THE LEADING MEN: Jbara and Young
By Tom Nondorf
Ace Young photo by Joan Marcus
Ace is the Word
Ace Young: singer, songwriter, contestant on season five of "American Idol," and now, Broadway's Kenickie. The jovial and open Ace was kind enough to share his thoughts on joining
Grease , transcending "Idol," and taking Kenickie to the dark side.
Question: How was opening night? Any jitters? Ace Young: I haven't been nervous or had stage fright truthfully for the last three years. Ever since I got off "Idol," I don't have nerves of any kind. I get anxious. I really just want to go out and perform. I was ready, but I didn't know if I was ready. I was at the point where you either do it and it works, or you do it and it doesn't work [laughs]. It was at that breaking point, and I'm glad they threw me out there, because now I'm making Kenickie my own. I'm playing with my lines, my delivery, making that my character, and I love the fact that I can do that this early when I'm going to be there until January 18th.
Q: What do you bring to Kenickie? Young: Kenickie is the testosterone backbone of the T-Birds. I get to be the counterpart of who I really am. Everybody knows I'm a nice guy from "Idol." But Kenickie's not. Kenickie is an ass. He's blunt; he's vulgar. His insecurity doesn't show because he would put somebody else down before he'd let any of that show, which is true of a lot of kids in high school. When I was in high school, I felt a lot of the same stuff going on. I have to be kind of the darkest T-Bird in order for the other people to have their character roles. The darker I can take it, the better, so that Sonny is that much funnier and Danny is that much more lovable.
Q: So you like to play Kenickie off of what people think they know of Ace? Young: What I like to bring to Kenickie is I really make him dark in the beginning. You're really not going to like Kenickie until "Greased Lightning." I don't want you to. The funniest thing is, when I'm looking out and seeing people's reactions, they're so caught off guard because in the first scene, they see Ace as Kenickie, and they say, "That's not how Ace is!" And by the second scene, they see Kenickie. Then in "Greased Lightning," they see Kenickie, and at the very end of the whole show, they get to see Ace again when I come out on the side and say hello to everybody. I don't break, and I make people go there with the character. I'll look out at you [in the audience], and if you catch eyes with me, you're not going to be too happy that you did, 'cause I'm looking through you. Kenickie is not the nicest of guys, but you love him anyway because he's the guy that everybody relates to.
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Ace Young in Grease photo by Joan Marcus
Q: It's good that you're not afraid to be unliked onstage.
Young: Everybody loves The Joker, right? You all love the villain. There really isn't another person to be a villain in our show. I get to take it there. You know you're going to like Danny. I mean, c'mon, John Travolta, he kicked it off. He made a pretty lovable guy out of Danny. Nobody ever really defined the other characters, so the fact that I actually get to define Kenickie and make him my own is awesome.
Q: Do you feel the chemistry of being knockabout pals with the other T-Birds?Young: I do. I feel it with the Pink Ladies as well. The crazy thing is Eugene and Patty, the people who are the nerds, once we get into character, they're nervous around the T-Birds. The T-Birds are the toughest guys. We don't have to play a sport in order to feel good about ourselves. We'd rather smoke, drink, fornicate, party with our little cliques, and make you feel uncomfortable around us. That makes us comfortable.
Q: Were you a fan of the movie?Young: It was one of the first films I ever saw. And the funny thing is, when I was offered interest from Broadway at all, I said, "It all depends on the role." I'm fortunate enough that I don't have to do anything that I don't want to do anymore. I do what I love. I get to write for artists all over the world. I wrote a song with one of my best friends I was Grammy-nominated for. I just did an album with Desmond Childs. I'm having fun. And when they brought it up, I said it depends on the role, and they said, "Well, you can't do Danny because Danny's already cast, but Kenickie is open. Would you be interested?" And my response caught everybody off guard because they thought because people know who I am, that I would have to have the lead part. And I responded without hesitation: I said, "Kenickie is the only role in any Broadway play that I have really wanted to do since I was a little kid." The next day, I flew out to New York from my house in L.A., auditioned at 10 in the morning, and by 1:30, they told me I got the part. It was amazing.
Q: Were you influenced by Jeff Conaway at all, the Kenickie of the film? Young: Totally. I wish I could say everything he says in the movie [laughs]. There's some stuff that I'm not allowed to say because it's a little bit too vulgar for the "American Idol" fan base that comes to the show. I do say some things that catch people off guard, and Jeff Conaway definitely kicked it off.
Q: You've acted before. Was this your first venture into musicals? Young: I've never done musical theatre. I've performed since I was 11 years old. I've written my own music since I was 11. I've always been jumping around, and I was out in L.A. for seven years. I got to tour and work with Brian McKnight and New Edition before "Idol," just by knocking on doors.
