ClayManiacs

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/ILClaymate/concertvenues/Merrillvilleext.jpg)

(http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/irishbookgal/CITH%20Tour/starplazatheatremerrillej7.jpg)

Welcome to Orchestra Hall in Merrillville, IN!  This is the last night of the tour.
Start Times :

9:00 pm EST
8:00 pm CDT
7:00 pm MST
6:00 pm PST

Merrilville Maniacs in attendance tonight:
woodstock854 (Debbie) - with hubby, daughter, and young son
ILClaymate (Angela)
franniek54 (Fran)
fantasy (Krista)
claymate32
4aiken + hubby
clays#1fan (Joyce)
et61

MEESA! :wave   What's new?? :bigsmile

The final concert for 2007 !  I miss him already . . . :wink

                                                 :wave :wave MEESA ARE YA STILL FLOATIN, CANT WAIT TO HEAR DETAILS WOMAN :bigsmile

Main floor full, mezzanine is half full!!!  

I'll come down from my cloud years from now if then.  :lol

 :wave   Hi Meesa, Barb & Glory

I miss him too and he hasn't even started tonight   :sad

Lights are going down.

Emmanuel  

Hi Glory (note) and Barbara! :wave

Meesa . . . stay on that cloud for as long as you can! :hugg

                                                 WHO IS HEAR ANNOUNCE YOURSELVES PLEASE :lol :lol

                                                                  VERY BAD RECEPTION. :bang

                                  BARB I HAVEN'T USED NOTE IN YEARS LOOKS FUNNY, :lol :lol

                                              HI BARB 2

      Glory,
                 I"m here, wish I were there. So long to wait for another concert.
                                                               
                                               Betty

 :wave

Our family is here, but I just had to come in for a few minutes. It is so hard to believe that it is almost Christmas, and that the last concert is here already. This has been a great tour - I wish we could have had more phone calls so that we could have actually heard the concerts, but I appreciate all of the cell certs and information that all of you have given us. Thank you for working so hard!

This is the first time I've been on the computer all day - I don't know if Meesa has written a recap, but I am looking forward to reading it when she does!

I wish we could all be there tonight with Woody, Clandy, and everyone else - I know they will have a great time.

Grandchildren and dogs are collapsed everywhere!  :lol I'm going to go read a little, and will check back here before I leave for the night - Happy Last Cell Cert, Everybody!  :ghug

                                                      I NEED A HUG BADLY

the praises of the laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamb.

Then someone screamed.  :spank2

It was just gorgeous!  

The song or the scream?

                       GLORY       :hugg

The song, silly.  :lol

Merry Christmas With Love

Glory -  :hugg

First story - Pinkarmchair's eggnog story

Glory-not-note,

 :hugg

'You okay?

          
                                                  NO I AM NOT.

(http://www.clayversity.net/forums/style_emoticons/default/xmasdance.gif)(http://www.clayversity.net/forums/style_emoticons/default/xmasdance.gif)(http://www.clayversity.net/forums/style_emoticons/default/xmasdance.gif)

Glory, what's up?

Here, have another: :hugg

Oh my gosh. I'd give him anything he wanted.

GLORY  . . . CAN WE HELP??? :hugg :hugg

                                       NOPE.

 :hugg Glory - If I was guessing, I'd guess that you are stressing about Christmas and traveling to Kansas - try not to worry - it will all work out. If the weather is bad and you have to miss Christmas by a day or two, that is O.K. I've told you many times - Christmas actually happens on the day your family can get together - whenever that is! We are having Christmas today!

I'm thinking about that blond hair - I think it may be for Spamalot - I don't think it is my preferred color for His Clayness, but as a wise person once said - I'd take him any way I could get him - even bald!  :wink

                                           THATS ONLY PART RIGHT FRANKIE. I WILL BE FINE HARD DAY. WE ARE NOT LEAVING UNTIL THE 26TH I AM FINE WITH THAT.

Faye is dressed in all black, so there is speculation she might be reading tonight.  

FRANKIE  . . Merry Christmas TODAY! :hugg   Your words are very wise . . . it IS the day that we are with people who love us.

MEESA  . . Since the start of tonight's cellcert, did you change your avie???  (Don't play with my mind . . . not much of it is left) ~ :hypno

Aww . . . . It would be neat if Faye would be a "reader"!   BEWARE OF WOMEN IN THE AUDIENCE DRESSED IN BLACK . . . :para

I need to get off of here!

