Brave Sir Aiken

Only three more days until Clay Aiken's Broadway debut in Monty Python's Spamalot as Brave Sir Robin, the role originated in 2005 by David Hyde Pierce. I'll tell the truth: I hadn't even heard about this until about fifteen minutes ago, but I must say: I'm pretty excited.

When Clay was on American Idol--in, what, 2003? 2004?--he was my absolute fave. His loss to Ruben Studdard was, in my eyes, horrifying and unjust. Needless to say, his first album, Measure of a Man, was in my sweaty little showtune hands about ten minutes after it was released.

However, Clay unpredictably lost my fanship when he appeared in one of my all-time favorite TV shows--Scrubs--in 2005 as Kenny, the Southern-accented, angel-voiced, laid-off Sacred Heart employee. Puh-LEEZE, as Manda from the Jessica Darling books would say. One of my biggest pet peeves is when singers appear in movies or TV shows as characters who aren't singers--and then sing. And of course, at the end of the episode, Kenny wins a talent show. By singing. By singing ISN'T SHE LOVELY.

Okay, granted, it was an unusually cheesy Scrubs episode, as the episode satirized live-audience sitcoms. But still. The cheesiness of the storyline and the oh-so-sad firing of Clay's character combined with Clay's character just HAPPENING to have a beautiful voice was enough to make me puke. Thus, I did not purchase any of Clay's forthcoming albums. I was that mad.

But now I'm over it.

I haven't seen Spamalot but I know the music, and I must admit that I am anxious to see Clay Aiken performing the David Hyde Pierce classic, "You Won't Succeed On Broadway." I haven't gotten my ass out to see Spamalot in the 1.5 years I've lived in New York so far--just haven't really seen the appeal. Ironically enough, the scrawny yet soothingly-voiced Clay Aiken may just be the catalyst for the purchase of a $50 Spamalot ticket.

Oh, and PS: He may just be good. Mike Nichols, the director of everything, stated in October that Clay "is an excellent comic actor and a master of character. People will be surprised by his wide ranging talent." I certainly can't wait to be bowled over!