Grande previously appeared in Mamma Mia! and produced recent Broadway productions of Hamlet and Born Yesterday.
He was seen on the the hit CBS reality series "Big Brother."
| Full given name: | Frank James Grande-Machione |
| Where you were born/where you were raised: | I was born in New York, NY, and raised between NYC, Englewood, NJ, and Boca Raton, FL. |
| Zodiac Sign: | Aquarius |
| What your parents did/do for a living: | My father is a Pulmonologist Lung Doctor and my mother is a CEO. |
| Siblings: | Ariana and James |
| Who were you major mentors/inspirations when first starting out? | Madonna, Celine Dion, Ryan Seacrest, Andy Cohen and Jimmy Fallon inspire me. |
| Current audition song/monologue: | I usually sing a song or perform a monologue from the show I am going for. |
| Special skills: | Impersonations, gymnastics, French, accents |
| First Broadway show you ever saw: | Little Shop of Horrors |
| If you could go back in time and catch any show, what would it be? | Original cast of Phantom of the Opera, which I saw 11 times as a kid. |
| Current or recent show other than your own you have been recommending to friends: | Mamma Mia! is one of my favorite shows and I always recommend it to friends. |
| Favorite showtune(s) of all time: | "Defying Gravity" |
| Some favorite modern musicals: | Wicked |
| Some favorite classic musicals: | Hello, Dolly! |
| Broadway or screen stars of the past you would have most loved to perform with: | The talented Bea Arthur |
| Your personal vocal idols, living or dead: | Celine Dion, Constantine Maroulis, and my sister Ariana Grande |
| The one performance – attended - that you will never forget: | De la Guarda, Off-Broadway |
| Music that makes you cry, any genre: | The "Moulin Rouge" soundtrack gets me every time |
| MAC or PC? | MAC |
| Most played song on your iPod: | “Love Me Harder” by Ariana Grande |
| Most-visited websites: | Twitter and Instagram |
| Last book you read: | "The Maze Runner" |
| Must-see TV show(s): | I am currently watching “The Good Wife,” "Downton Abbey,” “Scorpion” and “How to Get Away with Murder” |
| Last good movie you saw: | "The Hobbit" |
| Some films you consider classics: | "Mommy Dearest," "To Be or Not to Be," "Spaceballs" and "Gone with the Wind" |
| Performer you would drop everything to go see: | Imogen Heap |
| Pop culture guilty pleasure: | Justin Beiber |
| Three favorite cities: | Paris, London, NY |
| Favorite sport/team/player: | Volleyball |
| First stage kiss: | Lynne Abeles, currently in Phantom, when I was a sophomore in high school |
| Favorite or most memorable onstage role as a child/teenager: | Conrad Birdie, 5th grade, gold lamé suit. |
| Favorite pre-/post- show meal: | Anything of the specials from La Masseria |
| Favorite liquid refreshment: | Grande iced soy latte |
| Pre-show rituals or warm-ups: | Chatting with my co-stars |
| Biggest challenge about this current project: | Performing during these freezing cold times is a challenge for all of our bodies and voices but must be overcome. |
| Most fulfilling or fun aspect about the project: | Being able to perform for so many enthusiastic wonderful fans |
| Worst flubbed line/missed cue/onstage mishap: | I was 5 seconds late for an entrance and there was dead silence on stage, I was mortified and it never happened again. |
| Worst costume ever: | The fat suit I wore as Boots the Monkey in Dora The Explorer |
| Worst job you ever had: | Summer camp counselor for the older kids |
| Craziest audition story: | In my final callback for Rock of Ages they ran out of time and I didn't get to sing, so my audition was just my reacting to my father’s solo. |
| What have you missed most about performing on Broadway since your Mamma Mia! days? | The crowds, the audience, the applause, the community – it is what I live for in the theatre. |
| Leading man role you've been dying to play: | Frankie Valli in Jersey Boys |
| Something about you that surprises people: | I triple-majored in college in biology, theatre and dance. |
| Something you are incredibly proud of: | Winning the Global Impact Award for my charity work in Africa with BuildOn |
| Career you would want if not a performer: | Marine biologist |
| Three things you can't live without: | Music, water, people |
| "I'll never understand why…" | … people love to hate. |
| Words of advice for aspiring performers: | Never give up; never say never; amidst the seas of "no," one day there will be a "yes." |
