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Frankie Grande, a seasoned performer on Broadway, is drawing on the expertise of his pop star sister, Ariana Grande, as he takes the stage in Titanique.
On the opening night of the musical at New York City’s St. James Theatre, coinciding with the 114th anniversary of the Titanic’s maiden voyage on April 12, Frankie, 43, shared with Us Weekly that Ariana has been his “vocal doctor” as he debuts in the role of Victor Garber. “She’s constantly texting me and has shared her vocal remedies, including the same pastilles and routines she uses. Her support has been vital as I navigate the challenges of opening a Broadway show,” he explained.
Continuing, he added, “The demands on my voice and body have been intense, but with Ariana’s help and guidance from [vocal coach] Liz Caplan, I’m managing well. Their assistance has been incredible.”
The Grande siblings both have roots in Broadway; Frankie joined Mamma Mia! in 2007, while Ariana made her debut in 13 in 2008 before achieving fame on Nickelodeon’s Victorious.
Jim Parsons and Frankie Grande in ‘Titanique’ John Lamparski/Getty Images
Though Marla Mindelle, who co-wrote and stars as Celine Dion in the jukebox musical, delivers a remarkable impersonation of the Canadian icon, Frankie believes, “My sister’s Celine Dion impression is unparalleled. Marla’s performance is impressive, but Ariana’s imitation is simply extraordinary.”
The show parodies James Cameron’s 1997 film Titanic, retelling the movie’s events from the perspective of Dion, 58. Chock-full of pop culture references and improvisation, the musical is an absurd, laugh-out-loud celebration of the story that captivated audiences, the Grammy-winning singer behind the film’s iconic song “My Heart Will Go On” and queer culture.
When it comes to Broadway, Titanique is not Frankie’s first rodeo. Though, it is his first time originating a role, which is a dream the multihyphenate didn’t think he would ever achieve.
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“Twenty years ago, when I made my Broadway debut with Mamma Mia!, I was positive I was gonna originate a role, and then I got on Big Brother, and then I went back for Rock of Ages,” he explained to Us. “Broadway wasn’t taking me seriously anymore because I had been on reality TV, which is stupid, by the way. Some of us can do multiple things in this world, but I was just kind of relegated to stunt cast.”
Yet, Mindelle, along with cowriters Constantine Rousouli and Tye Blue, didn’t let Frankie’s reality TV background stop them from seeing his potential.
“Knowing Constantine and Marla as long as I have and them believing in me, and them bringing me in in the beginning and having worked on something for eight years, now finally, I’m originating a role at 43 years old on Broadway,” Frankie told Us. “Even though it’s been my dream since I was 10, it’s worth the wait. It was all timing. It was meant to happen. This is what it was supposed to be, and I’m so grateful.”
Frankie Grande at the opening night of ‘Titanique’ Bruce Glikas/FilmMagic
While some members of the cast share names with their movie counterparts (see: Jack and Rose), Frankie’s character is Garber himself, who played shipbuilder Thomas Andrews in the original film about the 1912 maritime disaster.
While Dion hasn’t yet been to see the show, Garber did stop by during its run Off-Broadway.
“Victor came and he spoke to all of us after and he said, ‘I’ve gotten to a point in my life where I’ve started to wonder how I will be immortalized and what my legacy will be, and I never thought it would be this,’” Frankie told Us of the actor’s visit. “He loved it so much.”
Costarring alongside Mindelle and Grande are Rousouli as Jack Dawson, Jim Parsons as Ruth DeWitt Bukater, Melissa Barrera as Rose DeWitt Bukater, Deborah Cox as the “Unsinkable” Molly Brown, John Riddle as Cal Hockley and Layton Williams as The Iceberg.
Titanique is now playing at the St. James Theatre. Tickets are available online.