American Idol finalist Constantine Maroulis
is now on Broadway and rocking the house
in the musical Rock of Ages

Constantine Maroulis, the rocker who electrified American Idol, is now reprising his critically-acclaimed role as “Drew” in the new Broadway run of the musical Rock of Ages, which is about a small-town girl who meets a big-city rocker in an LA club and falls in love with him to the greatest songs of the 80s.

"I’m gonna keep rockin’"
were Maroulis’ parting words after coming
up short on American Idol, and he has done
that ever since.

He’s performed live around the globe from the Philippines to his native New Jersey (he was born in Brooklyn but left when he was five) and even created his own independent label, Sixth Place Records, which released his solo album, Constantine in 2007. He did a solo a solo tour of the U.S. in 2008 and was a featured performer at the 3rd Annual Wave Gathering featuring 175 Emerging Musical Artists in Asbury Park.

He’s also done considerable musical theater since his days at the Boston Conservatory of Music (he also apprenticed in acting at the Williamstown Theatre Festival), with starring roles in Rent, Jesus Christ Superstar (which he also did in high school), The Wedding Singer, Hedwig and the Angry Inch, Jascques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, and he’s acted on television in Law and Order and The Bold and the Beautiful.

Not bad for a kid from Brooklyn whose grandparents came from Greece and who was brought up in the suburbs of Wyckoff, New Jersey. He got his start in music from his brother Athan, who is now a record producer (his sister Anastasia is a teacher) and by 11 he was studying the trumpet at Eisenhower Middle School. He later sang in high school garage bands, including Lady Rain and Milkbone. And after graduating Ramapo High School in 1993, he attended The Boston Conservatory of Music, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Musical Theater, and a minor in voice from the Berklee College of Music. He was in the cast recording of the 2000 musical Suburban Dreams and even competed on the dating show Elimidate, as well as dubbing the voices on the WB series Astro Boy.

It was supposedly on an ex-girlfriend's suggestion that he traveled to Washington DC to audition for American Idol, where he was among the first to do rock. He had a huge following, but was eliminated, which brought judge Paul Abdul to tears. She had proclaimed him the one to beat, but he assured her and his fans, “I’m gonna keep rocking.”

After American Idol, he was approached by Ralph Lauren, among others, about modeling and won representation by the top talent agency in the business, Creative Artists Agency. He was named the sexiest 30-year-old in America by People magazine and he struck a deal to develop a network sitcom at ABC to be executive-produced by Kelsey Grammer. He also performed that summer on an American Idol tour to sold-out crowds. He even took his pre-Idol rock band, Pray for the Soul of Betty, on the road in a decked-out tour bus. And his rendition of "Bohemian Rhapsody" earned inclusion on a Queen tribute CD titled Killer Queen. He even got to chat with Jay Leno when he performed it on The Tonight Show.

Now his performance in Rock of Ages has drawn rave reviews: AP said that Maroulis "gives a touching performance and sings powerfully as Drew, the young wannabe rock singer." The show even had a landmark New York City restaurant, Serendipity 3, create a new dessert in its honor: "I Wanna Rock Root Beer Float."

In addition to his performing, Maroulis has always done considerable charity work. Most recently he agreed to perform at the June Greek Folk Festival of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Baltimore, and he has been the recipient of the Hellenic Times Scholarship Fund's Humanitarian Award for Artistic Achievement and of the New York City’s Greek Heritage and Culture Celebration.

Maroulis, who looks very much like a rock star and is over six feet tall, told Rolling Stone he keeps almost every fan memento he was ever given in his parents' basement in New Jersey, which he calls his own "little Graceland." He said one of his favorite possessions is a homemade booklet with his face on the cover and poetry written by his fans. One page (with an onstage photo of his boot) has a poem titled "Ode to Your Favorite Boots":

He's put many miles on those soles almost worn out the heals and toes although he's now a lot more rich don't think he's ready to give 'em the pitch.

“One day when I'm unemployed and miserable," Maroulis says. "I can always look at that stuff and hopefully feel a little better about myself and what I once did and my contributions to society."

©2009 NEOCORP MEDIA

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