INTERVIEW: Constantine Maroulis on his summer of being the ‘Rock & Roll Man’
Photo: Constantine Maroulis stars as Alan Freed in Rock & Roll Man at New World Stages. Photo courtesy of Joan Marcus / Provided by BBB with permission.
As the off-Broadway run of the new musical Rock & Roll Man comes to an end — officially dropping the curtain Friday, Sept. 1 — the show’s star, Constantine Maroulis, recently looked back at his summer of paying tribute to the early days of rock ‘n’ roll. Maroulis, of course, is known for his TV, theater and music work, including a successful stint on American Idol, originating the lead role in Broadway’s Rock of Ages and several recordings to his name. These past few months he has been portraying Alan Freed, the disc jockey who coined the phrase “rock ‘n’ roll.”
“An amazing summer,” Maroulis said in a recent phone interview. “There’s really nothing better than working on a new show and knowing where you’re going every day, and the whole process is just the best for me, for sure. And I think we have something very, very special, and we know that we have a bright future with Rock & Roll Man down the road.”
Maroulis has been attached to this production for quite some time. A couple years ago, the producing team asked him to work on a developmental presentation, and that went so well he was offered the part in the off-Broadway premiere. Joining him in the cast are The Sopranos’ Joe Pantoliano, Bob Ari, Rodrick Covington and Valisia Lekae.
“I was excited and jumped all over it, so really been developing this for two years with the creative team, and now we know what we have,” he said. “We have something very special. We did, probably when we’re all said and done, 100 performances this summer, and definitely feel great about the future of the show. So, yeah, for me, creating a role is always what I look to do, originating roles on Broadway, on tour or off-Broadway, wherever. It’s not so much about the money; it’s about the experience and creating something new. That’s sort of what I long to do these days.”
Maroulis is a busy man. After he wraps this run of Rock & Roll Man, he will offer several concerts in the coming months, including an October show in his home state of New Jersey. At these gigs, he’ll likely play some of his new original singles, including the recently released “Comeback” and “Daydream.” On a regular basis, he brings his mastery of music around the United States, but he wants his fans to know that this particular off-Broadway show, which is playing New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan, is particularly meaningful for him.
“I think people have gotten to know me as this rock ‘n’ roller from back in the American Idol days,” Maroulis said. “But this is truly an origin story of rock ‘n’ roll. There is no Idol, there is no Rock of Ages, there is nothing without Alan Freed and his disruption during a really crazy time in our country’s history — segregation, what Black artists weren’t getting played on radio, weren’t getting the attention, they were prejudiced against and discriminated against. For me to be able to portray this crusader … has been really an honor.”
Maroulis, who also has a musician brother named Athan Maroulis, said his parents actually saw one of Freed’s rock shows at the Paramount in Brooklyn back in the 1950s. Back then, the music scene was highly segregated, often with Black teenagers and white teenagers not able to experience the same show together. Black artists also faced marginalization and discrimination — all topics that are at the forefront of Rock & Roll Man.
“Sometimes it feels like, yes, so much has changed since then, but sometimes I feel like not a lot has changed,” he said. “So I think it’s important to remind audiences that this is the reality. This is the reality of where we’re at with our society.”
Maroulis added: “Of course, we’re telling a two-hour show, so we can’t tell every layered detail. We had so much on the page that we had to make tight and right for the show, but … some of the biggest feedback I get afterward is people saying, ‘Wow, I really learned so much about the history that I had no idea.’ I love hearing that.”
In the show, audiences learn about singers Little Richard, Chuck Berry and LaVern Baker. There are also stories of how Freed’s career ended in scandal and how his life was cut too short.
“There were obstacles, and I think that weighed heavily on him and his family,” Maroulis said. “He was a flawed man certainly, and we don’t try to pretend like he’s some white savior or anything like that because he wasn’t. But the artists, the women in his life, they were all there for him in the end, and unfortunately he drank himself to death by 43 years old, and as a result was kind of forgotten. His contributions were forgotten because of the impact that he had. America, that’s not what they wanted, post-World War II. … And he was the ultimate disruptor. That didn’t play into what they had planned.”
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Rock & Roll Man, starring Constantine Maroulis, continues through Friday, Sept. 1 at New World Stages in Midtown Manhattan. Click here for more information and tickets.
