THE ILENE GRAFF HOLIDAY SHOW! is Coming to 54 Below in December

54 BELOW, Broadway's Supper Club, will present Ilene Graff in THE Ilene Graff HOLIDAY SHOW! on Wednesday, December 28th at 9:30 PM. Ilene and her very special guests will perform a host of holiday favorites inspired by the iconic Holiday specials of the '60's and '70's that were always a highlight of the season. ILENE, a Grammy-nominee and Broadway veteran best known for playing the mom on the TV show "Mr. Belvedere," is thrilled to return to the 54Below stage for this special evening which glows with the joy of the season. There will be candy, dreidels, and jingle bells for all, and maybe even a visit from Santa himself! Ilene's husband, ASCAP Award-winning composer Ben Lanzarone, will be bringing his sparkling arrangements and incomparable piano playing to the show. Combining humor, heart, great music, and the spirit of the marvelous Andy Williams Christmas Shows, the evening will be a holly jolly celebration of the most wonderful time of the year!

Joining Ilene are her good friends Lori Tan Chinn, John Miller, and daughter Nikka Graff Lanzarone. Lori gained star status from her long run on the Netflix series, "Orange is the New Black," and continues to be a tv favorite playing Grandma on "Awkwafina is Nora from Queens." Ilene and Lori met in Australia while doing the ABC/Disney film version of "South Pacific," and have been friends ever since. John and Ilene shared the stage in the original Broadway company of "I Love My Wife," for which he won a Drama Desk Award. Anyone who has seen a Broadway musical over the last 35+ years has enjoyed his work, as he has hired the orchestras and been the Music Coordinator for over 140 shows. Nikka has appeared in many shows on and off-Broadway, most recently in Elton John's "The Devil Wears Prada," and has previously shared the 54 Below stage in "The Graff Family Holiday Show!" with the entire family, with her mom in their Duets show, "Together Again for the First Time," and in her own solo outing, "Hero Worship." She is also a writer, podcaster, labor leader, mental health advocate, and amazing daughter.

Ilene Graff in "THE Ilene Graff HOLIDAY SHOW!" plays 54 Below (254 West 54th Street) on Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at 9:30 PM. There is a $45-$55 cover charge and $25 food and beverage minimum. Tickets and information are available at www.54Below.com. Tickets on the day of performance after 4:00 are only available by calling (646) 476-3551.

MORE ABOUT Ilene Graff

Native New Yorker Ilene Graff is an actress, singer, teacher, and Grammy-nominated recording artist. Best known to audiences for being one of TV'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. She made her Broadway debut 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. Ilene went on to play Sandy for two-and-a-half years 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. She can be heard on the show's Original Cast Album. Ilene was a recurring character on the CW's Hart of Dixie, and in addition to playing the role of Bob Uecker's wife on Mr. Belvedere, 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, Harry Connick, Jr., and Lori Tan Chinn. Ilene also shared the screen with Rodney Dangerfield in the feature film Ladybugs. 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. 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 is also Ilene's Musical Director, arranger, co-producer and accompanist. Their Grammy-nominated CD, Baby's Broadway Lullabies, a collection of beautiful theater songs arranged especially for sleepy time, is available everywhere music is downloaded. Their daughter Nikka Graff Lanzarone is an accomplished musical theatre performer. Ilene proudly serves as an officer of Western Council of The Entertainment Community Fund. www.ilenegraff.com

Ben Lanzarone

(Musical Director), a winner of ASCAP's Most Performed Composer Award, is an arranger, conductor, pianist, and musical director who has composed hundreds of hours of music for television shows such as "Dynasty," "The Tracy Ullman Show," "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," "Love Boat," and "Mr. Belvedere." He conducted and played piano for the original Broadway production of "Grease," and conducted, played and arranged for some of the biggest names in the business including Frank Sinatra, Anthony Newley, and Art Garfunkel. He also played on countless records, jingles and movie scores as well as his own piano album, "In Classic Form," produced by the legendary Bob Crewe. His work on wife Ilene Graff's CD "Baby's Broadway Lullabies" helped it earn a Grammy nomination.

