Ace Young

Like Tamyra Gray, Fantasia, Clay Aiken and Taylor Hicks before him, Ace Young has made the jump from American Idol to Broadway. Currently featured as Danny Zuko's right-hand man Kenickie in Grease, the 27-year-old Colorado native first caught the nation's attention during Idol's fifth season, thanks to a combination of strong singing, good looks and signature headwear. Finishing in seventh place, Young went on to score a Grammy nomination in 2007 for Best Rock Song with "It's Not Over," a tune he co-wrote with friend and fellow Idol contestant Chris Daughtry. After releasing his self-titled debut album over the summer, Young was up for something different, so the former athlete high-tailed it to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. A week into his run, the warm and affable Young chatted about his Idol past and his Broadway debut. At one point, he had to cut things short to talk with Fox News, promising to call back. And you know what? He did.

How are things going with Grease so far?
I finally feel like I know what's going on. I'm at the point where I don't have to think about lines and am able to play with my character. Everyone's been incredibly supportive, giving me pointers from inside and outside. So I'm having a blast now that I get to do it and put my own spin on it. It's been an amazing three weeks.

You learned the entire show in three weeks? Did that feel like getting thrown into fire?
Yeah, but that's how entertainment is. I was prepared for it. I was definitely thrown into the fire when I tried out for Idol; it felt a lot easier going into Grease.

Were you already a Grease fan?
I've been a fan of the movie since I was a kid, so to actually watch the way it comes to life onstage has been incredible. When I was offered the part of Kenickie, I was really excited, because that's truly the only part I wanted to play. Everybody knows that I'm a nice guy from Idol. But I wanted an opportunity to act, and Kenickie's not the nicest of guys. I get to fall into this character, and once the show's over, I get to see everybody outside the theater as Ace. It's fun.

How is Kenickie not Mr. Nice Guy?
He's the ultimate guy's guy. He's the backbone and strength of the T-Birds. That said, he can't have a weakness. Everything is masculine, masculine, masculine. And he has to be that way so the other guys feel secure in what they're doing. But some of things he says to Rizzo are really not nice. They have an interesting relationship. They understand each other on a level that when they talk to each other, they put each other down. It's like some challenge [they feel] to say the thing that'll bother the other person more. Once it finally reaches a breaking point, they start making out, and they love each other again. Everybody's had an extreme relationship in their life, I think.

Have you?
I've had a few. You hate 'em and then you love 'em to death. You have to go through that in order to find out who you are and what you're looking for. In the end, you really just want to find somebody that you can hang out in the house with and go to a movie with. Anything on top of that is gravy.

Were you surprised to learn that "Greased Lighting" is actually Kenickie's number onstage?
Yeah, in the movie, it's Travolta's. It's a good idea to have Kenickie sing that number. Danny Zuko's got more of a soft side, and knows how to talk to the girls. Kenickie just says what he wants, and "Greased Lightning" is a sexual song. Onstage, I do a lot of stuff that's over the top. The way I start the car, and lick the front fender when we're pulling it apart, the dance moves and the slides, it's all just testosterone!

There's some interesting hand gesturing going on, too.
I have to do the gestures! [Laughs.] That's one thing people love about Grease. It's about kids who are rebellious. They're good kids, but they're going against the grain and doing their own thing. They're also going through life experiences, like possibly having a child. It's real-life stuff. It's not some fairy tale. Grease is kind of the rebellious show of Broadway.

Why do you think American Idol contestants do so well on Broadway?
For one thing, you're singing other people's songs and you have to make them your own. You're doing group numbers. And you're speaking directly to your fan base. There's a lot of similarities, and you have to be willing to take the challenge. It's a lot of choreography. The difference is that on live TV, you're on for a minute and a half, and on Broadway, you're up there for two and a half hours. You have to hold your character that entire time, and you don't get a break. But that's a thrill to me—I love that challenge! I like something that you really have to focus on, that requires all your heart and attention because when you do it and succeed, it's the best feeling in the world.

Did you get to talk with Taylor Hicks before he left the show?
When I was learning the show, I hung out with Taylor a lot. He schooled me on the ins and outs. He had a lot of fun here. He said, "You're gonna love New York City. Just take it in, because it'll go by like a blink." He was really impressed that I was taking such a big role. He was just coming in as Teen Angel and singing to Frenchie. But Kenickie is onstage from the first scene pretty much to the last scene.

Let's go back some. How did you get the nickname Ace?
That's actually my middle name. My great grandfather's name was Asa, and my parents wanted to pass that on to me. On top of that, they also wanted my initials to spell something. So they put Brett as my first name so my initials spell "BAY." I've been Ace my whole life. I didn't know my first name was Brett until I saw my birth certificate when I was six years old.

Is it true you used to perform in shopping malls?
Yeah, I'd play my own songs and did covers of "Ben" and "ABC," and I'd flip songs from movies I liked. It was really geared towards kids my age. When I look back and watch the videos, I'm surprised I was able to do it at all.

