Apple Valley resident Chelsea Franko has been preparing to entertain since she was very young.
An only child, Franko moved with her family up to the High Desert when she was 2. As a child, Franko attended The Academy of Foreign Languages and Arts in Victorville for elementary school. For middle school she went to The Academy of Academic Excellence (The Lewis Center) and then went to Apple Valley High School to be a part of the Sunsations show choir.
She then went to A Dancers’ Pointe for the bulk of her dance training (ages 14-18) and took vocal lessons in North Hollywood since she was 15. She went to Victor Valley College and Mt. San Antonio College for early college training but never finished.
“I plan to go back to school and earn a degree in Art History, just because I love it,” she said.
All throughout middle school and high school, she was involved with her mom’s youth theater company, Standing Room Only Productions Inc. She did numerous shows with SRO and got her first start in theater there. She’s since performed all over the country with SRO.
“In 2002, at the age of 12, I started my professional career in theater as the orphan, Tessie, in Candlelight Pavilions’ production of Annie,” Franko said. “After that experience, I didn’t do another professional show until I was 18, and had just graduated from High School. My mom, being the great mother that she is, wanted me to have a childhood, so she decided to keep me in public school and then if I chose to on my own, I could pursue theater as an adult.”
Since beginning her musical theater career in 2008, Franko’s done many shows in L.A. In 2012, she won a major competition called L.A.’s Next Great Stage Star and it has all been non-stop since then. She has a theater agent and recently became an Equity Member Candidate.
“I am now earning points towards becoming a part of the Union,” she said. “I have headlined in my own one-woman cabaret show at The Federal Bar and Grill in North Hollywood (for which I won the Broadwayworld.com critics’ choice award for Best Female Cabaret Artist of 2012) and have done other cabaret/concerts there as well.”
Q: What do you love to do on a Sunday afternoon?
A: During the year when I’m not doing a show, typically you can find me hiking or reading a book on a Sunday afternoon. I also enjoy going on long bike rides on my cool beach cruiser. Sometimes I put my dog in my bike’s basket and go for a ride through my neighborhood. My family and I like to take our dogs on a walk or run in the late afternoon. We also go see shows sometimes on Sundays. We love to support live theater, especially if we know someone in the show. Otherwise, a typical Sunday afternoon, when I am in a show, consists of rehearsal (or once the show opens, a matinee) and then a drive home. It is normally a long drive home. Last year I did shows in North Hollywood, Anaheim, Redondo Beach, San Diego, Riverside and Rancho Cucamonga.
Q: When you think of your family, what makes you proud?
A: One thing that truly makes me proud is that my parents are still married after 26 years. It may not be the most obvious thing, but I am so lucky to have parents who love and support me and still love and support each other. I didn’t have to endure a messy break up as a kid or even now as an adult. It’s such a normal thing these days to hear about a couple breaking up and divorcing. I’ve always felt so helpless to my friends when they have gone through it and then felt awful seeing the after effects once the divorce was final. But I, thank God, never had to go through that. I’m very proud of that.
Q: Any hobbies?
A: I could tell you about my dumb little hobbies that I have had my whole life like reading, watching Disney movies or surfing YouTube for Tony Award performances. Or I could tell you about my newest hobby — the hobby I’ve fallen in love with in just a short while. For my 23rd birthday, my mom decided to get me a ukulele. It has just been the best gift! I am teaching myself, so I look up tablatures online and have my cool little ukulele tuning app on my iPhone. I am actually learning pretty fast, if I do say so myself. I have learned a good 10 songs in the 17 days since I got my uke, (which I named J.T. after James Taylor, just in case you were wondering) and I am not stopping there. My mom suggested that I start learning Christmas carols now so that by the time Christmas comes I’ll have a bunch of songs accomplished.
Q: Tell us about your pets.
