Frankie Grande had hardly kicked off his 8-inch heels last October when the producers at Bucks County Playhouse asked him to return in 2024 as mad scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter in its annual production of The Rocky Horror Show.
It was a no-brainer for him to oblige.
From Oct. 11-Nov. 3, on the historic stage at 70 S. Main St. in New Hope, Grande, a veteran of the stage, screen and social media, is once again taking on the iconic role of this Transylvanian transvestite, made famous by Tim Curry in the 1975 cult classic musical film.
“I’m so thrilled,” Grande told The Times ahead of opening night. “I really just love everyone at the Bucks County Playhouse. I love [director] Hunter Foster, I love [choreographer] Shannon Lewis. And the cast is so phenomenal. Almost all of them are back, we just have a new Brad and a new Janet, and they’re incredible. It’s a little family that we made last year, and it’s so great to get back together at this beautiful place where it’s just turning fall. There’s not a better place on Earth to spend fall, I’ve gotta say, than New Hope, Pennsylvania.”
Last year, The Rocky Horror Show broke box office records at the Playhouse, with Grande receiving both critical and, even more important to him, audience acclaim.
“It’s fully me being the star of my own rock concert. It’s just the most amazing response of an audience that I’ve ever gotten in my whole life. It is just absolutely invigorating to do it seven times a week, and I am just so excited to get in front of an audience again,” he said. “It’s a much harder show to rehearse than it is to perform because the audience is a character in the show. So when we don’t have the audience, it’s like there’s something missing. So you’ve just gotta trust that it’s gonna be there when the audience gets there, and I’m looking forward to that moment.”
In The Rocky Horror Show, Dr. Frank-N-Furter is in the midst of a maniacal experiment to create his “perfect” man Rocky when unsuspecting couple Brad and Janet stumble upon his castle, seeking shelter and a phone after their car breaks down. Needless to say, their evening takes an unexpected turn, all to the beat of an infectious rock ‘n roll score.
For Grande, it’s a thrill to step into the role of Dr. Frank-N-Furter night after night, especially since it’s, as he explained, one of the few queer roles available in theater.
“He’s one of the most amazing characters ever. I think I was definitely born to play this role. I mean, we share a name for goodness sake,” he said. “And it really is a full transformation as you do the makeup, and then you put on the body glitter, and then you put on the heels and the tights. It slowly happens, and then as soon as I hear the introduction for ‘Sweet Transvestite,’ I clock into character and I just stay there for a lovely hour, and it’s the best. It’s just the best. I couldn’t be happier.”
His happiness even remains after an hour of performing choreography in heels that stretch to 8 inches in the first act and 7 inches in the second, with the latter serving as a bit of a reprieve.
“When I put on the 7-inch heels, I’m like, ‘Oh, yay, sneakers!,’ ” Grande said with a laugh. “It takes a huge toll on my body, so I have to do physical therapy and then chiropractic at least once a week. Otherwise, you ain’t gonna see me on that stage! I’ve also been working out tremendously to prepare for this role because, obviously, he’s not very clothed, but besides that, you need to be strong. I have to be in the best shape of my life to play Frank-N-Furter, and so I am.”
Following 2023’s run of The Rocky Horror Show, Grande went straight to competing on Big Brother Reindeer Games and, thanks to his Frank-N-Furter training, was a force to be reckoned with in the various competitions.
When Grande hits the Playhouse stage, audiences aren’t going to see an impersonation of Curry. Rather, the production has been restructured, allowing Grande to put his own spin on things while still paying homage to the beloved character.
“It’s definitely gayer, that’s for sure,” he said of his iteration. “It’s different, and I think that’s the good thing. People come to the show and they’re like, ‘Wow, we’re so used to Tim Curry. You didn’t do Tim Curry, but you did Frank-N-Furter.’ There’s a difference between impersonating Tim Curry doing Frank-N-Furter and just being Frank-N-Furter, so that’s what I try. But of course, you have to honor the original. He’s unbelievable. There’s no one better. So I pick moments to hit the classic Tim Curry pose. I do the thing with my lips or my eyebrows every once in a while, just to sprinkle in, like, ‘Yes, I did my homework.’ ”
Since he was 8 years old, when his mom began taking him to Broadway shows, Grande has boasted a deep passion for theater. It wasn’t until middle school that he had the chance to take the stage for the first time, and he fell in love with being in the spotlight. Over the years, he’s had the opportunity to hone his craft and appear in a number of productions, including on Broadway in Mamma Mia! and Rock of Ages, as well as the New York Theater’s Titanique: The Musical.
Though Grande has become quite the jack of all trades in entertainment, competing on Big Brother in 2014, hosting the SpongeBob BingePants podcast and having a massive social media following, among other endeavors, he credits theater with helping him be successful in these various areas.
“I think that I’m a better reality TV star, a better host and a better actor for film and TV because of my theater training. Nothing prepares you more to be a professional anything than theater,” he said. “It is so hard to do eight shows a week on Broadway. It is so hard. And I think that people who haven’t done eight shows a week on Broadway are so spoiled in film and theater. So spoiled! So I think that starting there has prepared me for every single other avenue in my life to succeed. I am always the first person on set, I am always the first person off book, I am always the person who gives you 1000% every single take. So it shows. It really shows that I was trained in theater.”
In addition to his longstanding theater background, Grande’s Rocky Horror roots run deep. Throughout his childhood, his mom was “the biggest Rocky fan on Earth,” regularly attending stage productions and film screenings (and tossing meat at the screen anytime Meatloaf appeared as Eddie). It wasn’t until Grande was 27 that he saw it on Broadway for the first time and was truly captivated. In the years that followed, Grande began singing Rocky Horror songs at his concerts and one-man show, all serving as preparation for his time at Bucks County Playhouse.
With the film preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary, Grande shared his thoughts on why it continues to be such a hit among the masses.
“There’s just such a celebration of, be who you wanna be, be who you are, stay true to yourself, you don’t need to change for anyone else. Don’t dream it, be it. There are these universal themes that resonate with so many people, especially the LGBTQ+ community. We really just gravitate toward this piece because, 50 years ago, no one was saying this stuff. No one was doing it,” he said. “The message in this piece is shocking when thinking about how it is 50 years old. It’s still shocking today to some people. It’s an iconic piece that I think won’t ever, ever stop being good because the message is so universal and needs to be heard, especially today with our political climate.”
As Grande readies himself to once again lead an entire theater through the “Time Warp,” he’s excited about all that’s to come post-Rocky Horror. He described 2025 as being his “Frankie-sance,” with new music, a film and TV show set to be released next year.
But before that, he’ll be cheering on his little sister Ariana Grande, who is starring as Glinda in the film adaptation of Wicked, in theaters next month.
“She’s just the most remarkable human being on and off screen, and I’m very excited for her to be able to share this side of herself with the world,” he said.
For those thinking about attending Rocky Horror, Grande urged, “Come and have a good time! The show changes every night. It’s very improv-based, you never know what I’m gonna do or say. So come multiple times. And get your tickets now because it is basically sold out. Hurry up!”
The Rocky Horror Show runs Oct. 11 through Nov. 3 and plays the following schedule: Tuesdays through Fridays, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.; Sundays, at 3 p.m. Tickets start at $75. Special discounts are available for groups of 10 or more. No outside prop bags are permitted. All patrons are invited to come up on stage and dance the “Time Warp” with the cast. Due to the nature of the show, parental discretion is advised. For more information and tickets, visit BucksCountyPlayhouse.org or call the box office at 215-862-2121.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