I hope Faye is reading, and reads her favorite Christmas memory - and I hope it includes Clay!

Glory - sorry you had a bad day.  :bighug

Barbara - I did.  :wink

Starting again ....

O Holy Night

 :hugg Thanks, Barb - my "wisdom" comes from having divorced parents who always made us feel guilty for spending time with the other parent! But from that I learned how to parent my own children - we celebrate every holiday whenever we can all get together. And speaking of being all together - I think I will look in on the grandchildren, who are watching the new Harry Potter movie!

Have a great rest of the cell cert, everybody - I will finished reading all about it tomorrow night when the children have gone home to wait for Santa!

EDIT - Thanks again, Meesa!

                                        WHAT A AMAZING CONCERT, WHAT A AMZING MAN, WHAT A BEAUTIFU VOICE GAH I LOVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE HIM.

Glory's bouncing back.

                                     YEP CAN'T KEEP ME DOWN TO LONG. :lmao I AM FINE .

Wonderful audience response.

Jesse's playing the heck out of that piano!

Fourth story  

GLORY!  THINKING ABOUT CLAY AND HEARING HIS VOICE MADE THINGS BETTER! :clap

THE GIRLS ARE SINGING WITH HIM ON MGUCL
ANGELA SINGING NOW

This is just gorgeous! The girls are blending with his voice magnificently.  

                                          I GOT GOOSEBUMPS ON THAT DUET WOW. :bigsmile

Brett and Faye are coming onstage  

:wave peeps.
That's awesome. I have wished Clay and Quiana could sing this together.

Did Faye read a story?

He's doing what??

Jamie sitting on bench with Jesse
introing Fern, Mary  

Forgive the typo - intro'ing

I was thinking he would get everyone out tonight on stage. Sweet Faye and Brett are there too.

Oh, is that all? :blush

giving Brett a standing 'O' for his military service,

Clay playing the 'hey', it's my show' routine

Talking about going to mexico  

He is wonderful. :cry

Singing with hand in pocket  

Oh, baby that's a fact. Great response!!EEEEEEEEEE!!  

Coming off the platform, arm in arm with Angie  

Ohhh Wonder if he's going to Sing what Are You Doing New Years Eve.

making the girls hold the note, looking at his watch!!

Quiana jumping up and Down, she won the note-holding contest  

HA How cute. :lol

                                               WELL THAT'S IT A TEAR FELL.OMG.

Next?  . . :pickme :pickme   :bigsmile

I hope they are allowing clack. I want to see everything tonight.

I want to thank everyone who has attended, volunteered their cell phones for the cellcerts and put together the cellcert threads. It really is fun to get together as a family here on our board and listen to and comment about the concerts while they are happening.

Love you all! See you next tour.   :wave

Clack is allowed as long as flashes aren't used.

Sounded like a wonderful, special last concert. Thanks so much to Meesa, Marilyn, and Heather for giving us the updates everynight. :clap :hugg to you all. The cellcerts are the next best thing after being there. It's been fun.

Can't believe the Christmas tour is over. It seems like it went by so fast. I really did love it. It was so classy and differant but I admit it wasn't my favorite Christmas tour cause I missed the banter and funny Clay but I'll sure we'll see that next tour. The way he sang every song has been amazing and his glory notes were just Wow! He still gives me chills. I also enjoyed hearing the Christmas stories. They were touching. Marilyn had a wonderful experience reading hers and getting to meet Clay 3 times. Also so happy for Meesa, Carla and Jill getting a Meet and Greet and Carol seeing Clay for the 1st time. We will have a lot of memories from this tour we will never forget. Now we have a lot of exciting things with Clay to look forward to after the New Year with Spamalot, his new CD coming out and more concerts. :bouncy

Safe travels to him, Faye and Brett when they go to Mexico. Merry Christmas to Clay and his family and everyone here. See you all at the next cellcert next year. :smile

I HAVEN'T D/L MUCH.  VERY LITTLE.  BUT FROM WHAT I JUST READ, I THINK I HAVE TO DO THIS SECOND HALF. 

ACCORDING TO CORABETH  FROM THE CH--


GWENN

Thanks Meesa for bringing us this cellcert tonight.  Thanks to Marilyn and Heather for also bringing the cellcert during this tour.

