Interview: Frankie Grande Ready to MASSACRE MAMA G'S HORROR CAMP On The Bourbon Room Stage

The latest edition of Mama G's Horror Camp returns to The Bourbon Room Halloween weekend. Chadd McMillan and Nathan Moore co-direct the large cast of Broadway and Los Angeles Theatre triple threats. I had the chance to chat with Frankie Grande, who's lighted stages on both the opposite coasts.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Frankie! This will be the 2nd annual Mama G's Horror Camp at The Bourbon Room.

Yes, it is!

Will audiences returning from your 1st annual expect to see any differences?

I don't know if they can expect any differences, but the show was very much in development last year. The writers have taken the year to truly flesh out the play and to further develop some of the characters. I think any repeat audience members will be pleasantly surprised by the changes, including our new fabulous cast!

As one of the creators of Diamond Dog Entertainment, how much input did you have in Horror Camp's creation?

Chadd MacMillian of DDE wrote and co-directed the show with Nathan Moore. Chadd and I worked very closely as producers on the project, constantly bouncing ideas off each other and doing all of the BTS things producers must do to run the show. So I'd say Chadd did all of the pre-production but now that I'm back in L.A. and off from Titanique for these two weeks we are dividing up the creative work pretty evenly!

When did you and your mom Joan Grande aka Mama G start Diamond Dog?

We founded the company during COVID times because we were living together and it made the early stages of forming the company easy, including the mission and the types of entertainment that interested us.

Have you worked with any of the cast or creatives of Horror Camp before?

Yes, this is our second annual production! The directors are the same [Chadd McMillan and Nathan Moore] and some cast members like Marissa Jaret Winokur, Emma Hunton, Lana McKissack, and myself have remained, but we have made new additions to the cast this year like the amazing Michael Thomas Grant and John Hall as the monsters who are just brilliant! As well as Amanda Kruger as the Virgin & Desi Dennis Dylan as the Stoner, all of whom I have worked with before just not necessarily on this project. In fact, Amanda, Desi, Marissa, Michael, and I all did a production of Rocky Horror together in 2017 at the Rockwell. I truly love them all and cannot wait for us to hit that stage together again!

If you were to submit your character Nerd onto a dating site what qualities of his would you include?

Gay Nerd into all things fashion and Star Wars... hmmm... is this being typecast? Hehehe!

What flaws would you definitely omit?

Well... he's super socially awkward. He absolutely embraces his sexuality and knows who he is, but he hasn't figured out how to hone it yet and get what he wants. So, I'd probably omit his awkwardness, but for the show, it's so perfect and funny!

What songs will you be performing?

My big songs are "Do you Really Want to Hurt Me" and "No More Tears (Enough is Enough)." I'm also featured in "Creep" and "Like a Prayer" and singing backups on some of my favorites like "Total Eclipse of the Heart"! The music is epic!

You've appeared on The Bourbon Room stage a number of times. What is it about The Bourbon Room that keeps you coming back?

It is the best theatre in L.A. for this type of intimate comedy musical. The people keep me coming back. I literally would do anything for Matt Weaver & Scott Prisand (who own the Bourbon room and produced Rock of Ages), so coming back to the Bourbon Room where Rock of Ages was reborn with Matt and Scott feels good every time!

You're taking a two-week hiatus from the off-Broadway hit Titanique. What's the most unexpected response you've received from the Titanique audience?

People have often told me it was their favorite show they have ever seen in a theatre. Period. Just People's "favorite theatrical experience of all time," and some of these people are Broadway veterans themselves!!! I have always known our show was great and very special but to hear things like that makes your heart soar.

Besides acting, singing, and dancing in shows, you've done Red Carpet interviews, judged many a competition, were one of the UK Celebrity Big Brothers cast, performed your own one-man cabaret. Do you prefer performing as yourself Frankie Grande? Or as a scripted character?

Wow. Performing as myself comes so naturally to me that it almost seems like I'm not doing any work. Inhabiting a character does take work and effort so I would say being a character is more rewarding but being myself is just more fun. It's literally the easiest job I can get, I love doing it, and no one is better at doing it than me so... hehe.

What was the impetus behind your co-founding the non-profit Broadway in South Africa in 2007?

To give back. To help and heal by heading into the townships of South Africa where they could use the arts education empowerment curriculum that we designed to give students the tools necessary to handle the challenges in their difficult everyday lives. It was some of the most rewarding work I've ever done. I miss those kids every day.

What is your secret to amassing such a following on social media (400,000+ YouTube subscribers, 2 million+ followers on Instagram, and one million+ followers on Twitter)?

Be yourself and don't hold back. Social media is all about sharing your unapologetic truth with the world and when it's genuine, people want to come along for the ride. So that's how I did it. I am so grateful people are still on the journey all these years later, even as I settle down and grow up!

Besides returning to Titanique, what's in the near future for Frankie Grande?

The most exciting thing coming up is my first leading performance in a feature film, so more on that soon...

Thank you again Frankie! I look forward to meeting our Nerd at The Bourbon Room.

Me too! Can't wait to give you a big gay nerd hug!

For tickets to the live performances Halloween weekend, click on the button below:

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