Former American Idol finalist Ace Young may be used to performing in front of a live audience, but now he's doing it eight times a week completely naked!
"It's so freeing," the Colorado native says of Hair's infamous group nude scene.
Young, 29, premiered with fellow former Idol Diana DeGarmo in the Broadway musical earlier this month. "If I could walk down 42nd Street with a bar of soap and let the rain clean me, I would," he says. "I'm comfortable with my body."
To build stamina for his role as Berger, Young tacked early-morning sprints onto his regular weight-lifting routine. But he's less concerned with his diet: "I can really eat anything because the show is such a workout," he says of the pastrami sandwiches, burgers and two gallons of water he's been putting down each day. "I've even dipped back into eating Funyuns and Doritos," he admits.
In fact, after rehearsing six days a week for eight hours a day, the high-energy show is officially open and Young says, "I'm in the best shape of my life."
They never claimed the top title on American Idol, but former finalists Ace Young and Diana DeGarmo are about to “Let the Sunshine In” — and let it all hang out! — as part of a replacement cast in Hair, Broadway’s successful, ongoing revival of the stage musical about late-1960s counter-culture.
The newly announced cast, which will get naked for a scene in each performance if they follow show tradition, takes over on March 9 at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, reports Broadway.com.
Young finished seventh on Idol’s season 5, the year Taylor Hicks won. Now he’ll play Hair’s sexy, impish Berger, leader of a tribe of hippies living in and around New York City’s Central Park.
DeGarmo, who was the runner-up to Fantasia Barrino in season 3 (the same year Jennifer Hudson got booted early), plays college student and political activist Sheila, and thus will get to belt the showstopper “Easy to Be Hard.”
We can only wonder if Simon Cowell will attend one night and take special heed of the song’s most memorable lyrics: “How can people be so heartless? How can people be so cruel? … Easy to be proud. Easy to say no.” Sing it, Diana!
Former American Idol finalist Ace Young may be used to performing in front of a live audience, but now he's doing it eight times a week completely naked!