So this wasn't just a lip-synch thing like Tiffany used to do?
No, this was when Kris Kross was big with that song "Jump," and I was rapping and singing. Sometimes I even had backup dancers.

So what happened between the mall and American Idol?
Ever since I was 11, I'd been writing my own songs. But as far as the music industry went, I noticed I couldn't get a record deal without changing who I was as a human being. I was working with Brian McKnight, touring with him and New Edition. Labels loved my music, but they also wanted a gimmick to help them sell me to the public. They asked me to tattoo my arms. They asked me to keep wearing the beanies, those hats that I wear. They asked me to lie about where I was raised! Look, I have four older brothers. I'm from Boulder, Colorado, where I know over a thousand people. I can't lie about who I am. On the other hand, I also had no representation and little experience, so I decided to try out for Idol.

What did your friends in the rock scene think of that?
Initially, a lot of friends who supported me musically thought it was a bad idea. There are a lot of things working against you if you don't win on Idol. All I knew was that this was a chance to do rock and R&B, to make the kind of music I'd dreamt of making since I was a child.

But you're subjecting yourself to some intense public scrutiny. Was that tough?
American Idol is an amazing opportunity. But you have to make sure that you know who are as a person before you jump in. You sign a disclosure saying they can do whatever they want with you. You're giving complete control over your image and how you're presented. So make sure you know who you are. Because if you have anything in your closet that you're worried might get out, that's what they're looking for because it's good TV.

Did you feel misrepresented in any way?
There were certain things I wish they'd talked about on my behalf, like my music. I wish they'd talked about my deeper side instead of just saying, "Look at him!"

Did you get tired of people fixating on the heartthrob/pretty-boy thing?
It's not who I am. I'm a family guy. I'm an athlete. The last thing I do in my day is worry about how I'm perceived. But I noticed after the show, a lot of guys were insecure to come up and talk to me, and they seemed worried about their girlfriends coming up to me. So I went out of my way to make sure that guys knew I'm a dude, you know? I'm a guy's guy.

Who did you think was gonna win during your season? Be honest.
I thought Elliott [Yamin, who came in third] was going to win. He was sincere, a great guy and he never had a huge, blow-up moment. I knew I was kind of screwed when I did "Father Figure" the first week and everybody had me pegged to win. Suddenly you're not an underdog anymore, and in a competition that lasts three months, you can't be on top the whole time. There's no excitement there. In fact, Simon Cowell came up to me and said, "No one's ever done a song that's sexual and stirred up as many people as you just did. You won't find a better song." He told me straight up to just aim for the top 10.

When did you and [fourth place contestant] Chris Daughtry become friends?
During tryouts in Denver, well before either of us knew that the other could really sing. We were wearing shirts with graphics that were almost identical and hit it off. Then we heard each other sing. Out of 200 people, we were the only ones who got standing ovations with the first song we performed. We looked at each other like, "Dude, I had no idea!" Then we became each other's support system. We made sure we were on our best behavior.

Must've felt nice being nominated for a [Best Rock Song] Grammy with him [for writing "It's Not Over"].
To still be in my 20s and get nominated in the same category as Bruce Springsteen and Foo Fighters? I was blown away. That song took Chris and me less than half an hour to write, and we got a Grammy nomination out of it. Unbelievable.

You also appeared on the TV show Bones as a pop star who gets murdered. How'd that come about?
I originally went in just for a singing part. Then they asked me to say a line, and I did. They said, "Can you say it angry?" So I did. Then they were like, "How'd you like to be the guy who dies in the show?" They literally showed me decapitated in a cornfield. The effects people were amazing. The head they used looked just like my head. My eyes were falling out of the socket. Ants crawled out of my brain. They did such a good job that one of my nephews called me after and said, "We just wanted to make sure you're okay."

Speaking of being made over, how did you feel about cutting your hair for Grease?
Well, I've had short hair longer than I've had long hair. When you're the youngest of four boys, the last thing you do is grow your hair long, especially when they're all athletic. But after I got out of high school and started working in music, I started experimenting, letting my facial hair grow and so forth. Then Idol started, and I kept it consistent for a while after, since people knew me as how they saw me on the show. When the Grease people asked me to cut it, I was actually relieved.

How have fans reacted to the new look?
Girls come up to me and say, "You cut your hair!" And I say, "You know, there's still enough to hold on to." I love it. Long hair's a hassle. Now I feel the wind on my neck again. On a hot day, I'm not burning up.

And how're you liking life as a New Yorker?
There's no greater city in the U.S. You name it, I've eaten there. Say the steakhouse and I've been there. Mention a nightclub, I've left there at six in the morning. Only not too much now, since I'm in the show.

What's been your favorite discovery so far?
I love delis! I am such a fan of the ones that make the huge sandwiches. I haven't had a better pastrami sandwich in my life. I know people around the country have a certain idea about what people in New York are like. But honestly, when I'm walking around this city, I haven't come across more helpful people, especially when I'm lost.

Do you get recognized when asking for directions?
Yeah [laughs]. I'm sure that helps, too.

See Ace Young in Grease at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre.