Another Con Article..

http://www.philstar.com/philstar/LIFESTYLE200511189709.htm

Few reality stars ever stand the test of time. For American Idol, a show that’s
been beamed to millions of people
across the world, the breakout stars have been sporadic at best. Some manage to bag MTV airplay and TRL tapings (Kelly Clarkson) while others fade into VH1’s Where are they now? (Justin Guarini).

Constantine Maroulis, the seventh Idol finalist to get booted out in the fourth season, managed to parlay his smoldering gaze and rocker image into a blossoming career that, so far, has involved a featured single in a Queen tribute album (called Killer Queen), a solo record in the works and plans for a sitcom with ABC under Kelsey Grammer’s (of Frasier fame) production group.

Most known for his performances of Bohemian Rhapsody and My Funny Valentine on Idol, Maroulis, who grew up Greek Orthodox in Brooklyn, managed to get into the reality show when the age limit was bumped up to 28. The Jim Morrison fan grew up listening to artists like Nat King Cole and The Doors. When asked on the Idol site what album his friends would be surprised to know he owned, he admitted, "Like a Virgin" by Madonna.

The 30-year-old singer, who’s in town for three concerts at Ayala Malls (Nov. 17 at Ayala Greenbelt, Nov. 18 at Alabang Town Center and Nov. 19 at Ayala Center Cebu), was heartened by the reception he received from Filipinos, adding that he was flattered they wanted him so much. During a sit-down interview, Maroulis dished on life after Idol and his future as a classically-trained rocker in the fickle world of show business.

YoungSTAR: Is this your first time in Asia?

Constantine Maroulis: No, actually it isn’t. I was in Japan performing about a little more than a year ago when I was in Rent. I was in Tokyo and we played Osaka as well. But this is my first time in the Philippines.

What are your impressions so far?

It’s an incredible country. The people are very kind and very spirited and really generous. They’re just so nice to us and so supportive. It’s extraordinary how the show affects so many people worldwide. I’m just glad to be here and flattered that you all wanted me here.

Had you heard anything about the Philippines before you came here?

Oh, of course. I know a lot of kids from the United States that have family here and are of Filipino descent. I’m a pretty worldly individual.

You said you were culturally diverse. Were your friends also from different ethnicities growing up in New York?

Of course, from all walks of life, all shapes and sizes. That’s a part of being a real New Yorker, so definitely.

What was your childhood like? Did you perform a lot as a kid?

Yeah. I was always acting like a clown. I loved to sing from a very early age and I got into theater pretty young, probably about freshman year of high school, which is about the first time I got into real theatrical production. All through grade school I did little performances here and there and I always had good teachers so I’m really thankful to them.

How was studying at the Boston Conservatory of Music?

It’s a wonderful place. I did the undergrad program there in musical theater, studied classical acting, voice, all aspects of the arts really. I feel like I got a well-rounded education and a lot of years of experience under my belt. I got to play lots of different roles that I wouldn’t normally play in the professional world. It was very challenging. Once I got to Idol, it was easy for me to take the criticism of the judges because I had been – in a constructive way – criticized in class my whole time at school. It made me a stronger individual.

Given your musical theater background, would you consider doing a Broadway production in the future?

Absolutely. I’d prefer to do a new show, a role that I can originate.

It’s unusual for a rock singer to have a theater background, being in a band and all. Were they weirded out at all by your background?

Maybe a little at first, but I don’t think it really matters where you come from; it’s really how you produce. For example, I like sports a lot, and some athletes get it done in an ugly sort of way but they get it done and they win, and it doesn’t matter how you look or why you’re doing it as long as you get the job done.

You mentioned that you toured with Rent. How did you get into that production?

I auditioned. I had just graduated from the Boston Conservatory and showcased as an apprentice at the Williamstown Theater Festival and got a lot of experience under my belt there. I moved to New York in the fall of 2002. I moved in with my brother. I had no place to live and I had no money. I just had a big dream and Rent was a show that I always wanted to be a part of. I auditioned, I got the job and I split. Went on the road with them and I took my band (Pray for the Soul of Betty) with me, so it was a pretty cool experience.

We saw during Idol that you kind of split with your band. Do you have definite plans with your band for the future?

Right now, I’m focusing on my solo career and I think it’s sort of vital that I do that right now because I’ve been blessed with this opportunity to pursue my acting. And the world knows me as an individual and not so much part of an ensemble. I’m working on developing my TV show and some solo dates. I love the band and I’m going to be playing some shows in-between when I can with them, and writing some new material for a record down the road. But I love the band and we’re very much still together.

What’s it like being a celebrity, going to fashion shows and getting your photograph taken? Does it drive you crazy or do you enjoy it?

I dig it. Listen, I’ve worked very hard in my life. I come from a hardworking family and I finally have a bit of payoff. Now I have some opportunities. I feel like I deserve them. I think hard work pays off. It’s nice to go out and enjoy yourself and have people take your picture, I’m not going to lie. It’s cool, it’s a good time. But I’m not really too caught up in that, I’m very focused on my work and I love to work. I hope to be doing this for years to come.

What’s your most surreal fan experience?

There have been some surreal experiences to say the least but I’m just psyched that people like what I do and I got no complaints. Some fans can be pretty enthusiastic and you just have to be careful sometimes.

You said you’ve been getting free stuff ever since you came off Idol. What’s the best thing you’ve gotten?

