Frankie Leo Bennett

Frankie Leo Bennett is a Chicago-based theatre multi-hyphenate. As an actor, he has embraced musical theatre character roles, receiving his first Jeff Award nomination for Best Principal Performer in a Musical/Revue in his critically acclaimed turn as SpongeBob SquarePants in The SpongeBob Musical with Kokandy Productions. A small collection of other roles have included Toby in Sweeney Todd and Mark in Altar Boyz with Theo Ubique Cabaret Theatre; Basilius in the Chicago premiere of Head Over Heels with Kokandy Productions; Christina Crawford in Christmas Dearest and Sophia Petrillo in The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: Bea Afraid! with Hell in a Handbag Productions and Sonny in In The Heights with Porchlight Music Theatre, receiving a BroadwayWorld Chicago Award for Best Actor in a Musical/Revue.

An up-and-coming director, Bennett has been enjoying a return to his campy roots, taking on Miami’s favorite seniors with the world premieres of The Golden Girls Meet The Skooby Don’t Gang: The Mystery of the Haunted Bush, The Golden Girls Save XMAS; and The Golden Girls: The Lost Episodes: Vol. 3. (assoc.) with Hell in a Handbag Productions. He is currently Producing Artistic Associate with Porchlight Music Theatre where he has directed Porchlight Revisits The Apple Tree (co-), RENT (asst.), and multiple editions of New Faces Sing Broadway. Broadway In Your Backyard and Chicago Sings.

His passion and love lies in new works, serving as a director in the return of the Chicago Musical Theatre Festival and has written two short musicals: Resident Services: A Crossed-Up Animal Musical; The Adventures of Ash (w/ David Lipschutz). He is a proud member of the Dramatists Guild.

Training: Northwestern University, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Second City Training Center, Chicago Dramatists