Actor, producer, and reality star Frankie Grande, recently seen Off-Broadway in Titaníque, plays Frank-N-Furter in Bucks County Playhouse's new production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show beginning October 13.
Directed by Playhouse Artistic Associate Hunter Foster with choreography by Shannon Lewis, performances are scheduled through October 28 at the New Hope, Pennsylvania, venue.
Grande is joined by Jason Forbach (Into the Woods) as Brad, Kristen Martin (Wicked) as Janet, Tim Shea (School of Rock national tour) as Riff Raff, Alyssa Wray (American Idol finalist in 2021) as Magenta, Larkin Reilly as Columbia, Benjamin Howes ([title of show]) as Narrator/Dr. Scott, Stanley Martin (Aladdin) as Eddie, and Mike Bindeman as Rocky with Julia Joy and Natalie Welch as phantoms.
“There’s a long tradition of producing the The Rocky Horror Show at Bucks County Playhouse and it is, without a doubt, one of my favorite times of the year,” said producer Josh Fiedler in an earlier statement. “While we celebrate our past production, we have decided to boldly go forward with a new Rocky that will combine Hunter’s devilish sense of humor with Shannon’s knock-out choreography. Adding Frankie to the mix only heightens the fun. There’s little question why Rocky Horror continues to lure audiences back every year.”
“I am beyond ecstatic to be playing Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Show at Bucks County Playhouse,” added Grande. “Frank is a role I have dreamed of playing for many years. I have been Frank for Halloween and performed his songs in concerts, readings and in my one-man show, but have never had the opportunity to immerse myself in the character during a fully staged production. I am thrilled my dream is finally coming true. As Frank sings, ‘Don’t dream it, be it.’ Well Frank, seems like the universe is finally listening.”
Written and created by O’Brien, The Rocky Horror Show bowed in London in 1973. It played Broadway's Belasco Theatre March 10-April 5, 1975, with a cast led by Tim Curry, Jamie Donnelly, and Meat Loaf. The 1975 film also cast Curry as Frank-N-Furter opposite Susan Sarandon's Janet Weiss and Barry Bostwick's Brad Majors. The Tony-nominated 2000 revival at New York's Circle in the Square Theatre boasted a cast that included Dick Cavett, Lea DeLaria, Jarrod Emick, Tom Hewitt, Joan Jett, Alice Ripley, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Raúl Esparza, Sebastian LaCause, and Kevin Cahoon.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show: Let’s Do the Time Warp Again, a remake of the cult classic, was broadcast on Fox in October 2020 featuring Laverne Cox as Dr. Frank-N-Furter, Tim Curry as Criminologist Narrator, Victoria Justice as Janet Weiss, Ryan McCartan as Brad Majors, Reeve Carney as Riff Raff, Christina Milian as Magenta, Annaleigh Ashford as Columbia, Adam Lambert as Eddie, Staz Nair as Rocky Horror, Ben Vereen as Dr. Everett Scott, and Ivy Levan as Usherette.
The musical tells the story of Brad and his fiancée Janet, two squeaky clean college kids who meet Dr. Frank-N-Furter, an extra-terrestrial mad scientist from the galaxy of Transylvania where people really like to party.
The Bucks County production also has scenic design by Jeffrey Perri, costume design by Nicole V. Moody, hair and wig design by J. Jared Janas, lighting design by Travis McHale, sound design by Bart Fasbender, and musical direction by Luke Molloy. Kellian Frank is the production stage manager with casting by Paul Hardt.
Visit BucksCountyPlayhouse.org.
