[susiek]

When have you ever heard of an entire group of people (students, parents, teachers, stage workers, etc.) who all refused to talk when someone famous acted badly? It doesn't happen. Someone always talks, especially since a story like this (if there is a story there) would sell well in tabloids. If no one is talking, they probably didn't all see what the article implies they must have seen. Maybe some of Aiken's people acted badly towards the kids, maybe he himself was a jerk, but if so, why isn't anyone talking? Seems fishy.

[paudio]

I got this from one of the Clay's chat room. It's not written by me. Quote: ------------------------------------------------------------ Here's what I've heard second hand, mostly from people that live in that area and one that was actually AT the theater (3rd hand) that day. I grew up in NJ, and went to college a stones throw away from where all this happened.

[1) The teacher was being a snob and expecting to be treated in a specific way. When one of the children stepped "out of line" and did something that they had been spefically told they were NOT permitted to do the teacher then "had words" with one of the security people "defending" this child and his/her inappropriate actions. Because of this SECURITY then made the decision, w/o consulting Clay, that no pictures would be permitted... period.

2) This teacher complained that the crew was "playing music too loud and interfered with their rehearsal." She never asked them to stop, she just whined about it. She blamed all of this on CLAY when Clay was not even in the building at the time.

3) Later, when Clay came into the theater on his own to check how things were going out this teacher walked up to him, never having seen or met him before, and started a SCREAMING match with him - that began with her chewing him out - LOUDLY. Yes, Clay yelled back at her and they had an angry exchange of words. At that point Jerome stepped in and had her escorted from the building - after which security barred her from the theater.

[bootless]

"Those in the know"? Sounds like a Jayson Blair source.

If the rehearsal was a full-dress with stage lighting and a darkened auditorium, the student snapping the flash picture would have been removed, just like during the actual performance. The flash pictures have been a big problem in the early part of the tour - it's *extremely* difficult to perform with those flashes in a dark room.

As for the rest of it ... I dunno. This sounds like a big load of sour grapes or something else.