About Ilene
photo by Nicole Appleby
Native New Yorker Ilene Graff is an actress, teacher, host, wife, mom, do-gooder, game show champ, brilliant cook, regular crossword puzzle clue, and Grammy®-nominated recording artist.
The Mr. Belvedere family, clockwise from top: Christopher Hewett, Ilene Graff, Rob Stone, Brice Beckham, Bob Uecker, Tracy Wells (Tofte)
Best known to audiences as Marsha Owens on the long-running ABC comedy Mr. Belvedere, her five-and-a half seasons on the show made her one of America’s most beloved TV moms, garnering her fans from around the world.
Drama degree from Ithaca College in hand, she made her Broadway debut after graduation in the Neil Simon, Burt Bacharach/Hal David hit musical Promises Promises, understudying the leading lady and singing backups from the orchestra pit. She performed the role of Fran Kubelik in New York a dozen times before starring in the National Tour. She then went on to play Sandy for two-and-a-half years in the original Broadway production of Grease, starring opposite such Zukos as Barry Bostwick, Richard Gere, Treat Williams, and Philip Casnoff.
Grease: Ilene with Jeff Conaway
Promises, Promises:
Bob Holiday, Barney Martin, Ilene, and Ted Pugh
Grease
Ilene singing “Love Revolution” from I Love My Wife
Ilene’s biggest Broadway triumph was creating the role of Cleo in the Cy Coleman/Michael Stewart musical comedy hit I Love My Wife, directed by Tony® Award winner Gene Saks. She can be heard on the show’s Original Cast Album.
I Love My Wife: (L to R) Lenny Baker, Joanna Gleason, Ilene, and James Naughton
Ilene’s other theatre credits include Charley’s Aunt with Charles Grodin, Cabaret as Sally Bowles, Annie Get Your Gun as Annie Oakley, and Over Here directed by Mr. Belvedere himself, Christopher Hewett. She had the thrill of performing the role of Mama Rose in a Los Angeles revival of Gypsy, as well as entertaining Jerry Herman himself at a performance of Jerry’s Girls.
Ilene as Annie Oakley
Mews Small, Charles Grodin, and Ilene
Ilene as Sally Bowles
On the set of South Pacific
Ilene was a recurring character on the CW’s Hart of Dixie, playing Scott Porter’s conniving, over-protective Southern mom. In addition to playing the role of Bob Uecker’s wife on Mr. Belvedere, Ilene starred in two other series, several pilots, and guest-starred on many episodic TV shows, movies, and mini-series. She is very proud to have co-starred in the ABC/Walt Disney Company film South Pacific, working with Glenn Close and Harry Connick, Jr. Ilene also shared the screen with Rodney Dangerfield in the feature film Ladybugs.
With Rodney Dangerfield in Ladybugs
Mrs. Tucker judging you harshly on Hart of Dixie
As a regular on the game show circuit, Ilene won lots of money for her contestants on such shows as $100,000 Pyramid, Password, and Win, Lose or Draw.
(possibly Ilene’s most epic win) →
Ilene is an accomplished singer who enjoys an active cabaret concert career, performing in such ionic venues as 54 Below and Birdland in New York, and Feinstein’s at Vitello’s and The Catalina Club in Los Angeles, as well as being a headliner on Crystal Cruises. Ilene has also sung in concert for The Actors Fund in programs saluting Kander and Ebb, Cy Coleman, Harold Arlen and Jule Styne.
Those concert experiences led her to become more involved with The Entertainment Community Fund (formerly the Actors Fund), eventually becoming an officer of the Western Council.
She also has had the honor of singing the National Anthem for the Dodgers, Angels, Clippers and Kings.
At Birdland - photo by Kevin Alvey
At Birdland - photo by Kevin Alvey
Ilene and her husband, ASCAP Award-winning composer Ben Lanzarone, met during the Broadway run of Grease, where he served as conductor and pianist Ben serves as Ilene’s Musical Director, arranger, co-producer and accompanist. Their Grammy®-nominated album, Baby’s Broadway Lullabies, a collection of beautiful theatre songs arranged especially for sleepy time, is available everywhere music can be heard.
As educators, Ben and Ilene teach the popular Making the Song Your Own: Vocal Performance Workshop in Los Angeles, enriching their students with their many years of experience and deep love of music.
Their daughter Nikka Graff Lanzarone is an accomplished musical theatre performer.
(She also designed and built this website because she is a very good daughter.)
Ben, Ilene, and Nikka at 54 Below