They sure have some lovely limestone in Waukesha County.

It’s southeastern Wisconsin’s other distinctive masonry product, besides cream city brick, the soothingly pale byproduct of baking the area’s red “lacustrine” (means lake) clay.

The limestone, called “Lannon Stone,” after Lannon, Wis., is also pale, but it’s more gray than yellow, and a mite heavier to carry. Early settlers in Waukesha County used it to erect shelters, and their descendants used it for homes, churches, bridges, etc., first as structural supports and then more commonly as cladding.

In Milwaukee, where Lannon Stone was once used for sidewalks, a piece was apparently set aside by a crew rebuilding a section of sidewalk on North Water Street, outside the Beauty salon (514 N. Water St.).

Workers etched in a short description of their find, right next to the gas meter.

Constantine Maroulis

Big hair, stoned-washed jean jackets, Camaros – it could only be the awesome ’80s. Relive your glory days (or maybe your infancy) with a stellar score from one of music’s most formative decades.

Constantine Maroulis of “American Idol” fame plays the lead in the Broadway hit Rock of Ages at the Milwaukee Theatre. This is the first national tour of the five-time Tony Award nominated hit musical, and it will only be in Milwaukee April 29–May 1.

Travel back to 1987 on LA’s Sunset Strip, where a small-town girl and a big-city rocker meet. As fate would have it, they fall deeply in love to the greatest songs of the ’80s. It’s a love story told through the hits of Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia and Whitesnake – Do you need any other reason to go?

A classically trained actor and performer, Maroulis rose to fame on American Idol’s fourth season and has toured extensively around the country solo since. He made his Broadway debut in the 2007 production of Wedding Singer and released his debut album Constantine in 2008 on his own record label. Maroulis also received a Best Actor Tony Award nomination for his role as Drew in Rock of Ages.

I had the opportunity to catch up with Constantine and ask a few questions.

What was your favorite ’80s band and why?
Well I grew up in Jersey, so I’d have to say Bon Jovi. He was such a big influence on my music.

What makes the music of the ’80s so unique?
The music was commercialized for the first time through MTV, and the videos sold the fashion and the lifestyle, not just the music. I am a proud product of the MTV generation.

Music from the ’80s took a bit from every genre and splashed it with fluorescent paint.  And there was such a spike in the band craze.

Do you have your own love story you could share from the ’80s?

I had my first kiss in 1989 at a roller skating rink and then my first date to the movies was to see Top Gun!

Why do you think the music of the ’80s is best to tell this love story?

It was so big and bold, so much of the music tells a true American love story, much like the storyline of the musical. There is everything – sexy girls, the mullets, mustaches, the Rock ’n’ Roll lifestyle. Dudes can flock to it, it’s super funny – it’s a great alternative to your traditional musical.

How does live stage performance compare to being in a music competition like “American Idol”?

The work doesn’t change, I approach it in the same way, but this time I am telling more of a story. The stakes are just as high.

For Rock of Ages tickets, click here. If you can’t make it, a New Line Cinema/Warner Bros. film of the musical is scheduled to release this year. 

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One more not to miss: Broadway Baby Dinner Theatre Presents “Remember Me?”  – Broadway Baby Dinner Theatre (5132 W. Mill Rd.) is Milwaukee’s longest running professional dinner theatre – 30 years and counting.

Remember Me, a comedy about a married couple finding their way back to each other, runs April 15-May 22. A $40 ticket includes dinner and the show. Call 414-212-5132 for reservations.