Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 496

INTERVIEW
Hello, Frankie. So let’s
talk about your new
off-Broadway show,
Titanique. I know it’s a
spoof, so what role do
you play?
It is a parody of the film
Titanic. I play Victor Garber,
who in our version is
basically the captain, the
owner and the builder all
in one role, lovingly called
Victor Garber, which is just
hysterical. I also get to play
Luigi from Mario Karts,
which is our version of
Fabrizio from the opening–
Leo DiCaprio’s best friend.
So how did you get
involved with this?
I’ve been really good friends
with Constantine Rousouli,
who wrote the show with
Marla Mindelle [and Tye
Blue], for many years. I was
doing Cruel Intentions off-
Broadway with Constantine
when they were looking to
do a reading of the show.
He was like, “Listen, I’ve
got this role. It’s a Celine
Dion musical, it’s Titanic,
you get to play the captain,
you get to crash the ship
into an iceberg while singing
‘I Drove All Night’. Are you
in?” I was like, “Absolutely.”
We are in rehearsals now
and it is just so much fun. I
get to smile and laugh with
my friends all day long. And
it is just a joy. The cast is
phenomenal. Constantine
and Marla have really
written something that I
think people are going to
love. They’re going to really
flock to it. I think we need
this kind of theater at this
time. I think we need some
escapism. I think we need
some joy. It is so queer and
it couldn’t have been more
perfectly timed for Pride. It
is the gayest show I’ve ever
been in by far.
Do you get to be a little bit
of yourself in it?
I definitely have added a
lot of Frankie-isms. People
are going to think, ”Oh wow,
Frankie was really acting in
this.” I play two very strong
characters that are not like
me. But I do add a lot of
my Frankie Grande flare to
it, which is great. The way
they directed us is kind of
like we are retelling the
story. So there are elements
of us in these characters
as well because we are like
an echo of the past. You’ll
see me, Frankie, out a few
times. It is a wild role.
I cannot wait to see it.
What is your favorite
part?
My number, “I Drove
All Night”, is pretty
wonderful. I think I like
when we transform into our
characters when we do our
reveal in the beginning. It’s
when you are introduced to
all of our characters. I really
think it’s a very magical
moment. I think my favorite
part is when Celine does
anything. When you see
Marla as Celine Dion, you’re
going to lose your mind.
She is so talented and so
funny. Her impersonation
is so wonderful. I honestly
think Celine would love this
show.
How long is the show
running?
We are currently selling
through the end of
September. We open on
June 14th [June 23 is the
official opening]. We have
done this show four different
times and every time
we’ve had like three days
of rehearsal. It has been
amazing to have a month
of rehearsals this time. That
is what we were missing.
When we do a staged
reading, you don’t get to do
dance numbers. This has
been very exciting and I
can’t wait for the people that
have already experienced it
as a reading to experience it
as a fully staged musical.
Aside from this, are you
working on any other
projects?
I am still doing my
SpongeBob podcast,
SpongeBob BingePants,
and those episodes come
out weekly on Thursdays,
wherever you get your
podcasts. We are just
wrapping up season
one–the episodes are still
coming out. Pride is going
to be a very busy month
for me. I’m going to be
everywhere. So look out for
me because I will be around
as a newly married man.
[Frankie and Hale Leon
tied the knot in May.] I love
this city so much. I’ve been
seeing so much theater,
which is great because I
haven’t seen a show since
before the pandemic. I am
happy to be back in the city
and happy to see that New
York is thriving again.