special on February 14th.
Clay has appeared on Kimmel's show several times and they reportedly enjoy a "good relationship." Let's hope that Clay doesn't ruin this special relationship by placing his hand over the host's mouth while he tries to speak. Not that I can blame Clay for that ugly incident with Kelly Ripa. Who among us hasn't wanted to silence Ripa's big yapping mouth now and again? Still, just to be safe, Clay might want to keep his hands to himself in the future to avoid unnecessary conflict and controversy.
For a montage of past special Clay/Kimmel moments, check out this video that some industrious fan put together.
Over at EW.com, Michael Slezak has compiled a list (with photos and links) of the "Top 10" best performances from the first five seasons of American Idol. And he puts Fantasia's performance of "Summertime" at the top of the list.
This is the type of list I could never put together because there have been way too many good (and bad) performances, and honestly, after awhile they all start to blend together for me. Plus, if I put together this list, I'd get nine million comments telling me I'm stupid for leaving Kellie Pickler off of it.
With Clay Aiken having wrapped up his run as Sir Robin in Spamalot, the Idol quotient on Broadway was down. Fortunately for theatergoers, it's Taylor Hicks to the rescue. Kind of. He's a bit of a step down from Clay Aiken, isn't he? I mean, Clay's new album debuted at number four, and Taylor was dropped from his label. 
Clay Aiken's career track is an interesting one. For someone with my musical tastes and interests, he virtually disappeared after his season of 
Hey all you Idol maniacs. Want to know where your favorite Idol contestants past and present will be making appearances? Of course you do. You've already got the RV packed, notes to the kids' schools written explaining their prolonged absences and a case of Funyuns jammed underneath the passenger seat. You're a member of the Soul Patrol, a Clayniac and are still suffering from McPheever. Oh you've got it bad.
(S05E05) Tonight's episode took place at the Tempe Improv and despite the fact that it didn't look exactly like the old LA room, any fan of comedy had to get a little excited when they saw that brick wall and the big 
TV Tattle
Several 
What exactly is 'Chris Daughtry-itis?' Does it involve a fever and a rash? Does it cause baldness? And most importantly, is it curable?
I watched the first few seasons of American Idol and enjoyed it, but after too many singers got through that shouldn't have, and singers got cut that shouldn't have gotten cut, not to mention screwed up phone lines and fans flooding the phone lines to pick someone they "like" and not necessarily the best singer, I had to give it up. Here are 5 reasons why maybe you should too.
We've already seen Survivor and Big Brother go the all-star route. And The Amazing Race is getting set to kick off their own version. Heck, it seems like every time I click by MTV there is another show filled with past Road Rules and Real World cast members. So why not American Idol?
Claymates are in for a special treat this Valentine's Day when American Idol's second season runner-up, Clay Aiken, appears on Jimmy Kimmel's ABC Valentine's Day Special on February 14th. 
Over at 
The Upfronts: FOX
Carter Bays of How I Met Your Mother: The TV Squad Interview
The Upfronts: CBS
