Danny Franzese, celebrated actor, writer, director, and comedian, will perform at Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 7 p.m. in Schafer Theater. Tickets, priced at $15 for the public, $10 for MVCC employees, and free for MVCC students, will go on sale at 10 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 21, at mvcc.edu/tickets. 

Franzese is best known for his breakout role as Damian in the 2004 cult classic “Mean Girls,” starring Lindsay Lohan. His standout performance as Lohan’s openly gay classmate earned him widespread acclaim.

In addition to “Mean Girls,” Franzese has starred in other indie cult classics, such as “Bully” (2001) and “I Spit On Your Grave” (2010). His television roles include Jackson Morrison in the legal drama “Conviction,” Vern Testaverde in the teen drama “Recovery Road,” and Eddie in HBO’s comedy-drama series “Looking.” In 2022, he was a contestant on “RuPaul’s Secret Celebrity Drag Race Season 2,” and he finished in the top five.

Franzese has become a prominent advocate and speaker for the LGBTQ+ community since coming out in 2014 through a heartfelt letter to the character Damian, praising him as an icon for gay youth. He now serves as an ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation and collaborates with GLAAD to explore how media can increase awareness of HIV/AIDS and its prevention. Franzese is also the co-host of the faith- and sexuality-affirming podcast “Yass, Jesus!” and has garnered 8 million views on his YouTube video series, “Sh*t Italian Moms Say.” His high-energy act, a blend of stand-up comedy and Q&A, brings all the lovability of both his characters and himself to the stage.