"Idol" Finalist Maroulis to Star in Off-Broadway's Rock of Ages

By Andrew Gans
05 Aug 2008

Constantine Maroulis
Constantine Maroulis
Photo by Lee Page

Constantine Maroulis — the "American Idol" finalist who was seen in Broadway's The Wedding Singer and Off-Broadway's Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris — will head the cast of the 1980's set Off-Broadway musical Rock of Ages.

The new musical — which features the songs of Journey, Bon Jovi and Styx, among others — will begin previews at Off-Broadway's New World Stages Sept. 30 with an official opening scheduled for Oct. 16. No other casting has been announced.

Directed by Kristin Hanggi, the production will feature choreography by Kelly Devine and arrangements and orchestrations by Ethan Popp; Dave Gibbs is co-musical director. The design team will include Beowulf Borritt (sets), Gregory Gale (costumes) and Jason Lyons (lights).

The musical, according to press notes, is described as such: "It's 1987 and the final countdown is on for a legendary Hollywood rock club facing its demise at the hands of eager developers. When a young rocker hungry for his big break and a small town girl chasing her dreams land on the scene at this infamous venue, how far will ambition drive them? And will it be lights out for the club and all the regulars and rockers who have made it their home?"

Carl Levin and Matt Weaver are lead producers of the musical, which was penned by Chris D'Arienzo. Scott Prisand, Janet Billig Rich, Hillary Weaver, Jeff Davis, Charles Rolecek and Barry Habib are executive producers.

In a statement writer D'Arienzo said, "The genre of 80s rock was so grandiose in its theatricality that for me it only made sense to turn something like 'Sister Christian' into a showtune. This was lifestyle music. It was just as much about the look, the clothes and the parties as it was about the songs. We'd all like to believe we were just listening to Elvis Costello and The Buzzcocks back then, but I know my first kiss was to Great White's 'Once Bitten Twice Shy,' so there you go."

Rock of Ages ran for seven weeks in L.A. in early 2006 at the Vanguard Hollywood, where the cast included Laura Bell Bundy, recently on Broadway in Legally Blonde; and Kyle Gass, Jack Black's partner in the band Tenacious D. The show also ran for a week at the Flamingo Las Vegas Hotel and Casino in May 2006.

A Brooklyn native, Constantine Maroulis is a graduate of both the Boston Conservatory and the Berklee College of Music. He trained as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theatre Festival and appeared as Roger in a tour of Rent. In addition to his performances on "American Idol," he has also been seen on "Law & Order: SVU" and in several independent films. Maroulis played an engagement at the Public Theater's Joe's Pub as well as a stint in Broadway's The Wedding Singer and Off-Broadway's Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. He was recently seen in the Premier Theatre Company's production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Rock of Ages will play Monday, Wednesday and Thursday at 8 PM, Friday at 7 and 10 PM, Saturday at 2 and 8 PM and Sunday at 3 PM.

Tickets, priced $46.50-$80.50, are available by visiting www.telecharge.com or by calling (212) 239-6200. (Premium seats, priced $126.50 — offering seat-side cocktail service — are also available.)

New World Stages is located in Manhattan at 340 West 50th Street, between Eighth and Ninth Avenues.