The movie musical Grease is pure American iconography.

The stage version of that film, happening now at the Canon Theatre and starring 2006 American Idol winner Taylor Hicks, upgrades this classic.

Hicks performs the role of Teen Angel, originally sung by Frankie Avalon, who crooned Beauty School Dropout for Didi Conn’s Frenchy in the 1978 film. The transition from Idol to icon is a welcome challenge for Hicks.

“I feel blessed to sing this role and make that connection, to bring the Teen Angel to a new generation of fans,” says Hicks. “We all loved the movie as kids.”

Hicks became a TV pop sensation on American Idol, when he was voted to win its fifth season with 63.4 million votes. He followed up his victory with an album that went platinum. His debut single on the Billboard Charts, Do I Make You Proud Now, entered at number one. 

Frankie Avalon, the original Teen Angel, had a similar impact on the American pop charts when his single Venus went to number one for five weeks in 1959. He scored big both in the song charts and in ’60s summer movies like Beach Blanket, marketed to American teenagers.

Hicks is reviving the Teen Angel. His young fans refer to themselves as the Soul Patrol, and his albums sell well.  It’s like he’s refurbishing Avalon’s cameo character, polishing it up for the new millennium.

As a performer, Hicks says he is only sometimes in control of his career, while other times his career is in control of him.

Though he’s an active singer-songwriter, putting his stamp on Teen Angel is his current priority. And as an Idol-turned-icon, Hicks puts his own stamp on this production too, singing his own tune, The Distance, as an encore.     

• Grease is at the Canon Theatre until April 18