So much…We’re working on getting a free car, so that’ll be pretty cool. I give a lot of it away though. I’m always back and forth between New York and LA so it just accumulates. But what I like the most is the band stuff that they give me, the stuff that they spend hours of their own time creating. My fans are extraordinary. They’re people with careers and educations and families. They’re worldly. And they put a lot of thought into the gifts they give me. It became very trendy at one point to start giving me gifts and people were starting to try and outdo each other. They’d group together and put together these massive gifts, it’s really cool.

Can you give some examples?

Beautifully framed pictures, painted portraits of me and this one frame with all sorts of different clippings and pictures of me collaged all throughout the whole frame. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of different pictures and clippings and headlines, all sorts of pictures of me with fans, me with the idols…my whole progression, my whole story on Idol told in this collage. That’s pretty cool. When I did the Killer Queen record, I was given this mint condition vinyl version of A Night at the Opera, which is the Queen record with Bohemian Rhapsody on it. It’s signed by all the band members and it’s framed in this beautiful frame with a plaque with a certificate of authenticity. It’s worth thousands of dollars. It’s got Freddie Mercury’s signature in this beautiful pink marker. Someone paid a lot of money for that and they gave it to me.

What was the experience like working on the Queen tribute album?

It was awesome. To step into those shoes even for a brief moment is the highest honor for me because Freddie Mercury is someone that I grew up idolizing as a songwriter, vocalist, and performer. If I could achieve even a fraction of his success and charisma, I’d be a very lucky man.

Did you get to meet the other artists who worked on the album?

No, I didn’t get to meet them. The album was pretty much done. When I did the song on the show, all of a sudden they were like, "We need that for the record." And then it ended up being the featured song, which was cool. They already had a version of Bohemian Rhapsody done by the Flaming Lips, which was sort of artsy and very different but they wanted something which was more true to the original. We were given very little time and very little money to actually do the thing and we ended up doing it in about three days. It was very cool.

Did you feel competitive knowing there was another artist who performed the same song on the CD?

No, I just felt like I wanted to do the best that I could and people were either going to like it or not. Just like I did on the show, no one wanted me to do that song. The producers were like, "Constantine, this is not a good idea." But when I pulled it off it was cool, it was either going to make me or break me. I like challenging myself like that, taking risks. It’s fun.

Is it more important for you in future projects to please critics or your fans?

My fans, definitely. It’s all about the fans. I don’t care what the critics say.

Growing up with a theater background, did it kind of numb you to the pain of criticism compared to the other artists on Idol who are neophytes in the industry? Do you think your background gave you an edge over them in terms of performing?

Not really. I mean five of them went further than I did on the show and of that five, only one of them had the same amount of experience as I did. I think when you have lots of life experiences it can make your work that much better, more true and organic. It worked for me, but I think some people gravitated more towards a guy like Anthony (Fedorov), for example, because he was so new and fresh and inexperienced, and that’s really cool. I think that’s what’s great about the show this year. You had 10 awesome talents in the finals that represented every part of the spectrum. We were all winners.

What was the best part of the experience for you?

Getting to know the kids on the show. The whole process, seeing all the work that goes into it, the whole show from top to bottom. That’s why they’re No. 1 and that’s why I’m in the Philippines for American Idol, a show that I did a year ago. It reaches so many people because it’s a great show and it takes a lot to make it great. I really appreciate their hard work and discipline.

Coming from a rock background, did you feel like you were selling out having to perform the songs that you did on the show?

No, not at all. I think that the music industry has changed so much and these are the sort of opportunities that are out there for people with some talent. You have to put yourself out there if you want to survive. This is what I do – this is all do. I sing and I act – I perform. It’s not like I wasn’t trying to do it the old-fashioned way for 10 years. I just kind of went for it; I bought into the whole process. I feel like I brought something cool to the competition.

I feel like a guy like me being on the show makes it a bit more accepted in the popular music community. I don’t feel like a sellout at all. In fact, I’d love to sell out now and make some money and ensure that I can take care of my family and my friends for a long time, and just make music.

Do you come from a big family?

Yes, a huge family. My immediate family isn’t really big, it’s myself – I’m the youngest of three – with an older brother and sister. My parents have been married for over 40 years – to each other – but I have well over 20 first cousins just on my mom’s side and they all have children. We’re a big happy family.

How did your family react to your success?

They’re very proud of me and they’ve been very supportive. They’ve been an integral part of this whole process. Without them, I wouldn’t have gotten this far at all.

Are there any artists you want to work with in the future?

Oh, tons. Bring them on, all of them. I love working with everyone, I think everyone brings such a different flavor. There’s hundreds. It’d be great to do a tune with David Bowie, Bono or even Bonnie Raitt or Norah Jones…There are some really cool people out there. Acting-wise, I’d love to do movies with any of the great American actors like Johnny Depp – I love Johnny Depp – and Charlize Theron. I’ve actually become friends with some of these people, it’s kind of crazy. Celebrities are big fans of the show, it gives them a chance to sit back and be a fan for once.

If you were going to approach any of these artists, what would you tell them that you can bring to the table?

I have great visibility right now. I came off a huge show with a gigantic audience. Just from a sheer business standpoint, that’s a good selling point to them. But I’m honest about my work and I really love what I do, and, yes, a show like American Idol is what brought me to the masses but the music is in my heart and my soul. If they want to work with me, they want to work with me. I won’t twist anyone’s arms or beg, but I certainly hope to work with the many great artists that are out there.