Q: Could you relate to Derek Keeling and Ashley Spencer, your Danny and Sandy, because you all came out of reality TV? Young: No, [but] only because their reality show was this play. For me, it's all new material. I never sang cover songs until I was on "Idol." I relate to everybody, but I relate to them more as Broadway-oriented than anything else. I didn't get to watch their show. I know Derek and Ashley got second, and they did obviously pretty well because they beat out a lot of people. I don't know if they had a hundred thousand people audition for it like we did at "Idol." It's funny because we just had Olivia Newton-John come through and visit us last week, and while I was watching our show, there are certain things that Ashley does that remind me of the movie, which is Olivia doing those same exact things from the very first time I saw "Grease." Ashley definitely channels that. Derek does his own thing with Danny; he makes Danny his own.
Q: What was Olivia like? Young: Amazing. My brother and I hung out with Olivia and all her people. We ended up partying with her and her people till about four in the morning. She is a sweetheart. I didn't know she has such a strong Australian accent. It is amazing that she got rid of it for a lot of the stuff she's done. People in the States don't know what a wallaby is, but when she says it, you know it's not from here!
Q: Who were your biggest musical influences growing up? Young: Led Zeppelin, Prince, the Eagles, Styx, Michael Jackson. I was across the board, Elton John, Billy Joel. My first album I ever bought was "Jackie Wilson's Greatest Hits." I have four older brothers and parents who studied opera, so I was listening to everything from the Beastie Boys to symphonies.
Q: Did that range help or hurt you on "Idol"? Young: My biggest fault, truthfully, is that I'm really diverse. What happens is that people don't know how to categorize me when they hear me singing. I understand that now. I'm best friends with Daughtry, but everybody knows Chris is a rocker, and I love him to death. Nobody can really characterize me. I did "Father Figure," and everybody wanted me to be the George Michael reincarnation. Then I did "Butterflies," then I did "Drops of Jupiter," and people didn't know where to go. I understand that I really confused people, but it worked out for the best. Who would have thought that in my twenties, I would have accomplished as much as I have, have a leading part on Broadway, and have friends that are so successful and supportive? I'm blown away.
Ace Young with Janine DiVita in Grease photo by Joan Marcus
Q: Have "Idol" people come out to see you yet?
Young: I haven't had much support from "Idol" since I got off the show. They are nice when you go there, but I haven't had much support. I'm still supporting the show as a fan. Still supporting the show as someone who knows what [contestants] go through, and they still let me visit and see everybody, but I went through some interesting things over the last couple years, and I'm glad to see the changes that have been made to the show this year.
Q: What about Daughtry and your pals… Young: All my fellow Idols are definitely supporting. You could say that all the other "Idol" contestants are very supportive, but the people that are putting out "Idol" toothpaste haven't shown up yet [laughs].
[Grease is playing the Brooks Atkinson Theatre. Tickets are available by calling (212) 239-6200 or by visiting www.TeleCharge.com. The Brooks Atkinson Theatre is located at 256 West 47th Street in Manhattan. For more information, go to greaseonbroadway.com.]
Hither and Yon Monkees and Oliver! fans alike, Times Square Arts Center (669 8th Ave.) is hosting an intimate evening with Davy Jones , Nov. 24 and 25 at 8pm. Call (212) 586-7829, ext. 1 for ticket info. . . . If his show were earlier in the month, maybe Davy could have hooked up with his old pal Marcia Brady 's mom, Florence Henderson , who debuts at Feinstein's Nov. 5-8. Fellas at Feinstein's in November include George S. Irving , Nov. 3; Brian Stokes Mitchell , Nov. 11-15; Miles Phillips , Nov. 17; and Stewie Stone & Dick Capri , Nov. 24. It is a wonderful and classy place to see a show. Check out feinsteinsatloewsregency.com for all the info. . . . Rodgers and Hammerstein have not been the same since David Gurland and Brian Farley (aka Gurland and Farley ) did their first full show together, an evening of R&H. G&F return for more R&H Nov. 16 and 19 at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, 407 West 42nd Street. Call (212) 695-6909 to get tix before they are gone. . . . Jordan Beck and Jonathan May , creators of the new "myspace musical," Top 8 , will be offering up a glimpse of their work, performing their songs at the Duplex (61 Christopher Street) on Nov. 2 and 3 at 9:30 PM; visit www.theduplex.com for details. . . . Festival fans, don't forget Ars Nova's A.N.T Fest, the six-week tribute to true variety, rolls on through Nov. 24. Got a taste of a few of the acts, and there is something for everyone. Heck, in six weeks of different shows almost every night, you ought to be able to find something you like. Go to arsnovanyc.com/ANTFEST2008, pick a night, and go. . . . Okay that's all I've got. Do your civic duty, enjoy the election and see a show. So long for now!
Tom Nondorf can be reached at tnondorf@playbill.com .
