A Q&A with Taylor Hicks, who plays Teen Angel in "Grease" at the 5th Avenue Theatre

Along with getting you a record deal, winning "American Idol" can also get you fast-tracked to Broadway.

That's what happened for Taylor Hicks, the silver-haired soulster who scored the "Idol" crown in 2006, in the popular TV singing contest's fifth season. Hicks drew fire and plaudits for his all-out, sometimes outrageous showmanship on the program.

For a few months last year, he brought that irrepressible energy (and some much-needed box-office mojo) to the cameo role of Teen Angel, in a now-closed Broadway revival of the retro-teen musical comedy, "Grease."

Now he's touring with "Grease," opening this week at the 5th Avenue Theatre (though Hicks won't appear in the show's preview performances, today and Wednesday).

What to expect? A Baltimore Sun critic recently opined, "Hicks hams it up so much, he should be served with a jar of mustard."

We caught up with Hicks during a busy week when he was promoting his new album, "The Distance," and about to perform on the April 29 episode of "Idol."

Q: Have you been following "American Idol" this year? Who do you think should win?

A: Yeah, I've been working a lot but TiVo-ing it when I can. ... I think it could be up for grabs. As the pressure builds, and it gets closer to the finals, the talent level really shows itself.

Q: What, in retrospect, has your experience with "Idol" meant to you? Some of your Soul Patrol fans think the program sort of disowned you after you won.

A: I don't feel that way at all. I'm very thankful and blessed to have been on that stage and get that platform. As with every winner, after a certain period of time, you start creating your own success path. But "Idol" is where everything took off for me.

Q: Your first album after "Idol," "Taylor Hicks," was very pop-oriented. What's different about "The Distance"?

A: I had a lot of time to actually write this record. I spent a year in Nashville writing it, really getting songs that fit me, and who I am as an artist. ... This definitely has my imprint on it as a songwriter and singer.

Q: It seems bluesier than your previous disc.

A: You could say there's a touch of blues in it, but it's kind of an amalgamation, a melting pot of the influences I have — definitely blues, R&B, country, rock. It has an earthy feel.

Q: What motivated you to take a small role in "Grease"?

A: I didn't think it would be in my best interest to be thrown into a lead role without any musical-theater experience whatsoever. It's really smart for me to take this role as Teen Angel, as an introductory part. ... It's not a short-term idea, it's a long-term thought. I want to understand what musical theater is, and parlay that knowledge into future things.

Q: In "Grease," you have one number but also get to perform your single "Seven Mile Breakdown" after the curtain call.

A: Yes, this is a wonderful opportunity — to be able to see so many fans across the country, and to expose them to the record. I'm also doing club gigs in some cities. [He'll play in Seattle at the Triple Door May 27.]

Q: You've expressed your love of Ray Charles, Van Morrison, and a lot of other pop musicians, old and new. What's on your eclectic playlist these days?

A: Well, I'm listening a lot to Lily Allen. And I'm into this recording of the Grateful Dead, live in New Jersey in 1974.

Misha Berson: mberson@seattletimes.com