Portraying a man with two personalities is a natural for Constantine Maroulis, who has enjoyed success as both rock singer and musical star. The Wyckoff-bred performer will put his multiple talents to work in the title role of a revival of the musical Jekyll & Hyde, opening April 5 on Broadway for 13 weeks.
Many know Maroulis, 37, as one of the top six contestants in season four of American Idol, which aired in 2005. He parlayed that exposure into a series of theatrical roles and a recurring part in CBS’s The Bold and the Beautiful. In 2008, he landed the lead role in the off-Broadway hair-metal musical Rock of Ages, for which he earned a Tony nomination.
The new take on Jekyll & Hyde which ran on Broadway from 1997 to 2001—sets fresh choreography to a rock ’n’ roll treatment of the original score. Maroulis is eager to dig into the story, which is based on the 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. “For me, it’s not about two different people,” he says. “It’s ultimately one man, Henry. It’s Henry’s story. All the dark layers come from his mistakes.”
Maroulis relishes the challenge of bringing new life to the well-worn tale. “Who wants to see the same thing over and over again? That’s toxic for Broadway,” he says. “As an actor the hope is that there is an evolution of the work; it’s constantly progressing and growing.”