A: I have two dogs — Ruby (a 4-year-old Chilapso) and Muffet (a 3-year-old Yorkie-Poo) — a cat, Lilly, a turtle, Petra, and two tortoises, Bubba and Lou. The tortoises are my dad’s. Ruby was given to my Mom as a birthday gift (and named that because her birthstone is a Ruby), but she is more like the family dog. She is also our resident show dog, having been in four or five productions that my mom or I have been involved with. Ruby-doo is a semi-celebrity canine in the High Desert theater scene.
I rescued Lilly from death when I was a kid. She was roaming around our front door one day as a kitty, and I could tell she was really ill and close to dying. So I saved her (against my mom’s wishes) and, wouldn’t you know it, my mom and dad now love the cat, even though they were so against it at the beginning.
Muffet was given to my grandma by my grandpa two Christmases ago. Momo (as I called my grandma) really wanted a lap dog, so we went to the shelter and looked at all the dogs. I saw Muffet sitting in the corner of the kennel shivering with fear. I just knew that she was “our” dog. So we adopted her and my grandpa paid for her license. Momo absolutely loved Muffet. At first we couldn’t decide what to name her. But when Momo woke up the next morning, she said she had had a dream that the dog should be named Muffet, after me. My grandma used to call me Little Miss Muffet.
Momo said that if anything were to ever happen to her, that I was to take Muffet and make sure that she had a home and gotfed. She couldn’t bear to think of Muff back out on the streets. So after Momo passed away, I took Muffet as my own dog. My mom was trying to give her away, but I put my foot down and said that Momo would have had “the big one” if she were still here and heard we had given Muffet to someone.
Q: Tell us about one place you would love to visit and why.
A: The place that I would truly love to visit right now is Budapest. My dad is Hungarian and his ancestors came from Budapest. (He is full-blooded Hungarian. His mom and dad spoke Hungarian at home when he was a kid.) A few years ago, my dad and I were watching a travel channel special on Budapest and it is just an incredible city. I told my father that I thought we should go there, see where he came from. The city has so much history; it would really be a fantastic trip. But the thing is, my mom is not so keen on going there. She would much rather go to Germany (where her family is from) or Paris or Greece. So we go where she wants to go first. I don’t mind, I still get to travel (we took a wonderful trip to Italy when I was 15) and see amazing places in the world. But one day my dad and I will make the pilgrimage to Budapest — even if it is without my Mom!
Q: Tell us about your three favorite movies. One that makes you laugh? One that makes you weep? One that inspires you?
A: My all-time favorite movie is “Singin’ in the Rain.” It just doesn’t get any better than that. Gene Kelly — need I say anything else?
Another favorite movie is “When Harry Met Sally.” That movie just does it for me. It makes me laugh and smile and cry. It is such a charming film. I simply love Billy Crystal. He is one of the greats.
Finally, the movie that always makes me weep and also inspires me is “Tuesday’s With Morrie.” That film is tragic. Have you ever seen it? I just sob at the end. It reminds me of the way my mom cared for my grandma. It is truly an incredible film. It is one of those movies that reminds you how important it is to honor your elders; to treat them with respect. If you haven’t seen Tuesday’s With Morrie, go watch it. It has the potential to change your life.
Q: Tell us about your faith.
A: I am a follower of Christ. I was brought up as a PK, or “Pastor’s Kid.” My parents decided to move up to the High Desert to be on staff at New Life Christian Church in Hesperia. That was in 1992. I spent my early life going to church every Sunday, being a part of the Christmas Eve service every year, going to Bible Camp every summer, having study groups over and being leaders of the weekly home groups. We housed missionaries, went into L.A. to work with a food ministry and serve the homeless and help those in need. We helped out at missions down in L.A. and I did outreach ministries as a kid. My mom is an ordained minister, so I would go along with her to conferences and listen to her speak. We would do healing services at Angeles Temple and I would sing to thousands of people. Then around 1998 my parents left the staff at New Life.
I have always loved God and I have tried to live my life by his Word. As a child, you can’t decide for yourself what to believe, in terms of faith. You can only live by what your parents choose and instill in you. It is only once you get older and start experiencing life on your own that you can make those decisions. Of course, my theology has grown as I have gotten older. I still believe a lot of the things I was taught as a kid, I just understand them better.
