Constantine Maroulis & James Valenti Join ROCKTOPIA Tour

Tony Award Nominee and "American Idol" finalist Constantine Maroulis (Rock of Ages, Jekyll & Hyde) and acclaimed Metropolitan Opera tenor James Valenti (Tosca, Madame Butterfly, Roméo and Juliet) will join previously announced rock icon and Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider in this fall's national tour of ROCKTOPIA, the explosive musical concert event fusing the most iconic 20th-century rock with world-renowned classical masterpieces. ROCKTOPIA features the works of musical innovators across centuries-includingJourney, Mozart, Queen, Beethoven, Aerosmith, Handel, Led Zeppelin, Tchaikovsky, U2, Heart, Puccini, The Who and more-performed by an elite lineup of vocalists, a five-piece rock band, a thirty-person choir, and a twenty-piece orchestra.

Direct from its Broadway run this spring, the ROCKTOPIA tour stops include Bergen County Performing Arts Center in New Jersey (October 18), the Tilles Center in New York (October 20), Palace Theater in Pennsylvania (October 24), Akron Civic Theatre in Ohio (October 25), Youngstown Powers Memorial Auditorium in Ohio (October 26), andKeyBank State Theatre at Playhouse Square in Ohio (October 27).

Created through the unique vision of vocalist and recording artist Rob Evan (Broadway: Les Miserables, Jekyll & Hyde and more, multi-platinum recording artist) and Maestro Randall Craig Fleischer (San Francisco Symphony, Anchorage Symphony), ROCKTOPIA will be performed on tour by a celebrated and diverse array of rock, Broadway, and opera vocalists. Joining Maroulis, Valenti, McDonald, and Snider on tour are singers Chloe Lowery (Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Chris Botti, Yanni's Voices); nineteen year old Wé McDonald (2017 finalist on NBC's "The Voice"); Tony Vincent (Broadway: American Idiot, RENT, NBC's "The Voice"); and Alyson Cambridge (The Merry Widow at the Met Opera, Madame Butterfly, La Boheme, Show Boat). The world-class solo musicians featured in the show include Grammy and Emmy Award nominated violinist Máiréad Nesbitt (Celtic Woman, Lord of the Dance) and acclaimed guitarist Tony Bruno (MD for Enrique Iglesias & Rihanna, "America's Got Talent"). Maroulis and Valenti will cover the role previously performed by Rob Evan, who is out on vocal rest.

Billboard Magazine called ROCKTOPIA, "a thrilling musical fusion." Broadway Box declared, "Rocktopia blends classical music with classic rock, a big live orchestra, and an even bigger choir to create an evening that has even the most jaded New Yorkers dancing in their seats." DC Metro Arts raved, "with rousing peaks and powerful performances, you'll be rocking and cheering! All of the musicians are impressive - with Tony Bruno's guitar solos being especially electrifying and Máiréad Nesbitt's performances a thrilling highlight."

The inaugural performance of the show, "Rocktopia: Live from Budapest" produced by Two Hands Entertainment/Jeff Rowland, was recorded in front of a live audience in June 2016 at the 19th century Hungarian State Opera House for PBS. It was performed with the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra with six vocalists, a five-piece rock band, the Hungarian State Opera Chorus, and the Jazz and More Choir. ROCKTOPIA toured over twenty cities in the United States in 2016, featuring local symphonies and choirs across the country, and rocked Broadway during its spring 2018 limited engagement.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos