It was great to see Spamalot and visit NYC for a few days. I got to say hello to Sally and talk to Caro on the phone! It was a wonderful. I am going post pictures tomorrow when I have time but I thought I'd post my brief recap here. Updated w/ pics.

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I guess I'll write a short recap. I have only seen the show once so I have nothing to compare it to. I went on the 27th (Wed.) and didn't get back home till Friday and I haven't had much time till now to write much. The Shubert Theater is much smaller and more intimate than say Lincoln Center. It has the ornate paintings all over the ceiling and looks like a place you would see one of the Christmas concerts in. The little box seats that are close to the stage were covered with lights and technical stuff. The towers were by them. It has a balcony and a mezzanine. It was pretty full if not completely full. The orchestra is down below the stage and I only ever saw the head of the conductor briefly. At the end, you will notice the entire cast giving acknowledgement to the musicians with a group gesture. The cast of Wicked did the same thing on Thursday night.

Clay is up in the tower in the early part of the show on the audience's left. He delivers his lines very well. He does a good job of timing and accent. If I didn't know he was sick, I never would have guessed. He missed Tuesday night's performance and I spent the whole day telling myself that I would just enjoy the show and the cast and applaud his understudy or standby person like crazy. Whew! Thanks to some friends and quick check on the net, I knew he would be there! The barriers were not up when we went and it was bitter cold and windy in that alley so I knew he wouldn't be out to sign anything. Note, if you want a Sir Robin shirt, you have to buy it AT the theater when it opens in the evening. The other Broadway shops and the Spamalot web site do not have it.

He danced very well. He delievered his two notes great! I was so proud of him. When he comes out as Brother Maynard, you do have to do a double take to realize it's him. He does that and Guard One very well and never misses a beat. I had to laugh, because I was in the third row and I could see him breathing when he was lying down on the stage during one scene. All I could think of was that he was breathing fast for someone lying still. I was not in a position to see any wardrobe malfunctions. I am glad because I wouldn't have wanted the distraction! LOL. Clay stays in character and works very well with the whole ensemble. His bit at the end where he finds his grail and sounds a bit like maybe Al Jolson for a second is just wonderful. I think better seats will be a bit further back in the theater. It is easier to take in the whole stage including some of the lighting effects. The cast is amazing! Hannah Waddinghim has the most unbelievable voice and me for a new fan. She does one song where she sounds like opera, Broadway and Tina Turner all at once. It is to die for! Tom Deckman was out the evening we attended but the young man who played Prince Herbert had the loveliest male voice. He was supposed to be a comic character but I just wanted to hear him sing. The audience seemed a bit subdued but there were a number of Clay fans in the audience. The woman who was chosen to be the peasant was in the second row this evening. She got to keep a little golden foot statue. Patsy comes out and "discovers" the Holy Grail under her seat. At the end, gold, yellow and white circles fell from the sky as confetti. I kept some with my Playbill. Over all, the play is entertaining and funny. The French Taunter scene is unreal. I will say that while I thought everyone did an excellent job, that the energy level in the audience and from the cast was somewhat lower than I expected. I have read from others who have attended more than once that they had the same impression. It was the middle of the week and VERY cold outside. I am told that Tom Deckman's abscence was also responsible because he adds so much to the roles he plays.

I did get a picture of the bus with Clay as we walked through Harold Square. I also have a copy of the city guide with Clay in Spamalot on the cover. I also talked with a shop keeper who sold NYC and Broadway items. He said a lady friend went to see Spamalot. She knew who Clay was but not much about him. He told me that she said he was really good. I told him that Clay's fans have known for awhile how good he really is but that it was just nice that the rest of the world gets to see it.

Oh I am going to add a couple of funny annecdotes. I worried that we wouldn't be able to find the Shubert Theater. I knew from reading the recaps that Sardi's, Carmine's, and Junior's were all right by the theater as was my hotel but I couldn't see the Shubert. The sign isn't lit up during the day. There was this little alleyway across the street from my hotel. I decided to try to that to find the theater. It was Shubert Alley!! LOL. Also, while my husband and I were walking around New York the day after the show, it was bitter cold and very windy. We were a couple of lost, frozen tourists and ducked into a revolving door to the lobby of some building to get out of the wind long enough to check our map and get warm for a second. I thought it was a bank or an office building. IT WAS SONY BMG!!!! There isn't a sign on the building so we would never have known! We didn't speak to anyone at the desk and we left in like a minute. I wonder if Clay was there recording that day? I am not sure that is where the recording studio is but I was so excited to have stumbled upon it. LOL.

Shubert Alley

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Spamalot bus add in Herald Square: