Rock of Ages, coming to the Orpheum Theatre Oct. 19-24, 2010, will star original Broadway cast member Constantine Maroulis

The producers of ROCK OF AGES announced today that Tony Award Nominee and “American Idol” finalist Constantine Maroulis will reprise his acclaimed performance as Drew in the First National Tour of the five-time Tony Award® nominated smash-hit musical ROCK OF AGES. It will be playing the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis October 19-24, 2010 as part of Hennepin Theatre Trust’s 2010/11 Broadway Season.

Lead producers Matthew Weaver and Carl Levin comment, "It gives us a tremendous sense of pride and excitement to have Constantine star in our very first national tour after originating the role on Broadway. He is the heart and soul of our show and we’re thrilled that all of America will get to see his incredible performance.”

An original Broadway and off Broadway cast member, Maroulis will have played Drew in ROCK OF AGES for two years when, in September 2010, he embarks on the First National Tour launching in Chicago, IL. As Rolling Stone says, “Rock of Ages has found a perfect lead in Maroulis,” and so like Bartles & James, big hair and Dep, some things are just meant for each other. And the critics agree:

“Mr. Maroulis possesses a soulful, pure and intense voice that cuts through the electricity with ease. He has proved himself to be a winning, sweet-spirited and completely natural actor in the lead role of Drew, negotiating the bridge between sincerity and spoof with breezy amiability that invites you to root for Drew.”
-The New York Times

"Maroulis brings versatile pipes and a shaggy charm that's irresistible."
-The Daily News

“The lead character is played, with dazzling vocal pyrotechnics by Constantine Maroulis.”
-The Chicago Tribune

“Maroulis leads a solid cast with an impressively natural performance as Drew, the fledgling rock star. Maroulis displays the sterling voice and easy, engaging presence that made him a favorite on TV’s “American Idol.”
-The Associated Press

In 1987 on the Sunset Strip, a small-town girl met a big-city dreamer – and in L.A.’s most legendary rock club, they fell in love to the greatest songs of the ‘80’s. It’s ROCK OF AGES, a hilarious, feel-good love story told through the hit songs of iconic rockers Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Pat Benatar, Whitesnake, and many more. Don’t miss this awesomely good time where big hair meets big dreams and the result totally wails.

ROCK OF AGES opened on April 7, 2009 at Broadway’s Brooks Atkinson Theatre to critical acclaim, following an off Broadway engagement in the fall of 2008. The Broadway production was nominated for Five 2009 Tony Awards®, including Best Musical, and New Line Records released the Original Broadway Cast Recording in July 2009, featuring 28 songs from the show. A New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. film of the musical, directed by Adam Shankman (Hairspray), is scheduled to be released in 2011.

As on Broadway, the touring production will be directed by Tony Award Nominee Kristin Hanggi (Bare, Pussycat Dolls on the Sunset Strip) and choreographed by Kelly Devine (Jersey Boys – Associate Choreographer). The book is by Chris D’Arienzo (writer and director of the film Barry Munday), the original arrangements are by David Gibbs (Counting Crows, Film: That Thing You Do) and the Music Supervision, Arrangements & Orchestrations are by Ethan Popp (Tarzan; Europe: We Will Rock You, Mamma Mia).

Scenic design is by Beowulf Boritt (Spelling Bee, LoveMusik), costume design is by Tony Nominee Gregory Gale (Cyrano, The Wedding Singer), lighting design is by Jason Lyons (The Threepenny Opera), sound design is by Tony Nominee Peter Hylenski (Shrek), and projection design is by Zachary Borovay (A Catered Affair).

ROCK OF AGES began performances at the legendary Royal Alexandra Theatre in Toronto, Canada on April 20, 2010 and will open on May 11, 2010. It was also recently announced that ROCK OF AGES will head down under and open at the Comedy Theatre, Melbourne, Australia in April 2011.

America is ready to Rock starting in Chicago, Illinois (September 21 – October 3, 2010) as part of the first national tour of ROCK OF AGES. Other venues for the first national tour of the “insanely fun mix-tape musical” (Timeout NY) include: Boston, MA (October 6 - 17, 2010); Minneapolis, MN (October 19 - 24, 2010); Cincinnati, OH (October 26 - Nov 7, 2010); Pittsburgh, PA(November 23 - 28, 2010); Baltimore, MD(November 30 - Dec 5, 2010); Columbus, OH (December 7 - 12, 2010); Fort Lauderdale, FL (December 28 - Jan 9, 2011); Orlando, FL (January 11 - 16, 2011); Clearwater, FL (January 18 - 23, 2011); Louisville, KY (January 25 - 30, 2011); Seattle, WA (February 8 - 13, 2011); Los Angeles, CA (February 15 - 27, 2011); Costa Mesa, CA (March 1 - 6, 2011); Indianapolis, IN (April 12 - 17, 2011); Des Moines, IA (April 19 - 24, 2011); Kansas City, MO (May 3 - 8, 2011); San Antonio, TX (May 10 - 15, 2011); Dallas, TX (May 17 - 29, 2011); Houston, TX (May 31 - June 12, 2011); Washington, DC (July 12 - 24, 2011) and more soon to be announced.

Additional casting to be announced shortly.

FOR TOUR SIZZLE REEL VISIT:
http://www.bonniebraestudio.com/GELB/TourSizzleOUTPUT2web.mov

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE TOUR &
BROADWAY PRODUCTION VISIT:
www.RockofAgesMusical.com

BIOGRAPHIES

CONSTANTINE MAROULIS (Drew) received a Best Actor Tony Award nomination for his role as Drew in Rock of Ages. A classically trained actor and performer, Maroulis rose to fame on American Idol's Season 4 and remains one of the most memorable contenders. In addition to headlining the Idol's sold out Live Summer Tour with that year's winner Carrie Underwood, Constantine has continued to tour extensively around the country solo since “Idol.” However Idol wasn't his first stage experience, having graduated The Boston Conservatory and apprenticed at The Williamstown Theatre Festival in 2002, Maroulis had performed in several productions prior to landing the lead role of Roger in the national tour of the hit musical RENT just before making it as a finalist on Idol and beating out millions of hopefuls auditioning. Maroulis made his Broadway debut in the Tony Nominated 2007 production of "Wedding Singer" and after quickly followed up co-starring in Off Broadway's critically acclaimed production of "Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris." Television came back into his life with CBS's "The Bold and The Beautiful," in a role specially created for him and based in part off his real life. The show featured new songs from his debut album "Constantine" which he was released in 2008 on his very own Record Label, "Sixth Place Records" via (SONY/Red) to critical acclaim. Prior to that, his version of "My Funny Valentine" helped make the CD, American Idol "The Showstoppers" RIAA Certified Gold (RCA).
Other credits include: Hedwig and the Angry Inch, “The Tonight Show,” “Ellen,” “The Today Show,” “Howard Stern,” “ Regis & Kelly,” MTV and many more. He has also served as Co-Host on GDNY, Yahoo Buzz Session, MTV's Little Talent Show and American Idol Extra on The FOX Reality Channel. In addition, Constantine has done extensive work with many charities and non profits including Make a Wish, Hellenic Scholarship Fund, The Actors Fund, Broadway Cares and many others.

CHRIS D’ARIENZO (Book) is a writer/director who just finished his directorial debut Barry Munday (starring Patrick Wilson, Judy Greer, Chloe Sevigny, Jean Smart, Malcolm McDowell, Cybill Shepherd and Billy Dee Williams) which debuted at South by Southwest in 2010. Chris is currently developing a one-hour drama for HBO with Tobey Maguire, as well as a feature film for Warner Bros. entitled La Vida Robot produced by John Wells (I’m Not There, “ER,” Far From Heaven). Chris is a giant music nerd as well as a songwriter in his own right, and his band Saint America is will soon release their self-titled debut album.

KRISTIN HANGGI (Director) received a Tony Nomination for her work on Rock of Ages and directed the NY and L.A. productions of Bare (Ovation,L.A. Weekly awards); Pussycat Dolls Live at the Roxy with Gwen Stefani, Christina Aguilera and Charlize Theron; 2007 NY Fringe Best Play Catch the Fish; L.A. premiere of Corpus Christi (Ticketholder Award); and L.A. and NY productions of AnnE. Wrecksick. Other L.A. theatre includes 12th Premise; 40 Days; Crane, Mississippi; Greystone; Wayside. Also a film director and screenwriter, Hanggi is developing the musical movie Dear Dumb Diary for Zucker Productions. M.A. from USC and B.A. from UCLA.

KELLY DEVINE (Choreographer) recently choreographed Disney’s Peter and the Starcatchers at the La Jolla Playhouse. She also choreographed Cabaret and Romeo and Juliet for Des McAnuff at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. Broadway: Jersey Boys (assoc. choreo), Memphis (assoc. choreo). Off-Broadway: Frankenstein (37 Arts), Ann E. Wrecksick (Ars Nova). Regional theatre: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (Kirk Douglas Theatre); La Jolla Playhouse Zhivago, Private Fittings and The Wiz (assoc. choreo); Sneaux (Matrix Theatre, L.A.Weekly Theatre Award for best choreography);Wozzeck (San Diego Opera). Film/television: Zombie Prom; 30 Days Until I’m Famous; Happy, Texas; So Little Time; Two of a Kind; and Passport to Paris.

BEOWULF BORITT (Set Designer). Broadway: Sondheim on Sondheim, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, LoveMusik, Jay Johnson: The Two and Only. Off-Broadway: More than 50 including The Last Five Years, Saint Lucy’s Eyes, Hank Williams: Lost Highway, Miss Julie, Public, MTC, Second Stage, New Group, MCC. 2007 and 2008 Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. Awards: Obie, AUDELCO, three Drama Desk noms.

GREGORY GALE (Costume Designer) received a Tony Nomination for his work on Rock of Ages. Broadway: Cyrano de Bergerac (Tony nomination); The Wedding Singer (Drama Desk nomination); Urinetown (Lucille Lortel nomination). Off-Broadway: The Voysey Inheritance (Lucille Lortel Award, Atlantic); The Milliner (Lucille Lortel nomination, CSC); Country Club (Drama Desk nomination, Drama Dept.). Regional: The Third Story (La Jolla). Irene Sharaff Young Master Award 2002. www.gregorygale.com

JASON LYONS (Lighting Designer). The Threepenny Opera; Barefoot in the Park; Good Vibrations; Clay; It’s Only Life; Rafta, Rafta…, Two Thousand Years; Body Awareness; Scarcity; The Piano Teacher; Vigils; Evil Dead the Musical; The Field; Once Around the Sun; Kiki & Herb; The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie; Abigail’s Party; Hurlyburly; Roar; Aunt Dan and Lemon; Comedians.

PETER HYLENSKI (Sound Design) received a Tony Nomination for his work on Rock of Ages. Broadway: Lend Me A Tenor, Shrek, Cry Baby, The Times They Are A-Changin’, The Wedding Singer, Sweet Charity, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me, Little Women, Brooklyn, Laughing Room Only. Other credits include: Le Reve: Wynn Las Vegas, Ragtime (West End, Olivier Award nomination), Walking with Dinosaurs, Mame (Kennedy Center), Opening Doors (Carnegie Hall), Applause (Encores!), Annie, Children’s Letters to God, Go, Diego, Go!, Dora the Explorer, Spoleto Festival (1999 - 2002). Film: re-recording mixer Search for Life, SonicVision, Cosmic Collisions.

ZACHARY BOROVAY (Projection Designer). Recent: Peepshow at the Planet Hollywood Casino in Las Vegas and Nerds, To Be or Not To Be (Broadway), Les Misérables (national tour), A Catered Affair (Broadway; Drama Desk nom.), Radio City Music Hall’s 75th Christmas Spectacular, Xanadu (Broadway).

ETHAN POPP (Music Supervisor, Arranger, Orchestrator). Recent credits include Glory Days (Broadway), Tarzan (Broadway), Being Alive (Philadelphia), the New York workshop of Spider-Man (Julie Taymor/Bono and the Edge of U2), We Will Rock You (German premiere), Disney’s Aida (German premiere /European tour), Mamma Mia! (German premiere), Forever Plaid (U.S. tour), Radio City Christmas Spectacular (Mexico City production), Fame! (U.S. tour) and others. Ethan is also currently developing Victor Woo: An Average Asian American, winner of Best Music and Lyrics at the 2007 NY International Fringe Festival.

DAVID GIBBS (Original Arrangements) served as the music director and arranger for the original Los Angeles run of Rock of Ages. He has written music for film and TV including Josie and the Pussycats, That Thing You Do, Dumb and Dumber, “Alias,” “The OC,” “Smallville,” “What About Brian” and many more. He was a founding member of the critically acclaimed Gigolo Aunts and has toured with such artists as Lisa Loeb, Counting Crows and Tom Morello. He is currently performing with the Low Stars and released a solo record as Kid Lightning.