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He’s a singer, actor, and songwriter--and now a Broadway star.  Best known for his appearance on the TV reality show “American Idol,” Ace Young is a 27-year-old Colorado native and recent Grammy nominee.  He is currently staring as Kenickie, second-in-command of the T-Birds, and perhaps the most testosterone-charged of the guys who hang out at Rydell High in the 1950s-flavored all-American musical Grease.  Our correspondent Roxanne Rodriguez caught up with Ace at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre late last month.

Roxanne Rodriguez: Are you enjoying playing Kenickie?

if I’m going to be nice to them.  The moment I take a picture with everybody, they say, “You’re so nice!” I tell them, “This is me! I just play Kenickie on stage.”

How did you get the part?
After I did my own album and created my own label, I met with my agents and told them I loved acting and I wanted to jump into it more.  They said, “How about Broadway? Grease is looking for somebody.” I said, “It all depends on the role.  I don’t want to play Danny.  I don’t want to play the nice guy.” They said Danny’s taken, but the role of Kenickie was open.  I was on a plane the next day to New York City. I met with the director and the producers, performed three different parts of the show, and sang “Greased Lightning.” At 3:30 the same afternoon they told me I got the part.

Was it hard to learn all the choreography?
It’s not so difficult. What’s difficult is to learn the choreography and then do it in your character.  Kenickie has to be cool, and there is only so much you can do when you have to do a pirouette. I had to make sure that he did it with a little oomph so it had that guy thing going on.  You can definitely see that when you see the show. 

How did “American Idol” help you prepare for performing in front of a live audience on Broadway?
“American Idol” made it so that I have the nerves for doing anything, since I was performing for 40 million people every day.  Luckily, I had been performing ever since I was 11.  The reason I did “Idol” was because labels wanted to change me as a person.  They wanted me to be a gimmick. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lie about who I was and what I stood for.  So I tried out for “Idol.” I was like, “Man, if I don’t make the first cut, I’ve been wasting my life. If they tell me I can’t sing, then I don’t know what I’ve been doing for the last 15 years.” That was the most nerve-racking thing.  Ever since, it doesn’t matter if it is five people at a radio station or if its 80,000 people at a football game. I don’t get nervous any more. I just get to be myself, and that’s a blessing.

Have your “Idol” fans been coming to see you in Grease? 
Like crazy! It’s been amazing. During the whole show they’re interacting with us, and when we do a joke they’re laughing, but it’s not like you’re watching TV.  It’s another step up because it’s right in front of you.  It’s live theatre.

How did you come to be called “Ace”?
My great-grandfather’s name was Asa. I never met him, but he went by “Ace.”  I, being the fifth boy, my parents wanted to name me after George Brett, a baseball player for the Kansas City Royals.  My brothers wanted to name me George Brett Young, but my parents wanted my initials to spell something--everybody has something spelled out with the Young last name.  So my name is Brett Ace Young.  Brett is for George Brett, and my initials are BAY.  I’ve gone by Ace ever since I was born.

Has your family been supportive of your career as a performer?
They’ve been supportive of everything.  I’m the youngest of five boys and we all play sports. We play football, baseball, and basketball.  I knew if I wore tights, my brothers would beat me up.  When I told them I was playing a role on Broadway they were like, “Oh yeah, what are you wearing?” I told them, “Jeans and a t-shirt.” They said, “All right, that’s cool, we’ll come see it.”

Tell me about your children’s charity.
Eleven years ago, I almost lost my brother Ryan.  He broke his back in a car accident and had to learn how to walk again. When he got better he and I decided to go room-to-room in the hospital, singing for all the kids there.  We’ve done that every year at Christmas. Then we started a charity called Highrollers with Heart: Ace’s High Rollers which raises money for the new Family Hospitality Suite at The Children's Hospital in Denver.  In a year we raised over $3.5 million auctioning off t-shirts I wore on TV, and clothing I wore on the tour.
 
How are you going to spend Thanksgiving this year?
Thankfully, it’s a day off.  I’m going to get with some cast members and I’m going to make sure that I get some yams, some turkey, and some pumpkin pie.  I have seven nephews and nieces, four brothers, parents, and grandparents and I’ve got to talk to all of them, so it’s going to be a good day.

Is there anything else you want to say to your fans?
Come see Grease if you’re in New York.  I’m doing eight shows a week until January 18, and I’m having a blast.  Bring your friends, bring your family. After the show come say hello at the stage door. I always come out and sign stuff. I can’t wait to see you guys there!
 
