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In addition to playing the role of Bob Uecker’s wife on Mr. Belvedere, Ilene starred in two other TV series, and guest-starred on many episodic shows, TV 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. “First You Dream” is the magical and intensely personal story of Ilene’s life and career – her work, the people she’s met, the accomplishments of her family...and her firm conviction that we can do anything we set our minds to. All of the songs in her show illustrate her journey, against the backdrop of photos from special moments and special people in her life. With husband Ben Lanzarone (winner of ASCAP’s Most Performed Composer Award) as her musical director, Ilene shares her life’s work and her inspirational message with her audience: “If you want to get your heart’s desire, first, you have to dream.” |
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Ilene Graff 
A Grammy-nominated recording artist, Ilene is best known to audiences as Marsha Owens, the mom and Bob Uecker’s wife, on the long running ABC-TV comedy Mr. Belvedere. She made her professional Broadway debut years earlier on the musical stage in Promises Promises, performing the role of Fran Kubelik a dozen times before starring in the National Tour. She went on to play Sandy in the original Broadway production of Grease, but her 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. Other theatre credits include starring roles in: Charley’s Aunt, Cabaret, Annie Get Your Gun, Over Here, Gypsy and Jerry’s Girls.