‘American Idol’ Rivals Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken To Reunite For Broadway Holiday Show

American Idol rivals Ruben Studdard and Clay Aiken will reunite on Broadway for a limited engagement holiday show of Christmas songs and comedy sketches. Ruben & Clay’s Christmas Show begins performances Friday, Dec. 7, at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre, with an official opening set for Dec. 11 and a closing night on Dec. 30.

The show – full title: Ruben & Clay’s First Annual Christmas Carol Family Fun Pageant Spectacular Reunion Show – was announced today on ABC’s The View. The production will mark the first reunion of Studdard and Aiken on a national stage since their Idol finale in 2003. (Studdard won).

Portions of the show’s proceeds will go to the National Inclusion Project, an organization devoted to the inclusion of children with disabilities in community and education programs. The show is produced by Jeffrey Chrzczon, Side Effects Include, and Josh Pultz/Amplified Entertainment.

“Christmas is about family, friends and fun,” Studdard said. “Clay and I can’t wait to bring all those things together on Broadway this December!”

Said Aiken, “There are really only two things that could get me back in stage after taking a break for over five years: my buddy, Ruben, and Christmas! It’s been 15 years since he beat me on Idol, and it’s taken an entire decade and a half for me to lick my wounds. But the holidays are about togetherness, so now that he is older and I am wiser, I can think of no better way to celebrate 15 years of friendship than by spending this holiday season together on Broadway.”

The production posted a behind-the-scenes video clip on YouTube: