Here's Connie!!

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Twitter so far:


Latest:

1. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesThe crowd loved it! It's electric!!!less than 10 seconds ago from twitterrific

2. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesCurtain call is RRREOOCKKINGG2 minutes ago from twitterrific

3. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesAmy just got roses from Constantine!3 minutes ago from twitterrific

4. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesThe crowd is uncontrollable3 minutes ago from twitterrific

5. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesDon't stop believin has begun!8 minutes ago from twitterrific

6. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesThis crowd is wild!13 minutes ago from twitterrific

7. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesDon't stop believin is next!!!14 minutes ago from twitterrific

8. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesHit me with your best shot came on and the crowd is going mad!! It's sick how crazy they are in the theater! 30 second cheer afterwards16 minutes ago from twitterrific

9. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesNikki Blonsjy told us she is DVRing idol cause she's at ROA. She's really nice b t dubsabout 1 hour ago from twitterrific

10. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesWe are taping at opening night, check back for that. But the top light broke! Flashlight?about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

11. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesSecond act is starting. Well tweet at the party in an hour! I hope Jane K dances with us!about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

12. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesIntermission!about 1 hour ago from twitterrific

13. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesRocco Dispirito gave a great interview and is hot to bootabout 2 hours ago from twitterrific

14. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesSorry tweeting so fast can't spell!about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

15. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesMichael Uri from Ugly Betty just gave us an interview! Told us he works out to 80s rock!about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

16. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesShow has started..crowdis going insane!about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

17. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesJane Krakowski, katsina bowden from 30 Rock!about 2 hours ago from twitterrific

18. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesTalking to Dee Snider, he loves us!about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

19. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesJust saw Tamara Tunis from Sex and the City, she's always at these things.about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

20. Rock of Ages RockOfAgesI wonder how Jamie and Beverly from Rock of Love Bus will like the ROA version of Nothin But A Good Time...about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

# RockOfAgesPatrick Wilson, Patrick Wilson, Patrick Wilson!about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesNeil Schon from Journey is red carpet-ing. Bet he can't wait for the finale!about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesJay Jay French is here and he wants to ROCK!about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesJim Peterik from Survivor just arrived, he wrote The Search is Over.about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesNikki Blonsky is here.Out of the 60s and into the 80s!about 3 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesSo much press is here! So cold outabout 4 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesWe're on the red carpet! How exciting!about 4 hours ago from twitterrific

# Rock of Ages RockOfAgesEveryone is getting dolled up..Headed to the theater!about 4 hours ago from twitterrific

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FB UPDATE:

Constantine Maroulis impress me

about an hour ago

[val]

Facebook update:

Constantine Maroulis go Yanks! about a minute ago

[luckygirl]

FB Update on 5/5/09, aka "Cinco de Maroulis", aka 2009 Tony Award Nominations day!

Constantine Maroulis thank you all for you kind words...very cool way to wake up9:55am

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FB Update:

Constantine Maroulis GDNY in the am...then Tony luncheon..then Z-Rock shoot!! Then he falls down.20 minutes ago

[luckygirl]

May 12th article in Elle.com, written by Erin Clements, entitled... "Men We Love"

http://www.elle.com/Entertainment/Men-We-Love/Constantine-Maroulis

Spoiler: show

Raise your Bartles & Jaymes: Rock of Ages, Broadway’s '80s hair-metal jukebox musical, has joined the vaunted ranks of this year’s Tony contenders, garnering no fewer than five nominations—including a Best Actor nod for star Constantine Maroulis. Best known for his stint on season four of American Idol, Maroulis is the first contestant from Fox’s hit series to earn this rarefied distinction. The 33-year-old singer, who plays wannabe rocker Drew Bowie in Rock of Ages (recently optioned by New Line Cinema), spoke with us about the merit of metal, the state of Broadway, and grooming his widely recognizable mane.

So, what was your reaction when you found out about the Tony nomination?
I was really surprised, but I knew that people love our show. I grew up as an actor, long before the American Idol experience, and this has been a great vehicle for me. It’s a wonderful character, so I just go out there and do my job every night.

Were you a big fan of hair metal growing up?
I listened to everything from traditional Greek music to Nat King Cole to Zeppelin and Guns N’ Roses. But I grew up in New Jersey, and the soundtrack of my youth was Poison, Styx, Foreigner, and Bon Jovi—this music was so theatrical, and I loved the theater from an early age, along with my rock 'n' roll. These bands were rock gods—the music was bigger than life. They dressed the part and had this charisma that just jumped out of the television set.

How would you respond to critics who say that Poison doesn’t belong on a Broadway stage?
I haven’t heard many people say that. But I think a great song is timeless, whether it’s written by Andrew Lloyd Webber or Bret Michaels. And these songs lend themselves perfectly to theatrical settings. We’ve crafted them into a beautiful love story and probably the funniest comedy to be on Broadway in modern theater. It’s done very well—in an artistic way and not in an obnoxious way.

What’s your favorite number from the show?
I think the Whitesnake number at the end of Act One, “Here I Go Again on My Own,” is probably my favorite because it involves the whole ensemble, and my character in particular has reached his emotional peak. He’s starting this journey that he’s always dreamed about but is unsure of, and the lyrics are perfect. I think that’s why it elicits such an amazing reaction from the crowd—people really get it. Granted, we’re partying and having a great time, but trust me: They are connecting with these characters and with the story.

Have Simon Cowell and the other AI judges congratulated you yet?
No, not yet. They’re a little busy with this season of American Idol right now, but I’m sure I’ll hear from them when the time is right, and hopefully they’ll come see the show.


How did Idol prepare you for Broadway?
I studied at the Boston Conservatory, and my BFA is in musical theater. Long before Idol, I was doing the eight show a week thing in Rent, so it’s really been a long progression for me professionally. But American Idol is just the greatest performance bootcamp you could wish for. So much happens in such a short period of time. I was lucky that I was a little older and had the experience to deal with it. And my season was early on enough in the show’s history that no one really knew what to make of it. I think now we’ve learned that this is about talent, and the true talents end up working and having wonderful careers.

In Rock of Ages, your character is pressured to fit a cookie-cutter boy-band image. Did you feel that on Idol?
There’s always pressure in this business. When I was on American idol, they didn’t know what to make of me. I had this big theater background, but I was also in a band—they were these “bad boys” from Brooklyn, and I was this “rocker.” So I was certainly branded with that image. I obviously love rock 'n' roll, and it’s a big part of who I am, but it’s not all that I am. So I think it’s important to define who you are as an artist on that show, because the opportunity is just massive, but the window post–American Idol is very small for you to capitalize on that success, certainly as a recording artist.

Have you felt scrutiny from the theater community for having done Idol?
Well, I think that not everybody knew right away that I had a theater background. A lot of people knew me from Rent—I played Roger on the road for a while—and it is a small community, so a lot of people knew that I went to Boston Conservatory, which is probably the number one program for the musical performing arts. So that portion of the community welcomed me and knew how passionate I am. But I think there is a bit of a stigma. However, if it’s the right performer and the right role, it makes sense.

Are there any other Tony-nominated shows you’re rooting for?
It’s a tremendous year for Broadway. We’re in a very challenging climate right now with the economics of everything, but there are some amazing talents here—Jane Fonda, James Gandolfini, Marcia Gay Harden, Angela Lansbury. Those kids in Billy Elliot are amazing. And we have a tremendous revival in Hair, which I’m secretly rooting for, because Will Swenson used to be in our show off Broadway, and I have so many dear friends in it—also, they’re not in our category.

Speaking of which, how do you maintain your signature coif?
I used to do a lot more to it than I do now. People are always sending me different products, so I just use all the free stuff that I can. For the show, I spray it a bit and make it a little bigger than it normally would be. But I like to let it dry and be naturally curly and wavy—maybe throw a little product in. Before the Tonys, I should probably have a professional take a look at it.

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http://cooperlawrenceblog.blogspot.com/

Spoiler: show

Wednesday, May 13, 2009
How To Become An American Idol With Constantine Maroulis
Rock of Ages is a new Broadway show that has already garnered five Tony nominations including Best Musical and a nod for Constantine Maroulis as Best Leading Actor in a Musical. If you are not sure why you know that name I will remind you. Constantine Maroulis, was a 2005 finalist on American Idol. He earned a degree at the prestigious Boston Conservatory and then, he says,“I went back to New York, where I am from, and was lucky enough to land a role in the touring company of [the musical] Rent. So I went out on the road with Rent playing the lead role. At the time I also had a band and I was just hustling.”

Constantine was working so hard out on the road that while he knew of American Idol, he had not actually seen the show. It was a former girlfriend who encouraged him to audition. He approached that audition not as if it would be his ticket to instant stardom, but the way he did any other gig a working performer might try out for. “I approached it like it was every other audition,” he says. Viewers don’t see how the stars have struggled: They see the glamorous end result—and they want that. The illusion is that celebrity is an easy, luxurious life where you feel special all the time—and that is just the kind of thing that many emerging adults have grown up believing they need and deserve.

Constantine Maroulis, with an insider’s point of view says that the major benefit to a singer’s career from appearing on American Idol is that a record label might look at a contestant and think, “maybe they didn’t win but they’ve been on TV and millions of people do like them and have been voting for them . . . and wow, it’s a great training program. They are a better performer, they’re seasoned already—what most people go through in 30 years they’ve gone through in 30 days.”

But future success depends on putting in the effort. Maroulis says, “I grew up in the theater so I understand the progression and the hard work involved and am not afraid to do what it takes to work my way up, like from ensemble to leading role when you are a Broadway guy . . . it’s a blue collar mentality. It’s about the job and not the bullshit. Millions of actors are not working and there are plenty of singers who have no record deals.”

When I asked Maroulis if he has any advice for young people who want to become stars, branding is definitely on the top of his list. “Even with the record companies, it’s not about selling just a record,” he says. “It’s about merchandise, ringtones, etc—they supplement lack of record sales with other things. The music industry is not what it used to be. Look at Justin Timberlake. His records sell, but compared to [his former band] ’N Sync, he doesn’t make that same astronomical amount he used to, so he has his clothing line and restaurants.”

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LOL and AMEN!!- From scoopost.com :

Constantine Maroulis nominated for a Tony 1 week 3 days ago

American Idol 4 finalist Constantine Maroulis has been nominated for a Tony Award. He's up for best performance by a leading actor in a musical for his performance as Drew Bowie in Rock of Ages, and now has validation for being the chest hair blow-drying "fucking artist" he knew he was.

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Hide the scissors!

A Night Out With | Constantine Maroulis
From ‘Idol’ to Stardom

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/31/fashi ... .html?_r=1

Spoiler: show

BACKSTAGE at the Brooks Atkinson Theater, Constantine Maroulis inspected the contents of his dressing-room minifridge: a liter of Coke, one bottle of Champagne and two cans of, yes, Rockstar Energy Drink.

“It’s just like my apartment,” said Mr. Maroulis, 33, the leading man in the musical “Rock of Ages” and a former “American Idol” contender, before exiting into a scrum of female fans.

As Drew in “Rock of Ages,” Mr. Maroulis plays a bartender who wails big-hair hits from the 1980’s while struggling to become famous. As a singer and actor with an album, a devoted (albeit modest) following, and a Tony nomination for best performance by a leading actor in a musical, Mr. Maroulis is faultlessly polite, self-effacing and even melancholy.

“Oh, I’ll never win,” he said. “I’m pretty sure it will go to the guys from ‘Billy Elliot.’ ”

At last, Mr. Maroulis finished autographing Playbills and emerged in T-shirt, J. Lindeberg skinny jeans (“I totally stole these from ‘The Bold and the Beautiful,’ ” he said, referring to the soap opera where he used to appear), Yohji Yamamoto tennis shoes and his signature dark tresses. (On “Idol” in 2005, Simon Cowell once told him, “If this were ‘Smoldering Idol,’ you’d win hands down.”)

Waiting for him at an unmarked speakeasy that caters to Broadway performers were James Carpinello and Adam Dannheisser, fellow cast members from “Rock of Ages,” which has received five Tony nominations, including for best musical.

Mr. Maroulis slid into a booth and ordered what they were having (dirty martinis) as well as a plate of fish tacos. After certifying that there was “a fair amount of yellowtail in the yellowtail ceviche,” Mr. Carpinello placed his order. Mr. Dannheisser abstained.

Tired but cheerful, the actors discussed Martha Plimpton’s role in “The Goonies,” a throat-soothing beverage called Han’s Honey Loquat Syrup (“very thick and tastes delicious,” Mr. Maroulis said), and the threat of swine flu.

Mr. Maroulis tagged the waiter: “Excuse me. What kind of fish was in the tacos because it was really nice?” Mr. Maroulis is allergic to shellfish, he explained to the table, and suddenly wanted to verify that he had not ingested any, “but I wanted to phrase it in a good way.” (Not to worry: the fish was tilapia.)

The evening’s celebrity sightings included Lou Reed, Gabriel Byrne and Geoffrey Rush, who had won the Drama League’s distinguished performance award earlier that day. As they squeezed by the table, everyone tried to act casual.

Billy Porter, the Broadway singer with whom Mr. Maroulis appeared in “Jesus Christ Superstar,” was also in the house. “I knew him when he was non-Equity,” he called out as he passed the booth. “In the chorus Now he’s a staaar!”

What’s next for Mr. Maroulis? His “Rock of Ages” contract ends in September, after which he may go on tour with the show. The film rights have also been sold, although no casting decisions have been made. He would like to do more Broadway. He would love to do Shakespeare. “I’d cut off my hair tomorrow,” he said.

Does he ever watch his old “Idol” performances? “I can’t. I was so bad on that show.”

“I’d cut off my hair tomorrow,” he said.

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June 7, 2009 (Tony Awards Day)

'IDOL' GOES TO THE TONYS NOMINEE CONSTANTINE MAROULIS TALKS THEATER AND BROADWAY SOFTBALL

http://www.nypost.com/seven/06072009/tv/idol_goes_to_the_tonys_172782.htm

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Has this sweet little interview been posted here yet?

Constantine Talks About Rocking the Tonys

The Tonys will be rocking in every which way tonight. And at the rehearsal for the show, OK! caught up with American Idol’s Constantine Maroulis, who busts it out eight times a week in the Broadway hit Rock of Ages.

Maroulis plays Drew Bowie, a hopeful wine-cooler drinking rocker who dreams of making it to the big time. And he’s the first Idol contestant to snag a Tony nomination for Best Leading Actor in a Musical.

Where were you when you heard that you were nominated for a Tony?
I was in my apartment in the city and I woke up right in time as they announced my name in my category. My mom and my cousins called. And I had the obligatory agent/manager calls, the publicist and producers. Basically, the phone hasn’t stopped ringing since. It was crazy. My mother was blown away. She is still hung up on me not winning American Idol. She can’t believe her boy didn’t win. But this is what I’ve always dreamed of. I’ve been watching the Tonys since I was a little kid.

Who are you bringing to the Tonys?
My family will be with me — my beautiful mother will be my date. I’m also bringing my sister Anastasia, my brother, Athan, his wife, and some friends. I got a bunch of $900 tickets. I’m the youngest of three, but we have a massive family. It's really awesome to bring everyone together. And all the cousins in Brooklyn and Long Island all going to be watching. It’s been quite a ride for them these last few years.

How are you preparing for the Tonys?
I’m trying to stay focused and do my show. Unlike every other award show, we do ours every night and it’s very challenging. It’s lot fun and we feed off the energy of the audience, but wailing Journey and Whitesnake eight shows a week is not an easy task. So I’m taking it day by day and not thinking of what’s at stake.

What is it like performing at the Tonys?
It’s different. We’re comfortable in our theater. We’re comfortable with the sound levels and the way the stage feels underneath us. Radio City is massive and one of the most famous venues in the whole world. There’s a whole new crew. There’s an elevator that’s bringing us in. And of course, there are about 100 cameras on us as well. I worked with this TV crew on American Idol. A lot of the camera guys, the assistant director, and the guys in the booth worked on American Idol because they’re the best in the business. So they got the best to do this show. It’s sort of like a crash course in Radio City performing. I’ve never been up on that stage. I’ve never been to the Tonys either. So I’m thrilled and honored.

http://www.okmagazine.com/news/view/14728

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Posted by choice on another site. This is a must read!

Constantine Maroulis Bangs His Head On Broadway

Yahoo Music Blogs
Posted Sun Jun 7, 2009 8:30pm PDT

by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks
Before you read on, watch this Rock Of Ages performance from tonight's Tony Awards. You'll be oh-so-glad you did:



OK, now. A few years ago, I was cordially and rockin'-ly invited to a preview performance of Rock Of Ages, a nostalgic rock opera featuring music from the big '80s era of big hair and big riffs. Man, I couldn't RSVP "yes" fast enough. C'mon, a Broadway musical featuring the classic headbanging hitz of Poison, Ratt, and Whitesnake? Dood, what was not to like?
Well, actually, there was a LOT not to like. Rock Of Ages just did not, well, ROCK. I dunno, I thought that seeing a chorus line of spandex-sheathed, haystack-haired Sunset Strip metal groupies high-kicking their way through Night Ranger's "Sister Christian" would make for a totally awesome night of theater. But I was wrong. So very, very wrong. Somehow, something was just missing...

...and hey, you know what Rock Of Ages was missing, specifically? CONSTANTINE MAROULIS!!

Yes, the American Idol also-ran (who long before Adam Lambert was seamlessly, sexily, and successfully combining rock 'n' roll bad-boyishness and cheesy Broadway theatricality into one bedroom-eyed, bedheaded rock-star package) was thankfully added to the Rock Of Ages cast. Then the show hit Broadway...and of course, accolades and Tony Award nominations ensued.

See, Rock Of Ages protagonist "Drew" was truly the role Constantine was BORN to play: the part of a struggling musician who journeys to the big, bad city of Hollywood with a headful of both Aqua-Net and dreams of rock stardom. Dreams that are soon crushed, of course, "Welcome To The Jungle"-style. Hey, sort of like Constantine's through-to-Hollywood dream of being the next American Idol was crushed, huh? So it's no wonder he gave such a convincing, Tony-nominated performance.

Yes, that's right: Tonight CONSTANTINE WAS NOMINATED FOR A TONY, for Best Leading Actor In A Musical. Sadly, that dream too was crushed, when he lost out to THREE kids playing the titular Billy Elliot role. (Doesn't that seem unfair? There were three of them!) But in a way, Constantine still won, because the performance above is THE 2009 Tony Awards moment everyone will be gabbing about around the watercooler tomorrow. Billy who?

"I think it's the kind of material that stays with you," Constantine told Rolling Stone when Rock Of Ages first began its Broadway run earlier this year. (Incidentally, Constantine was also in the musical-theater version of The Wedding Singer, so he's an old pro at this Broadway-goes-totally-'80s shtick.) "Those songs always stay with you, but it was nice to invite them back into my life. And sort of look at them from a different point of view and see which bands have survived and have been relevant."

Well, judging from the totally radical clip above, one of Constantine's most relevant moments in Rock Of Ages is when he belts out Twisted Sister's "I Wanna Rock." Let's face it, if only he'd sung that on American Idol during season 4's "21st Century Week" instead of the throwaway Nickelback song he foollishly went with, maybe he wouldn't have been eliminated. I know I would have speed-dialed his voting number with all the nimble-fingeredness of the greatest '80s metal guitar shredder ever, had he performed anything from the Dee Snider songbook with this much scenery-chewing gusto.

And if only he'd been the one singing all these hard rock hits the night I went to see Rock Of Ages in L.A. years ago, I would have had a MUCH better night at the opera.
Constantine, you were robbed tonight. But hey, don't stop believin'...

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From C's Facebook the day after the Tony Award ROA performance:

Kirsten Le Sommier So many calls and emails today complimenting you on your performance! You rocked! Xoxo28 minutes ago ·

[Mystic]

Archiving this as it is an excellent interview:
http://www.boulevardli.com/index.php/pr ... oulis.html

Constantine Maroulis walks through the bustling streets of New York City on the way to a meeting. “Jeez!” he yells as he weaves through crowds of people in the busy midtown area. “You know, I try and avoid these busy parts on most days.”

It’s a packed day for Maroulis and he called to start our interview a few minutes early so he doesn’t get behind schedule with his slew of interviews and meetings. As a singer, actor and star of the Broadway show Rock of Ages, he understands what it’s like to have very little spare time. But when you are as passionate about performing as Maroulis, it’s all part of following a dream.

Born into a musical family, it was inevitable that Maroulis developed an interest in music. He recalls his mother singing around the house. “She had a beautiful tone to her voice; it always caught my ear,” he says. His brother was a successful underground artist in the late ’80s and ’90s and went on to do jazz recordings as well. His sister, now a school principal, grew up doing musicals in high school.

“They were just a huge influence on me,” he says. After his family moved from Brooklyn to the affluent community of Wyckoff, New Jersey when he was 5 years old, it was essential that Maroulis learn how to play an instrument. “The schools had a very strong support for the arts,” he recalls. While he wanted to play guitar, it was difficult for his parents, who both worked full time, to support the expenses that went with it. Instead, his mother found a good deal on an old Bundy trumpet.

“I loved the trumpet and I remember my teacher always said, ‘You have a great tone,’” Maroulis recalls. “I guess that sound comes from your mouth; you’re using that breath support, so it’s a lot like singing.”

Singing, Maroulis says, was always his first love. Though he played the trumpet in his school band, he knew deep down that singing was his true calling.

“It’s just one of those things that you’re pretty much born with,” Maroulis says of his vocal abilities. He remembers his first role in a school show, West Side Story, at the age of 13. “I was hoping for one of the leads but I wasn’t good enough yet; I didn’t have the confidence, so I was one of the Jets. You’d think some Greek kid from Brooklyn would at least have been one of the Sharks!” he says, laughing.

Slowly, Maroulis became more comfortable with the stage. As he developed his craft, he knew that this was going to be his career path. While in high school, he played in professional bands, doing NYC gigs and getting paid for them.

“I always had high test scores when I was young but I had poor grades. I just didn’t care,” Maroulis says. “It’s funny because now I preach higher education and I tell kids to do their work. I realize how important it is. But I was a late bloomer.”

After high school, Maroulis continued to perform. His first equity job was an ensemble/understudy role in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Helen Hayes Performing Arts Theatre in Nyack, NY. “It’s one of my favorite shows,” Maroulis says. It was there he met actors who had graduated from The Boston Conservatory, which put the idea in Maroulis’ head that it was time for college and more training.

“I gave it a shot. I applied, I auditioned, I think I even received a partial scholarship,” Maroulis says. Because he enrolled in some college courses prior to his acceptance at the Conservatory, he was able to dive right into his second year, taking three years to complete the program. He graduated from high school in 1993, and began college six years later. “A lot of people do that in conservatories,” Maroulis explains, “I know 30-year-old undergrads at Juilliard, so it’s kind of a ‘when you’re ready to go’ thing.”