Get Tickets to Grease
Visit the Official Website for Grease

Shrek The Musical begins previews next week, bringing the most beloved swamp-dwelling ogre of all time to the Broadway stage.  He’ll be joined by other favorite characters from the Oscar-winning film and the original books by William Steig.

We recently had a chance to meet all five of the principal cast members, and we asked each one to finish the sentence, “Playing my character in Shrek is awesome because...”.  Here is what the performers in Shrek had to say.

Brian d'Arcy James on playing Shrek:
"...because I'm completely transformed.  I get to play a character that's so beloved, and I get to work with actors and artists who I have the highest regard for."

Sutton Foster on playing Princess Fiona:
"...because I get to not only wear a crown and be a princess, but I also get to fart and burp.   Fiona is truly the quintessential non-conventional princess."

Daniel Breaker on playing Donkey:
"...because it's the Donkey, and it's one of the best characters in the world!  I mean, I'm in a donkey outfit.  It's one of the most freeing characters to play."

Christopher Sieber on playing Lord Farquaad:
"...because I get to be so over-the-top evil and still get laughs!"

John Tartaglia on playing Pinocchio:
"...because I get to be a freak and be proud of who I am, and I get to be a puppet as opposed to having one on my hand!"

Visit the official website of Shrek The Musical
Get tickets to Shrek The Musical

Something started crazy
Sweet and unknown….
(from the song “The Guilty Ones”)

Let’s say you love a Broadway show so much that you know every lyric by heart.  Let’s say you wait at the stage door to meet the

Now that this bold new musical has begun performing across North America on national tour, Guilty Ones are getting in on the act in other cities as well--with a little help from the Spring Awakening production team.

Guilty Ones also got to participate in special opportunities, such as meeting the company at the airport when they arrived in town.  “The cast were besides themselves to see their fans before they had even performed,” a show spokesperson told us.   “Members of the company performed at a number of very cool events and venues in San Diego, and everywhere they went, Guilty Ones were there.”

The phenomenon has continued in San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Tampa, and now L.A., with each city’s Guilty Ones putting their own spin on the concept.  For information on the Spring Awakening tour, including a list of upcoming cities, visit SpringAwakening.com.  Get in on the act by joining the Guilty Ones via Spring Awakening’s MySpace page or Facebook profile.

Spring Awakening Tour MySpace Page
Spring Awakening Facebook Page

Q: In musicals with more than one child-actor playing the same role, how is it decided which one will sing on the show's cast album? And

who gets to perform in "extra" performances on a TV show, in the Thanksgiving Day parade, on the Tony Awards broadcast, etc.?
-- Cassandra W., Bettendorf , IA

A: We put your question to Broadway League Chair Nina Lannan. Ms. Lannan is General Manager of Billy Elliot, the new Elton John musical that features three young performers alternating in the title role.  Here’s what she had to say:

“With regards to live television appearances, the goal of Billy Elliot is to show off all three boys portraying the title role. The creative team intentionally choreographed and directed a special version of Billy’s song “Electricity” that features all three boys performing with each other, rather than solo.  We haven’t yet had to ‘choose’ a particular boy when it comes to a solo performance (since we intentionally show all three) but if it does come up, we’ll have to take the performance schedule into consideration so one boy isn’t overworking on any given day.  The boys are so supportive of each other, that when they don’t perform they are avid cheerleaders of each other’s work.”

For more information on the Tony Awards, visit TonyAwards.com.

If you have a question for the Broadway Concierge, please e-mail us at fanclub@broadway.org and we will answer it in an upcoming issue of the Broadway Fan Club Newsletter.  Don’t forget to include your name and city!

Broadway Jane – Two-time Academy Award-winning actress Jane Fonda will return to Broadway for the first time since 1963.  She’ll star in 33 Variations, a new play by Moisés Kaufman, in the 2009-2010 season.  The play tells the story of Beethoven's fascination with a trivial waltz, and a modern-day musicologist who sets out to discover the root of his obsession.

What Comes After W? – In his Broadway debut, film star Will Ferrell will appear in a one-man show at the Cort Theatre entitled You’re Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush.  Previews begin January 20, the day of the Presidential Inauguration.

She’s Back….! – Showbiz legend Liza Minnelli returns to Broadway in a new song-and-dance spectacular called Liza’s at the Palace…!, which will play the Palace from December 3 through 28.

Building Dreams for Kids - Rosie’s For All Kids Foundation and Rosie’s Broadway Kids are co-presenting Rosie’s Gala: Building Dreams for Kids on November 24 at the Marriott Marquis in Times Square. Rosie O’Donnell will host the event, which includes a special performance honoring Chita Rivera, featuring Broadway’s finest performers and Rosie’s Broadway Kids. Click here for more information about the event.

Casting News