Constantine Maroulis made "American Idol" history last month when he earned a Tony nomination for his lead role in the Broadway hit, "Rock of Ages," and Thursday night I had a chance to see why.

Just three nights before he finds out whether he'll also become the first "Idol" finalist to win a Tony, I checked out "Rock of Ages," and it was a tremendous display of '80s nostalgia. Packed with songs from the likes of Journey, Bon Jovi, Poison, REO Speedwagon and many more, the show is set on Los Angeles' iconic Sunset Strip in the mid-'80s. The story itself is a little thing: A German strip-mall developer is proposing to pave over the heart of L.A.'s rock history while Constantine plays Drew, a too-nice aspiring rocker who also gets wrapped up in a love story.

Regardless of whether Constantine wins the award Sunday night (you can watch the broadcast of the Tony Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS), his nomination is another huge step toward proving the talent that has come out of "American Idol" in its eight-year history.

During the awards show, Constantine and his castmates will perform with Poison.

"Billy Elliott" leads the nominations race with 15 of them, and is probably the heavy favorite to win in pretty much every category. But if you're looking for nothing but a good time, "Rock of Ages" is the winner.

"I haven't had that much fun on Broadway since..." I overheard someone saying on the way out of the show, before finishing the sentence, "... probably ever!"

"Rock of Ages" is not your typical Broadway show. The moment you walk in, the 1,000-plus-seat theater is decorated from the floors to the ceiling with Sunset Strip nostalgia and filled with smoke (the sweet-smelling, fog-machine kind). You can order beer at your seat, and the audience is encouraged to sing along and wave lighters in the air for the power ballads.

But it's the sweet story-telling and the clever use of hair-metal tunes that give this show its unique quality. The familiarity of the songs, placed in the context of the show, evokes an emotional reaction, at times. Constantine leads a terrific cast that starts with his co-star Amy Spanger as his love interest, Sherrie, and continues through virtually every supporting cast member. The hilarious narrator Lonny, played Mitchell Jarvis, would steal the show if not for the tremendous vocal performances.

For more information, check out www.rockofagesmusical.com

*** Click here to comment! Have you "Rock of Ages"? Are you pulling for Constantine to win a Tony?

Message Edited by Victor_Balta on 06-05-2009 05:50 PM