After Maroulis tragically lost his cousin on 9/11, he had a difficult senior year at school and “barely graduated,” he says. He did not perform in the senior showcase, where talent agents come to observe students. But Maroulis was determined to make it. He had his sights set on one role – Roger, the heartthrob rocker of the Broadway musical Rent.

Maroulis knows what he wants and that tends to get him what he wants. After school came New York City where he started a band called Pray for the Soul of Betty. Soon after, he assumed the role of Roger in the regional tour of Rent to a very enthusiastic audience and Pray for the Soul of Betty reaped the benefits. While he admits the band wasn’t very good musically, he says they put on a great show. The band followed Maroulis to the cities where he was performing in Rent, bringing the Rent audience to their rock shows.

“People loved the band because they loved Roger,” Maroulis says. “Roger was a rocker and the band was heavy, but we had no songs, so that was tough.” The band has since stopped performing together.

When he returned to New York from touring in the summer of 2004, he realized the paycheck and the attention from fans had faded. It was time for a new gig. His girlfriend at the time, whom Maroulis describes as “pretty and persistent,” insisted they audition for the popular television show American Idol. They hopped on the $10 Chinatown bus to Washington D.C. and stood in line. She got cut the first round and “Well, the rest is history,” Maroulis says.

Maroulis commanded the stage and made it to the top six contestants before his elimination. Being in school and touring for the prior four years, he says he had never seen the show, and wishes he had an idea of what he was getting into. “If I had seen the show,” he says, “I think I would’ve done better.”

Maroulis says he learned skills and knowledge from day one on the show. “I learned the ins and outs of contracts, management, press, the pressures of going on a live show and performing at such a high level, working with fantastic professionals from the crew through the executive producers,” he says. “I’m a sponge. I just pick it up. It was the greatest boot camp you could ever ask for in performing arts training.”

Once eliminated from Idol, Maroulis “set his head on straight” and kept working. “Lots of great things happened,” he says. “Lots of things fell through, but you’ve got to keep pushing and believe in yourself.” After Idol came solo tours, solo albums and the stage, as well as television appearances on the soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. When asked if he has a favorite media of performing, he says, “It’s weird. I like to do all this stuff. That’s what’s spread me out pretty thin and maybe that’s why it’s taken me a few years to connect with the right project.”

That right project, he says, is his current role in Broadway’s Rock of Ages, where he can “get to do it all. I get to go on stage, go on TV and talk about a great project, sing, act, all of it.”

And while he says he feels comfortable on Broadway, don’t expect him to stop there. He says he’d love to break into film, with dreams—“and this is really shooting for the stars here”—to have a career like George Clooney and Hugh Jackman, who write, direct, act and produce.

“I’d love to produce Broadway shows,” Maroulis says. “I know how to raise money; I know the media. I know what the fans want and that would be wonderful. Do I want to connect the radio to a song of mine? Of course. Do I want to do new exciting theater projects in New York? That’s always been my dream; any actor wants that.”

As for specific film projects, Maroulis has a few ideas in mind. He’d love to be part of “some sort of underground independent film and some sort of big Twilight blockbuster film … that’d be freakin’ awesome,” he says.

And while he doesn’t have a great deal of free time, he makes sure to see his family and spend time with them. “I see my friends and go out socially a bit. It’s hard with my schedule and vocal demands, but I also love the Yankees and the Giants and love to go to the games. I play video games with my friends, read books, see other shows and travel. And someday I’d like to settle down and have a family of my own.”

He’s a self-described “regular guy,” but he has extraordinary talent. He loves watching Sports Center and putting his feet up. But don’t let that fool you. His professionalism is impeccable, his passion is undeniable, and his drive to continue to take his craft further is unstoppable. “I’ve always known that this is my life, my job, my craft,” Maroulis says. “This is what I do; no one is going to deny me my work.”

[baklava]

Link to A Day in the Life of Constantine Maroulis from Playbill:

http://www.playbill.com/features/articl ... e_Maroulis