It sounds like tonight was a very special show.  I hope there are some d/l of it.  I'm sorry to see this tour end but we have 2008 to look forward to--Spamalot, new CD and new summer tour   :cross   :cross

God be with Clay, Faye and Brett as they go to Mexico to help the children suffering down there.  Be careful and come home safe and sound.

I have enjoyed being here with all of you.   If I can't be at a show, then this is the next best place to be.

I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend and I want to wish all of you


                                                  :merryxmas

GREETINGS FROM MERRILLVILLE!!!

I see I'm the first one to check in.  I was WAY too tired last night, and my son was using the laptop, so I just conked out. 

It was GREAT fun reading this cellcert thread.  Thanks to Meesa, Heather, Susy, and everyone who helped out this year.

The concert was great!!!  I was a little worried hearing that he was going to sing some of the same songs, but he did change them up quite a bit. Some were slower, some faster, and some just a little different. His voice was very good.  I loved when he sang some of the songs just with the piano.

I think he may have been a little emotional about it being the last concert.  He took extra time to introduce everyone and had them come out on stage.  FWI:  Faye and Brett did NOT come on stage.  They were in the first row behind the orchestra pit, and believe me, it didn't take much time for people to notice them.  Clay introduced them from their seats.  I walked right by them during intermission.  They were graciously taking pictures with fans.  Brett looked very cute.  Faye looked slightly blonder, too, and her hair looked slightly different.  I didn't talk to them.  Ethel was there, but didn't say a peep, thank God

I know I am saying this all out of order.  I should have written things down last night, but that's OK.

I loved MDYK last night, even though it is not one of my very favorites.  Clay performed it very well.  MCWL was awesome, too.  So many of the songs were.  IBHFC was very nice, too.  I was very surprised when the girls sang with Clay on MGUCL.  Sometimes they were each singing alone; sometimes all together.  To be honest, I like when Clay sings it alone better.  The girls, especially Angela, sometimes sing so loud.  OK, no tomatoes.  JMHO.  DSIAFCD was marvelous!!!  As I said he talked quite a bit, and in an animated way.  Very funny and happy.  When he was first telling about the Christmas Memories stories, he explained how they had used different formats each year and they wanted to go with the stories this year.  He said they had used grade school and high school choirs before, but he said middle school was just too difficult.  Too many issues:  attitude issues, skin issues.   :lmao  As Meesa would say...what a goober.   :wink  Oddly enough, Clay did not introduce the readers.  And NO, Faye did not read.  He did mention though, that these readers were all chosen as some of their favorites over the course of the tour.  They were very good, and made me cry.  My daughter mentioned afterwards, and I agreed with her, that there were 3 "sad" type stories, and one fun one, and we wish it had been 2 and  2.

All is Well is my favorite song.  He sang it very well, but I thought he sounded like he was getting a little horse from all the emotional singing he had done all night, and all the talking.  He hit the Glory note, but he did not  hold it as long as usual.  Again, no tomatoes.  That's just the way I saw it.  All in all, it was WONDERFUL and I definitely left feeling like I had been Clayed.   :thud

BTW, my family enjoyed it, too.  Young son had never seen Clay before, and he thought it was very good.

ALSO, we had been planning on sending Jerome a cookbook, as he saw the first one when Prissy had Clay sign it at a M&G.  Prissy told Jerome that we were in the process of putting together a second cookbook.  He said he wanted one.  So I called Pamela to make sure she hadn't sent him one yet, and she hadn't, so I gave him one before the concert.  He seemed VERY happy and said he was waiting for one.  He kept saying...is this really for ME? Can I really keep it???  My guess is he's probably so  used to people giving him things for Clay.   :wink  Anyway, he gave me a hug and I asked him if I could have my picture taken with him, and he said yes.  So Clandy took a picture of me with Jerome.  I hope it comes out.  Either she will post it or send it to me and I will post it.

I had a WONDERFUL time seeing Clandy, Fran, Krista, and Krista's mom for dinner.  See, I'm telling my story all backwards.   :lol  I didn't see any other Claymaniacs.

I'm very lucky that I have been able to see Clay on each tour.  He said he really enjoyed the Christmas tours and hoped to keep doing them.  YEAH  :clap  for us!!!
Woodstock :bouncy

Thanks to my friend, handy dandy Clandy, here is my picture with Jerome after giving him the cookbook.  He was SO nice.

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v239/ILClaymate/CITH%202007/merrillville/Merrillville122207011.jpg)
[/quote]

Maybe he will post in our Recipe Swap thread one of these days....do ya think???   :lmao