Constantine Maroulis, star of the hit Broadway musical Rock of Ages, has been voted 2009 Broadway.com Star of the Year by readers of the site. Maroulis was the overwhelming choice of more than 25,000 voters for the year’s top honor. Nominees included Daniel Craig and Hugh Jackman of A Steady Rain, Gavin Creel of Hair, Will Ferrell of You’re Welcome America: A Final Night with George W. Bush, Angela Lansbury of Blithe Spirit and A Little Night Music, Alice Ripley of Next to Normal and Geoffrey Rush of Exit the King.
Maroulis charmed audiences and critics as Drew in Rock of Ages, the tale of a rock musician dreaming of making it on the Sunset Strip, set to a score of hand-band hits from the 1980s. He received a 2009 Best Actor Tony Award nomination for his performance in the show, two seasons after making his Broadway debut in The Wedding Singer. Off-Broadway, he has appeared in Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. Maroulis came to national attention when he finished sixth on season four of American Idol. His musical debut preceded his Idol fame, when he played Roger in a non-Equity national tour of Rent.
To watch our Star of the Year’s acceptance speech, click here, then check out our extensive coverage of Constantine’s winning year on Broadway.