This interview is fantastic!  It's funny, honest, and very endearing.  What a
guy! 
 
http://www.broadway.com/gen/Buzz_Story.aspx?ci=571502
 




Ace Young
by Smith Galtney






Ace YoungLike 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.





Ace Young as Kenickie in GreaseHow 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.





Ace Young performing during season five of American IdolLet'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?





Ace Young (c.) performs with Elliott Yamin, Taylor Hicks, Lisa Tucker and Paris
Bennett on American IdolAmerican 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.





Ace Young with American Idol pal (and writing partner) Chris DaughtryWhen 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."





Ace Young with Janine DiVita in GreaseSpeaking 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."They don't know what it's like to be a
fan, ya know, to truly love some silly piece of music or some band so much that
it hurts." ~ Almost Famous

"It's nice to stay in that semi-informed fantasy land where [he] is just real
enough to have a personality and just unreal enough to be perfect." ~ Me


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