Exclusive: ORIGINAL SOUND Stars Constantine Maroulis & Ari Notartomaso Talk Collaboration, Success & Finding Your People

The worlds of pop music and theater are converging in Original Sound, a new film based on the off-Broadway play by Adam Seidel. The movie, which spotlights the complications of working in the music industry, features a cast of performers from an array of backgrounds, including stage and screen stars Constantine Maroulis and Ari Notartomaso.

Maroulis’s journey to the film stemmed from a longtime friendship with director Gregory Jbara that began during the 2008-2009 Broadway season. They were both nominated for Tony Awards that year: Jbara for his role as Jackie Elliot in Billy Elliot, and Maroulis as Drew in Rock of Ages. 

“I got to know him well in that Tony season and we just always stayed in touch... and wanted to work together," Maroulis told BroadwayWorld. "He called me and said, 'I love you for this and I'd love to offer you the part. Just come in and we'll figure it out.'"

Notartomaso’s path was much shorter. “I got the call out of the blue three days before we started filming… which is a less-than-typical amount of time to prep,” they recalled. “I will never forget and never stop being so grateful for David [Lambert] coming to my apartment and reading through all the scenes and working through all of the script together beforehand. It really lent itself to such a collaborative and connected process.”

Original Sound follows two songwriters from completely different parts of the music industry. Danny Solis (David Lambert) is an up-and-coming musician whose artistic pursuits are squashed when big-time pop star Ryan Reed (Laura Marano) "repurposes" one of his songs in a thinly veiled new version. To keep Danny quiet, Ryan's manager brokers a deal in which Ryan and Danny will collaborate on a few songs, and from there, things begin to spiral out of control. 

Notartomaso plays Kari, a close friend of Danny who allows him to live rent-free in their apartment as he works to establish himself as an artist. Kari is fiercely loyal and has high standards for themself and others, qualities that Notartomaso connected with. “Kari is the kind of friend that every artist deserves. And honestly, playing them was practice, in a way, for being the kind of friend that I want to be.” 

Kari is also a skilled negotiator, which they use to Danny's advantage as he navigates the future of his song. “Overall, they're a good friend who won't let their artist friend settle for less than he deserves. And they're a great representation of how supporters of artists can and should be,” Notartomaso adds.

On the other hand, Maroulis’s character is already a deep influence in the music industry. The Tony-nominee plays Bob, a high-profile music producer and engineer who works closely with Ryan to shape her musical voice. Maroulis’s scenes were filmed at Mission Sound Recording, a historic studio in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. For Maroulis, this added to the experience.

“It was nice to be on this side of the glass watching… and Greg [Jbara] did a great job setting up the vibe,” he recalled. “It’s so awesome when you have that kind of set and… the designers and the art department create this great place for you and you just go and sit and you listen. And that was really what Bob did. He doesn’t say much. He's really listening to her.”

At the core of Original Sound is a message about remaining true to one’s artistic instincts and cultivating strong collaborations, something that often is easier said than done. “It's such a challenge in an industry that is so uncertain to feel like you really find your people and find your strength,” Notartomaso admits.

“But when success comes…it's really hard to not feel the pull to think that the success comes from you and your resilience and your talent solely. Because the reality is that all success comes as a result of every connection and inspiration from every person you've ever worked with over the course of your life.”

As an industry veteran who has worked across numerous facets of entertainment, Maroulis has seen firsthand the ups and downs that come with a career in the arts. The key, he says, is to balance it all with a diversity of creative projects and a willingness to work with others.

“For me, it's about… building a body of work,” he says. “There are big, big things you get to do, very small things, [and] sort of navigating that by also doing gigs that you might not love... You do a couple of those and you can go take some unknown show on tour or put out some music that you've been sitting on. You have to sing the high notes for some other people sometimes to get to do what you want to do as well."

Since they graduated from college in 2020, Notartomaso has already added several impressive titles to their resume, including credits in Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies and the Mean Girls movie musical, as well as Encores! Titanic.

“There's this pressure in the industry to get it right the first time, and that's just kind of never going to be possible. So you just have to put the trust into the people around you who have your best interest at heart,” Notartomaso says.

With Original Sound being their first drama, the performer appreciated Jbara's creative leadership and his wide-ranging experience as an actor that spans from stage to screen. “He… knew the language to use to communicate that to me as an actor. And I just feel so grateful that I got to work with him at this part in my journey and that he was somebody that I could trust."

Original Sound is now playing in select theaters nationwide.