Marlene Villafane has recorded and performed live with Javier Luis, Roy Alexandre, Inez L, MTG All Stars, Joe Bataan, N’Dea Davenport of the Brand-New Heavies, Coati Mundi of Kid Creole and the Coconuts & Cory Daye of Savannah Band. She has been featured on the Salsa song “Mi otra mitad” on Javier Luis Himno a la mujer 2008 cd. She has also provided lead vocals to two tracks for Jeff Oppenheim’s documentary film REAL FAKE: THE ART, LIFE & CRIMES of ELMYR De HORY.
Her first salsa single “CAMINO DE LA DULZURA” Composed/Arranged & Produced by Efrain Rolon of FUTURE MUSIC SOUNDS & released under MIRAMAR ENTERTAINMENT INC. can now be purchased on all digital platforms such as Apple Music, Amazon, Itunes, Tidal, etc. The official music video directed by Angel Guadalupe of LIFE PASSION PRODUCTIONS can be viewed on her YouTube channel Marlene Villafane.
Grateful for the support of her family, friends, and the opportunities to perform Marlene Villafane is a trained comedic actress, singer and is a NYC native of Puerto Rican descent. She’s an alumnus of La Guardia H.S of Music & Performing Arts and is a Manhattan School of Music graduate with a BM & MM in Classical Voice. A protégé of Roger H. Simon; she has studied with the Simon Studio off & on for more than 15 years.
Her tours worldwide have taken her to Japan, Australia, UK, Monaco, Sicily, Switzerland, Croatia & Bosnia and many other parts of the world in various productions and in concerts with big bands.
In 2019, She played the supporting role of Guadalupe in the 13th Street Repertory Theater Off-Off Broadway production of Tom Eyen’s “WOMEN BEHIND BARS” starring opposite Amy Stiller as Gloria.
She appeared as the Narrator in the Actors Studio staged reading of Jose Rivera’s “THE HOURS ARE FEMININE” with Chazz Palminteri, directed by Roger H. Simon.
She played the role of Julie LaVerne, the leading actress of Captain Andy’s showboat in Harold Prince’s Australian production of Jerome Kern’s SHOWBOAT with Livent.
She is the 11th Annual One Festival Winner of 2016 for her one-woman self-written show “MARLENE GOES TO HOLLYWOOD” which premiered Off- Broadway. A lover of sketch comedy she credits to name just a few, Madeline Kahn, Carol Burnett, Andrea Martin, Lucille Ball and Gilda Radner to be her greatest inspirations.
She appeared on staged in the Off- Broadway workshop readings of J.C. Gonzalez’s pop opera “WARM” in the lead role of Lori the social worker opposite Tony winner Karen Olivo & Jai Rodriguez of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy. Other theatre credits; Melvin Van Peebles’s “UNMITIGATED TRUTH” (Leading Lady), Off- Off Broadway; David Lamb’s “PLATANOS AND COLLARD GREENS” (Samana/Mother).
National: “OKLAHOMA!” (Vivian) Portland Center Stage).
Indie Films and TV credits; Omar Bakry’s silent independent feature “ABDO & SANEYA” in the Supporting role of Makseem; Kareem “GT” Gladden’s “SENTIMENTS ADRIFT” Angelica (Supporting/Drug addicted mother); Mark K. Buddington’s “WHEN GIRL’S RIDE”, Debra (Supporting); Biography Channel’s Season 3 of “CELEBRITY GHOST STORIES” as the ghost of Billie Holiday with Kathrine Narducci; NBC’S “THE TODAY SHOW” (Featured Vocalist); the Spanish sketch comedy show “QUE LE PARECE?”, Telemundo (Various); Janet Merry Jolly (Supporting) in the comedic short “SANTA’S SECRETS” & Susan, the fiery competitive & suffering stress eater in the short “HOLIDAY THERAPIST” directed by Benjamin Sulds. Other film roles: Red Hat (Feature role) in John Hoyt’s independent short “MR. FRANK” and Anthony Dixon’s “RHAPSODY IN JUSTICE” as Floridita Cortez (Comedic Supporting Role).
She has appeared on the web with the comedy troupe SLAP NUTS COMEDY in episodes “CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD”, “CHAOS” Part 3, and for MAS MEJOR TV in “CAN’T SPEAK SPANISH PSA” (Comedic Supporting)
Having a great love for children as well she has taught children, teens & young adults voice and drama with PMTS for 3 years.
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