Let’s get the important stuff out of the way first. No, I didn’t work on anything remotely related to my thesis proposal today. It was Rock of Ages day… how was I supposed to think about anything but rocking hard and face melting?

🙂

My dad dropped my mom and I off at the Orpheum at 1:10ish for our 2:00 show. My heart was racing the entire drive there, and more so once we entered the theater. We looked at the souvenir stuff on the main floor and then began our trek to the upper most balcony.

About halfway up, we stopped off on another floor where my mom said she’d get me a program. She ended up getting me a program *and* the Original Broadway Cast recording of the CD… Happy Halloween to me 🙂 (See, she gave/sent my brother and sister their Halloween treats and whatnot already. But I got the best Halloween treats of all… going to see the musical with my mom and the awesome program and CD!!!!)

As we sat in our seats (dead center, and about 3 rows down from the very top of the theater), there was some great 80s rock playing on the speakers. My heart continued to race… I was so freakin’ excited!

I downed a cough drop, put all my belongings under my chair, then had to get my purse back out to dig out my glasses (better to see crystal-clear tops of the actors heads than just a blur of action…), then put my bag back under the chair. My knees bounced up and down… and finally the lights dimmed.

I had a shit-eating grin on my face for the next several hours… that’s how awesome the show was.

For those of you who don’t know what Rock of Ages is, it’s a musical about Drew (a young guy who wants to make it big as a rock star) and Sherrie (a young lady from Kansas who wants to make it big in Hollywood as an actress). Of course they like each other and of course there is conflict between them, as well as conflicts among the supporting characters. And said conflict ensues and everyone sings about it… through the greatest 80s power ballads ever.

The show was colorful. The show was loud. The show ROCKED like whoa.

Now, I have wanted to see Rock of Ages since it opened on Broadway in 2009. “Why?,” you ask?

Two words. (One name.)

Constantine Maroulis.

“Who?,” you ask?

Only one of my favorite American Idol contestants of all time.

Season Four… Constantine Maroulis was considered the “rocker”. He had (and still has) long, 80s hair-band hair, he gave smoldering looks to the camera, and he had a solid rock (albeit musical theater-esque) voice. He was my favorite performer of that season, and every time he was up on my TV screen, I would burst into a fit of uncontrollable giggles. I couldn’t help it.

So, fast forward a few years later… I hear that he is to star in a new musical on Broadway called Rock of Ages. And I want to see it, in a bad way.

My sister and I frequented New York City and the Great White Way on our road trips, but when it came time to pick what shows to see, she said she’d rather see something else. And so my heart sank a little bit, but I was at peace that I was not to see Constantine in Rock of Ages on Broadway. I watched him on the Tony Awards in June 2009, and a bajillion times on YouTube ever since. I had some of the songs on my computer and would listen to them all the time… Rock of Ages peppered throughout my 7 epic Broadway mixes.

Cut to the middle of this summer… my mom and sister, on their epic road trip around the country, go to New York City and see Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch in A Little Night Music. When they return home, my mom gives me her Playbill. Awhile later, I go to put that Playbill in the box with the rest of my Playbills. As I go to put it in, I flip through the pages to see what other shows are being advertised. Near the back, there is a page about American Idol contestants who have gone on to star on Broadway. Of course there was a picture of Constantine in Rock of Ages… but below that, it said that Rock of Ages would be going on its national tour starting this September, and that Constantine would be headlining.

WHAT THE WHAT?!?!?!?

So of course I checked to see if Rock of Ages was coming through Minneapolis. Um, yes! And then I bought tickets as soon as they went on sale…

Which brings us to today.

Oh Rock of Ages, you did not disappoint. Neither did you, Constantine Maroulis 🙂

I was familiar with all of the songs, but it’s a totally different experience seeing them performed live on a stage by the characters. Amazing! The show was so loud! The music was so 80s-tastic! Constantine was so… great 🙂 Solid vocal. Really great comedic timing. Just a freakin’ joy to watch.

And not only was he great, but the whole cast was too – especially the narrator/sound guy, Lonny. Great physical humor and epic amounts of sarcasm… loved it!

Going into the show, my favorite song on the CD was the “Heaven/More Than Words/To Be With You” medley. Constantine’s vocals on “Heaven” are soooooo good. And then seeing it live today was really amazing. I couldn’t help but smile. Even though the entire theater was full, I zoned out for awhile and could only focus on the stage. In that moment, I was just so happy to be where I was, watching this show, that it felt like I was the only person in that darkened room.

During the show, though, I think my most favorite music moment was “Here I Go Again“. That’s such an epic song, and to see how they staged it, and then the entire company came out to sing (it was the end of Act I finale)… it was just so great. I can’t wait to listen to that song in the car on the way to work tomorrow.

And then the last three songs of the show are sooooooo good too. “Oh Sherrie,” “The Search is Over” and “Don’t Stop Believin‘”… could they be anymore epic than that? Nope 🙂 And once again, Constantine’s vocals were freakin’ spot-on. He nailed them all… wailing like all the great 80s rockers. And we saw the matinee… the whole cast had another performance to do today.

I was so sad when the show was over, but I was so energized from what I saw. That was the most energetic musical theater show I’ve seen since The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee… and Rock of Ages was probably even more physically exhausting for the cast, I’m guessing. It was great… just great 🙂

My dad picked my mom and up after the show and we went home and watched Repo Men. It’s not the greatest movie ever, but it’s highly entertaining. Plus, I love Jude Law (esp. after my sister and I met him last year in NY before we saw him in Hamlet… woot). Repo Men is pretty ridiculous, but I dig it. I actually saw it in theaters. It’s the only movie I’ve ever been to where I was the only person in the entire theater. So, it will always have a special place in my heart.

And now we’re watching the Phillies/Giants game. Being from PA, and a former Philly resident, I am rooting for the Phillies of course. Go team

I am so tired and have to work tomorrow… I wonder how far I’ll make it into the new SNL tonight. Hmmm

Have a good one 🙂