Q: If you could ask God one question, what would you ask?
A: Lord, in a galaxy far, far away, are there other planets that have humans on it? Is there a place in the universe that houses other life forms? Or are we the only ones?
When I think about outer space, I just think about how much space there actually is. Apparently, the universe goes on forever. There is no way to measure it all. We only live in one galaxy and there are many other galaxies out there. How can it be that Earth is the only planet that has living organisms on it? Is there another place in the Universe that has humans?
It is entirely possible that there are other planets in other galaxies where other beings live. I mean, think about it: Forever. Outer space just keeps going on and on. It never stops. Are there other living life forms? Were there other living life forms? Is Earth the second go at humanity? No, that can’t be true, because God is the Almighty One, the one who moves mountains. He would get it right the first time, wouldn’t He?
Q: What music gets you moving?
A: Well, I wouldn’t say this music gets me “moving,” but the music that I truly love (besides the obvious show tunes) is ’70s folk. James Taylor, Carol King, Simon and Garfunkel — it’s the music of my soul. No matter what mood I’m in, I can turn on good ol’ J.T.and it just speaks to me. I am also really into jazz and standards. I am obsessed with Harry Connick Jr. and Frank Sinatra and my favorite girl, Ella Fitzgerald.
Q: What could the America of yesterday teach the America of tomorrow?
A: I think that our society today has become too entitled. The America of yesterday knew how to work hard and earn every penny. The Greatest Generation was frugal with their money; they weren’t materialistic, spending on things that they wanted instead of what was a necessity. Today’s generation is really into just “getting by.” A lot of people expect things to just happen without having to work too hard for it. I think that yesterday’s America had it right and we can all take a lesson from them. Our society has become too consumer-oriented and entitled, and that’s a shame.
Q: If you could change one thing about the Victor Valley, what would it be?
A: The arts scene. I really think that we need to spend time as a community to enrich our culture. I would love to see more arts fairs or music concerts, something that the community can get involved with. It would be great if we, as a community, could spend some time to make it possible for us to learn about other things such as dance, theater, books, art, history and music. I would love to see people stepping outside their boxes and trying something new.
Q: Aside from the obvious, when you count your blessings, what are you grateful for?
A: I am grateful to have had so much time with my grandma and grandpa. My grandma, who I called Momo, came to live with me and my family when I was 2 years old. She was going through some health issues, so my parents told her to come live with us until she got it all under control. So I grew up with her always around. Momo and I were very close. I didn’t know life without her. Not many kids today understand that today. Momo would be the one who was there when I came home from school. She drove me places and we went on trips, just the two of us. It was the best.
Then about four years ago my grandpa’s wife passed away. He wasn’t able to take of himself as well as he used to and there was no one really to be there for him at a moment’s notice since he lived in Indiana. So when he came to visit with my aunt and uncle (who live in St. Louis) for Christmas three years ago, we just told him to stay for a while. So now we had Momo and my Grandpa (who had been divorced for 30 years, mind you) living in the same house. It was great to have grandpa here because I didn’t see much of him throughout my childhood since he lived in another state. I was able to develop a relationship with him that I hadn’t had before.
After they both passed away within six months of each other, I was able to say that I got to spend time with them. It was such a blessing having them here for as long as I got them. The love and memories that I shared with them cannot be taken away from me, and for that I am truly thankful.
Q: How can readers get a hold of you?
A: Chelsea.emma.franko@gmail.com is my professional email if you would like to get in touch with me. You can also go to my channel on YouTube and see videos of me singing or get in touch with me there, www.youtube.com/bwaybby1. Finally, if you go to www.broadwayworld.com, and look up my stage name, Chelsea Emma Franko, you can see all the things I have done in theater in the last year and a half. There are many articles about projects I have worked on, if you so choose to look me up.
Who would you like to see profiled in an upcoming Q&A? Drop us a line at News@AppleValley-Review.com.