Final Bow: One Last Encore for Constantine Maroulis and Rock of Ages

Every party has to end eventually. Fortunately for Rock of Ages, it hasn't stopped being Broadway's best party for nearly six years. Before the cast members take their final bow, there are a few things we'd like to know.

Constantine Maroulis, of American Idol fame, originated the role of Drew when Rock of Ages (now at the Helen Hayes Theatre) premiered off-Broadway in 2008 and continued with the show when it made the move the next year to Broadway, earning Maroulis a Tony nomination for his performance. Maroulis later launched the first national tour in 2010 and then went on to make a cameo appearance in the Rock of Ages film and star in the 2012 revival of Jekyll and Hyde, which arrived on Broadway after a 25-week national tour.

As Rock of Ages packs up its gear, we caught up with Constantine to find the answers to some very important questions…like what to do when drunk audience members take the stage.

1. What is your favorite line that you delivered?
There's a part in the show where I say "I'm not really a boy-band king of guy." It's an honest moment where Drew has hit his lowest point. He's wearing a ridiculous red jumpsuit and later he sees Sherrie and he's embarrassed of what he's become. I just like how honest that moment is.

2. Everyone loves inside jokes. What is the best one from your show?
In the scene when I'm about to open for Arsenal, I'm sitting in the back with my guitar and the audience isn't really paying attention to me, so I'm back there singing silly lyrics that I make up to try to get the cast to crack up. We have lots of fun like that.

3. What was the most "interesting" present someone gave you at the stage door?
Ever since I had [my daughter] Malena, people have been giving me baby things like stuffed animals or blankets. My fans really know me. They know I'm a huge Yankees fan, so I get a lot of Yankees stuff. I think I have enough now, though. Please stop sending Yankee hats. (laughs)

4. Who is the coolest person who ever came to see your show?
We were so lucky to get so much support from the community. Everyone wanted to see our show. So we would get cool people all the time like Cameron Diaz, Judd Apatow and his wife, Leslie Mann, Neil Patrick Harris, the list goes on.

5. What is the craziest thing that's ever happened at a performance?
A lot of crazy things happen at this show. We've had fights break out, panties would be thrown on stage that weren't part of the show. On tour, some drunks came on stage and I had to literally throw them off.

6. What was exciting for you about being a part of the movie?
Everyone knew that I wanted to be part of the movie. I played Drew off-Broadway, on Broadway, and on tour so I really wanted to play Drew in the movie. I didn't really like what they ended up doing with Drew. He's not supposed to be a nineteen-year-old kid. I think it means more when he's in his thirties and still pushing a broom. I really think they should have had [Rock of Ages book writer Chris D'Arienzo] write and direct it. But I was still happy to be a part of it.

7. What would Drew and Sherrie's wedding song be?
It might sound cliché to say "Don't Stop Believing," but I think that song would definitely be played at their wedding. But as for their actual wedding song, I think they would go with something like Bon Jovi's "Always." More classic eighties ballads than some that are featured in the show. And maybe "Faithfully" by Journey.

8. If you could have added a song to Rock of Ages, what would it be?
"Patience" by Guns N' Roses. I think that could have been a great production number. It's got so many levels in it. It's on that weird in-between album for them called "G N' R Lies." That would have been a good one.

On a serious note, we've had incredible support from the artists themselves. For them to allow us to manipulate their stuff in this way has been a great blessing. Thanks to Janet Billig Rich, one of our great producers; she was really the anchor to get all these artists on board. I think they put all the right songs into this piece.

9. What would the biographical Constantine rock musical be titled?
"Born in Brooklyn, Raised in Jersey: My Life in Rock." It would be super long like that.