Interview: Frankie A. Rodriguez' Living Out His Childhood Fantasy With CALVIN BERGER

Barry Wyner's Calvin Berger opens at the Colony Theatre February 16, 2023. Richard Israel directs the cast of Corinne Miller, Jordan Quisno, Jasmine Sharma and Frankie A. Rodriguez as the titular Calvin in a revamping of Cyrano de Bergerac in a high school setting. I got a chance to throw out a few inquiries of Frankie amidst his final rehearsals.

Thank you for taking the time for this interview, Frankie!

Sooooo, what cosmic forces brought you together with this production of Calvin Berger?

I'm a true theatre kid at heart! And it's been about four years since I was last in a full-length musical. So, I was looking for an opportunity to get back on stage and cue Calvin Berger.

Have you worked with any of this cast or creatives before?

No! Definitely making new friends with this one. Everyone has been so wonderful to work with. It's a small four-person cast and to see the way everyone brings it is so exciting.

What would your three-line pitch of Calvin Berger be?

Not about hamburgers.

If you were to submit your character Calvin Berger on a dating website, what qualities of his would you list?

Easy to talk to. Unique. Fun. Pretty. :)

What flaws would you definitely omit?

The eagerness to want to basically catfish their crush.

You only started acting in 2016 and have been working steadily ever since. How did it feel to be cast as the first openly gay character in Disney+ High School Musical franchise?

It's been an incredible experience to basically live out my childhood fantasy of singing and dancing (not just for a living) but manifesting myself into a franchise that I was completely obsessed with.

Had you seen the original 2006 High School Musical then?

By now, maybe five billion times.

What were your parents' reactions to you choosing acting as a career?

I'm from a very small farm town in the middle of California. Not too far from Los Angeles. So, when I told my parents that I wanted to move to L.A. to become an actor, my mom's exact words were, "Go. There is nothing for you here." And they've been my biggest cheerleaders since day one.

Do you only get called Franklin when your parents are reprimanding you?

Ha! No. I know there is something somewhere on the internet saying that my real name is Franklin, but here is a BroadwayWorld exclusive... you ready? That is not my name. You can't believe everything you see on the internet!

What kind of classes did you start taking?

I went to school for musical theatre, so it was a lot of ballet, movement, singing, and acting classes. All the classics.

Who were your acting idols?

I feel like I grew up on sitcoms. Mostly Friends, Will & Grace, Seinfeld. So, I would say a lot of those sitcom actors in that time I really looked up to. To name a few, Lisa Kudrow, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Disney sitcom queen Raven Symone.

Were you one of the lucky ones who had a mentor growing up?

Growing up, I can't say that I was. But now, I feel so lucky to have mentors in my life that I can call on at any time.

What's in the near future for Frankie A. Rodriguez?

The fourth season of High School Musical: The Musical: The Series will drop on Disney+. And Calvin Berger opens at the Colony Theatre in Burbank! Come see us!

Thank you again, Frankie! I look forward to meeting your Calvin Berger.

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