Lori Tan Chinn

currently co-starring in her third season as Grandma in Comedy Central's "Awkwafina is Nora from Queens," has been declared a style icon by the Hollywood Reporter and a scene-stealer by Time Magazine. Considered the definitive Bloody Mary, Lori became the first racially correct Asian personification of James Michener's muse in ABC-TV's "Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific." She is proud to have been instrumental in correcting this 50-year miscasting, for which she was honored with a Helen Hayes Award for her first onstage performance of this role at Arena Stage. She also served seven seasons as the model prisoner, Chang, on Netflix's first streaming original series, "Orange is the New Black," and as Iris, the hairdresser in "Roseanne". Film Credits include: Disney Pixar's "Turning Red", "Mickey Blue Eyes", "What About Bob?", "She-Devil". Her theater credits include runs in the original Broadway companies of "M. Butterfly," and "Lovely Ladies, Kind Gentlemen," and in Marvin Hamlisch's last project, "Gotta Dance", later re-titled "Half Time".

John Miller

John has been the Music Coordinator for over 140 Broadway shows, including "A Beautiful Noise," "Death of A Salesman." "MJ the Musical," "Mrs. Doubtfire," "Tina," "Oklahoma," "Ain't Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations," "Summer: The Donna Summer Musical," "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical," "Waitress," and "Jersey Boys." As a studio musician he has played bass for such artists as Michael Jackson, Madonna, Bette Midler, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, BB King, Frank Sinatra, Carly Simon, Celine Dion, Smashing Pumpkins, Mose Allison, and The New York Philharmonic. His first acting role was in "I Love My Wife" on Broadway, winning a Drama Desk Award for his performance. His second acting role was as Dee Dee, appearing for four seasons as the drug dealing timpanist in the Amazon TV series "Mozart in The Jungle." His album, "John Miller-Takes on Broadway" can be found on all streaming services. www.johnmillerbass.com

Nikka Graff Lanzarone

Nikka is a New York City-based performer, writer, podcaster, labor leader, and mental health advocate. She believes in making everyone feel heard, and in telling as many stories as possible. Nikka has been lucky enough to do this on and off-Broadway ("The Devil Wears Prada," "Chicago," "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown," "The Unsinkable Molly Brown," "Sweet Charity," "Hello Again," "Seussical," etc.), on stages all over the country ("The Jungle Book," "My Paris," "A Chorus Line," etc.), in audio dramas ("City of Ghosts," "Mackenzie and the Missing Boy"), and even a little bit onscreen ("Inventing Anna," " ...Mrs. Maisel," "SMASH," "Live from Lincoln Center," "Unforgettable," "Divorce," etc.). For more: nikka-graff-lanzarone.com / @nikkalanz

 
MORE ABOUT 54 BELOW

54 Below was founded as a place for the Broadway community to celebrate Broadway performers, both established and new, who sing not only the music of Broadway and the Great American Songbook, but also new material intended for Broadway and off-Broadway stages. The club features fine dining and superb scenic, lighting, and sound designs entirely imagined by Broadway designers. For performers, writers, musicians, and more, 54 Below gives opportunities to advance their craft, expand their repertoires, and develop their voices in a way that is more personal, making them stronger as artists. It gives Broadway fans an opportunity to see their favorite artists in a different way, deepening their relationship and understanding of their talent.

A recipient of the 2022 TONY AWARDS® Honor for Excellence in the Theatre, 54 Below celebrates Broadway musicals and writers of the past and present, promoting an ongoing engagement with their work. It is also a place for innovation in musical songwriting and performance. Collaborations born at 54 Below give rise to and help develop new theatrical projects and new musicals. In addition, its popular streaming video activities and audio recordings support these activities, helping to build a new Broadway audience worldwide, both in age and geography.

54 Below is one of the most in-demand performance venues in the city, presenting over 700 shows each year. Unique in its mission, it has become an indispensable member of the Broadway ecosystem, providing a place for seasoned and emerging artists to hone their craft, try out new work, grow their fanbases, and gather as a community. The management team includes Proprietors and nine-time Tony Award® winning Broadway producers Steve Baruch, Richard Frankel, and Tom Viertel, Creative and Programming Director Jennifer Ashley Tepper, and restaurant General Manager Mandisa Boxill.

Located at 254 West 54th Street, the club presents live shows at 7pm and 9:30pm. Tickets and information at 54below.com.

To post a comment, you must register and login.