I would have preferred it if Frank had explained that his performance was 'entertainment' before the show and not afterwards.
Pranks are white lies among friends. Fraud consists of lies among strangers where no trust has been established.
Either is an attempt to steal a tiny moment (or millennia) of power over another at their expense.
An apology says more about the one offering it, sincere or otherwise, than it does about the one its intended for. Same goes for forgiveness.