Constantine will headline the National Rock of Ages Tour starting next month.  The following locations are on the Rock of Ages website with links to each theater for ticket purchase.

Chicago, IL September 21 – October 3, 2010 – Bank of America Theatre
Boston, MA – October 5 – 17, 2010 – Colonial Theatre
Minneapolis, MN – October 19 – 24, 2010 – The Orpheum
Cincinnati, OH – October 26 – November 7, 2010 – Aronoff Center
Detroit, MI – November 9 – 21, 2010 – Fisher Theater
Pittsburgh, PA – November 23 – 28, 2010 – Benedum Center
Baltimore, MD – November 30 – December 5, 2010 – Hippodrome
Columbus, OH – December 7 – 12, 2010 – Palace Theatre
Fort Lauderdale, FL – December 28 – Janaury 9, 2011 – Broward Center
Orlando, FL – January 11 – 16, 2011 – Bob Carr PAC
Clearwater, FL – January 18 – 23, 2011 – Ruth Eckerd
Louisville, KY – January 25 – 30, 2011 – Kentucky Center
Seattle, WA (close Sunday Mat) – February 8 – 13, 2011 – Paramount
Los Angeles, CA – February 15 – 27, 2011 – The Pantages Theater
Costa Mesa, CA – March 1 – 6, 2011 – Segerstrom Hall
San Francisco, CA – March 8 – April 10, 2011 – Curran
Indianapolis, IN – April 12 – 17, 2011 – Clowes Hall
Des Moines, IA – April 19 – 24, 2011 – Civic Center
Kansas City, MO – May 3 – 8, 2011 – Music Hall
San Antonio, TX – May 10 – 15, 2011 – Majestic
Dallas, TX – May 17 – 29, 2011 – AT&T Center
Houston, TX – May 31 – June 12, 2011 – Hobby Center
Denver, CO – June 14 – 26, 2011 – Buell Theatre

* Rock of Ages: Fans of ’80s hair metal and schlock rock — or Journey — won’t want to miss “American Idol” star Constantine Maroulis’ final appearances in Broadway’s “Rock of Ages” at the Brooks Atkinson Theater (256 W. 47th St.; 800-982-2787; rockofagesmusical.com; $45 to $120).

“It’s bittersweet, but by then I’ll have been doing the show for two years, and it’s time to move on,” says Maroulis, who takes his final bow on Sept. 9 and will join the traveling cast as it heads to Chicago. Speaking about his role as aspiring rock star Drew Bowie, Maroulis says, “It’s not the kind of role you get bored of.”

No doubt the Brooklyn-born, Wyckoff, NJ-raised “American Idol” star will miss singing on Broadway. “Sure, there’s a buzz around me leaving — I’m the hometown ‘Idol’ boy,” says Maroulis. “You become a family and you go through a lot and learn a lot about the people around you — sometimes more than you want to.”

Don’t stop believing!

As Constantine prepares to go on the road with the Rock of Ages touring company, his replacement for the Broadway show was selected. The announcement was made by Constantine when he told Joey Taranto that he had been selected to do the role of Drew on Broadway.

Constantine giving Joey the good news

The moment was captured on video by Broadway.com.

Joey was a vacation swing in the Drew role for Constantine earlier this year. Good luck to Joey on his new role!

Constantine being interviewed as he entered the IZOD Center in NJ

The next morning, Tuesday, Aug. 3 was the day of American Idol auditions at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.   Constantine introduced Ryan Seacrest who told the people in the IZOD Center that it was “a record crowd for American Idol.”  Constantine also sang “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “Living on a Prayer” from fellow Jersey rocker Jon Bon Jovi.

Here’s a nice picture that Constantine himself posted on his Twitter page with Michael Orland, Music Director from American Idol.  He and Michael worked together when Constantine was a contestant on AI back on Season 4.

Michael Orland and Constantine at Season 10 AI auditions in NJ

Each summer, the Best of Broadway is presented free on Thursdays at the noon hour in Bryant Park.  The Broadway lunch hour performances are an opportunity for people to watch actors from Broadway shows sing a few songs from their shows.  It’s an outdoor stage and it’s free.  The costs are picked up by sponsors.  Rock of Ages was on the schedule on Friday, July 23.  Cast members who were there from the show are shown in this photo.

Picture courtsey of Broadwayworld.com - Jennifer Foote , Derek St. Pierre , Michele Mais, Constantine Maroulis, Emily Padgett & Angel Reed

Constantine and Emily Padgett

Temperatures were already very high that day as the record heat wave was in full swing.  But people who were there reported back that it did not hold the Rock of Ages crew back from giving their all to a performance that got people up on their feet.  They performed “Here I Go Again,” “High Enough,” and finished with the show’s finale song “Don’t Stop Believing.”

To see the performance, watch this video recording:

Cast members from Rock of Ages came out to celebrate the event:

And from Corine’s Corner comes a nice collection of pictures of the day’s event.

The Cry of the Strip has some nice pictures of the event and some videos including this one of the actual unveiling of the picture:

Congratulations to you, Constantine!

There has been one change to the theatre that I think is going to be a big help to people. Screens have been put into both the left and right sides of the extended stage so that people who have obstructed view seats can now see what is going on with the part of the stage that is blocked from their view. The screens are actually located inside a wall at the end of the extreme right and left side aisles.

The crowd was very much into the show. No rowdiness, just people who were looking to sing along and have some fun. At one point I turned around and saw both the balcony and orchestra filled with lighters in the air celebrating the moment. nice!

The show was wonderful. Constantine performed like the Tony nominee he is, and then some! I have only seen Kerry Butler do the role one other time and I really enjoy seeing her interpretation. She is an outstanding actress. So sorry she will be leaving next weekend.

Jenifer Foote was in for Lauren as Regina. She has a very beautiful voice. She played the role slightly different from Lauren (who is always good) and I enjoyed it. Also filling in was Erica Hunter playing the role of the reporter. Her interpretation as a wide eyed stunned reporter is adorable. Ericka is also a fine dancer.

Tom Lenk as Franz has really made that part his own. He is such a funny man with a beautiful voice to back him up. He’s a very soft-spoken, nice guy at the stage door.

He’s leaving around March 20th. If you haven’t seen him do this role yet, try to get in to see both him and Kerry while they are still there.

Is it possible that this cast could get any better? I don’t know how, but every time I come from this show, I feel like it’s got something new to see and experience. The cast is a consummate group of professionals who obviously know how to keep their roles fresh and very entertaining. Mitch Jarvis and Adam Danheisser have been in since the show opened Off-Broadway in October 2009. Yet every time I see them, I’m wowed. The same is true with Paul Schoeffler who left for a brief time to do another show, but returned. So happy he did as his Hertz is so amazing to watch. Michelle Mais continues to amaze audiences as she sings some terrific songs as Justice.

James Carpinello’s Stacy Jaxx really is “a living thing!” His physicality in the role along with a wonderful singing voice makes him dynamic to watch. And his bit with the llama at the end is so funny. First time I saw that was yesterday. And I also saw Jeremy Woodard hanging out with the beaver for the first time yesterday. Both his dancing and his Joey Primo are so good. Yesterday I noticed the way people were watching him climb the pole during the ending. The group I was in was amazed at him doing this. They applauded him directly when he made it to the top. Andre Ward is such a good character actor playing the roles he does. He really gets the laughs as the mayor and he can really dance.

Also in the show were two other beautiful dancers: Angel Reed, whose picture I was able to get at the stage door and Emily Padgett, who dances and sings up a storm. Both of these ladies added so much to my enjoyment of the show. Angel is another of the originals from Off-Broadway who always gives her all to the part.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the band who supplies the most fabulous sounds of music to the show in high energy, rocking style. They also play the part of Arsenal, the fictional band in the show. They really play their parts well.

Speaking of the stage door, to say it was a mob scene is putting it mildly! It was 4 deep from the barricade to the street. Every time the door opened and a cast member came out, a large yell of appreciation was heard. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen it as crowded as yesterday on the sidewalk, but as crowded as it was, everyone seemed to be really courteous to each other.

Next to me at one point were two women who were star struck when Constantine came out. They started saying how they had followed him on Idol, but then got very quiet as he approached. I can understand that! Been there, done that too! The first picture and this one were taken from the 3 deep line.

This post got a little long, but I haven’t written about Rock of Ages in awhile. The show is coming up on celebrating its First Anniversary on Broadway soon. Long may it play!

Constantine sang “Don’t Stop Believing.” It was the closing number of the show. After he was introduced by rock legend Steven Van Zandt of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band, he did part of the song solo then everyone who had been in the show joined in on stage for a big finish. The crowd got to their feet to sing along.

Read more about the show and see more pictures on BroadwayWorld.

Also, thanks to whoever filmed this video and put it on YouTube.

And here is a full version of the song from a little further back in the room from cal.

The event was hosted by actress Zoe Saldana at SL (Simyone Lounge) in the trendy Meatpacking District in New York City.

According to the Fashion Database blog in an entry posted the day before the event:

. . . if this thing gets any bigger, it will have to go to the streets. So, while I can’t promise you will get in, this will be THE party to attend. Whether you want to sip cocktails in the front or party in the back is up to you. Either way, we plan to accommodate you.

Looks like it was THE place to be last night.  Well darn it, I didn’t know they were going to be that accommodating – I would have gone.Well, maybe not!
Photo courtesy of Getty Images

Even under the best of circumstances, staying in the spotlight — for the right reasons — is “hard work,” says Wyckoff-bred Constantine Maroulis, sixth-place finisher on the fourth season of “American Idol,” who now stars on Broadway in “Rock of Ages.”

“After ‘Idol,’ I was blessed with lots of cool opportunities … television deals, record deals. … Some things fall into place, some things don’t,” Maroulis says. “The music industry is not in the greatest place right now, so you have to sort of just adjust and do what you can. … I’m a hard-workin’ blue-collar Jersey kid.”

Read the entire article at www.NorthJersey.com.