Clay Aiken Wows Water Mill Crowd at Calissa

American Idol star Clay Aiken kicked off the Broadway Out East concert series at Calissa in Water Mill on July 15 in two rare, intimate performances.

Aiken flew up from the South—where he lives in Raleigh, NC—to entertain delighted South Forkers and support the live music series in the restaurant’s beautiful outdoor courtyard.

Seated casually on a stool accompanied on keyboard by his talented musical director, Ben Cohn (Dear Evan Hansen), Aiken presented a solid hour of crowd-pleasing ballads in an intimate setting—peppered with self-effacing banter as the rapt audience listened intently, while quietly dining on delicious, Greek-inspired menu options.

Both shows were sold out and the audiences hung on every note as Aiken tackled and delivered favorite Idol hits and recordings, such as his classic “Bridge Over Troubled Water, along with “Impossible,” “Somewhere” and his closing number “Moon River.”

The Broadway Out East series runs Thursdays through September and features a great lineup of some of Broadway’s best voices. The next show will feature rising concert star Jessica Vosk (Wicked) on Thursday, July 29.

For more info, visit calissahamptons.com/broadwayouteast.