Maria Elena Infantino, Is an International Singer and Actress, who speaks 5 languages ( Italian, English, French, Spanish, and Bulgarian) fluently. She’s half Italian and half Bulgarian, and grew up in Rome, Italy. Graduating in acting from London at ALRA ( Academy of Live and Recorded Arts) in 2010, her first job out of Drama School, was at the Royal Albert hall, singing her rendition of “Do you want to know a secret” for the 50th Beatles Anniversary, starring Dame Shirley Bassey.
She then debuted as a professional actress on the ITV British series “Emmerdale”. Following that, in January 2011, she hosted and produced her one woman show in the West End, at the Leicester Square Theatre, as a tribute to her famous father, the tenor Luigi Infantino, performing her father’s song, “The Donkey Song” from “The Godfather part 2”. That same year she was nominated for the 21st annual L.A. Music Awards as best International artist.
Subsequently she created her one woman show on legendary French Icon, Edith Piaf, which premiered in Los Angeles at the Marilyn Monroe Theatre, at the Lee Strasberg Institute. Among the many success that this show generated for Ms Infantino, is the inauguration on June 12th of the Piaf and Miles Davis forever stamp, celebrating the French Artist’s 50th Anniversary, at the Rubin Museum in New York.
She spent three consecutive years at the Jimmy Kimmel San Gennaro Festival in Hollywood, special guest appearance on Broadway’s 92Y, for legendary Mike Stoller’s ( Lieber & Stoller ) celebration, alongside Ben E. King, her Piaf show at the acclaimed Grammy Museum, and at the Metropolitan room in NYC, Singing at Palazzo della Cancelleria, on Vatican premises, with Maestro Andrea Morricone in 2016 and then with Maestro Umberto Scipione in 2017.
She is the associate producer and actress in various films such as: “Job’s Daughter” where she played alongside Eric Roberts and Corey Feldman. “The Secret of Joy”, a wonderful project filled with celebrities such as Doris Roberts, Maria Conchita Alonso, Thaao Penghlis , and Sofia Milos. A short film that will help raise further awareness in pediatric cancer. “Los 86” a movie shot in Caracas/Venezuela. “The Admired” where she won the award of merit for best supporting actress.
She has monthly shows at Vibrato, in Bel Air, and Sofitel in Beverly Hills. Maria Elena is also involved in charity events for ALS awareness, and is on the Board of Advisory Directors for “Caterina’s club” founded by CNN hero, Chef Bruno Serato, who feeds 1.500 US unprivileged kids a day!
T2C: How are you dealing with home containment in Bulgaria?
Maria Elena Infantino: I’ve had the good fortune to have my cousin let me stay in one of her apartments in Sofia, Bulgaria. I came here for some meetings and was planning to stay for 2 weeks…but so far I’ve been here for almost 2 months. In a way I am glad that I got stuck in Bulgaria. I am in the city center, a walking zone where I don’t need the car to go get groceries and I can walk within my radius! I am taking it one day at a time as I believe this will pass and it’s up to us to take it calmly. Wether we panic or not, we are all stuck in this apocalypse. We are on hold on a global scale! We might as well make the most of it while we’re at it! I don’t mind staying at home for a change… I take as much as 75 flights per year some times.
T2C: What would you say is the difference of being in self lockdown between Bulgaria and LA?
Maria Elena Infantino: Less panic! People have seen worse crisis here throughout their history. Bulgarians are strong minded and have an iron will! There’s a survivor spirit. It is also bountiful and grocery stores haven’t been attacked and emptied out like in the USA… stores are getting stocked up regularly! I was really impressed and it helped a lot to make me feel safe compared to the rest of the world.
T2C: What have you been able to accomplish in this time?
Maria Elena Infantino: Funnily enough it has been a busy quarantine with projects to be finished, such as translating trailers in 3 languages (Italian,Spanish and French) for “Life in Four Seasons” created by my friend Stefan Apostolov, that will have its global premiere online on May 1st in 11 languages! I was on Bulgarian National TV a couple of times. Auditioned for some tv shows, working on some theatre, film and TV series projects with my creative friends around the world. We want to shoot these once this pandemic is over. Plus always working as a brand ambassador for The Eden Magazine. So to sum it up I’m using this time for preproduction prep.
T2C: What has this time stopped you from accomplishing?
Maria Elena Infantino: Unfortunately we can’t set dates for my upcoming live concerts in Europe and USA, as we don’t know what the rules will be once we come out of this situation .
T2C: What kind of emotions does this time bring out of you?
Maria Elena Infantino: It is a time for introspection and being at peace with one self! Finding and redefining balance! A moment of interior growth and opportunity to reflect on how to do things better! What helps me get through is knowing that we’re in this together on a global scale, and to see the bigger picture… oceans are cleaner, skies are bluer… we should find a way not to pollute the earth as much.
T2C: If you were to equate this time to a song or song cycle what would it be?
Maria Elena Infantino: Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night” comes to mind…wondering in the night what were the chances…ever since that night we’ve been together…it turned out so right for strangers in the night. We’re all strangers in the night at the moment , since we don know what awaits us, but we need to unite and get out of this together somehow…and turn things right!
T2C: What message would you like to give the world right now?
Maria Elena Infantino: Try not to panic! There is always light at the end of the tunnel! Try to use this time to your advantage and do the things you like, wether it’s painting, playing music or just sunbathing in your terrace! Try to be strong! Try to accept the fact that we’re waiting for answers! Try to let go! All these are hard things to do…but no one is going anywhere, the whole world is resetting, so lets try to learn from this period and make it a better world after this storm!
T2C: What is the first thing you will do when we are no longer self quarantined?
Maria Elena Infantino: Go to the beach to swim and tan, after which, if all goes well shoot a couple of movies! I have a couple of LA friends that are stuck in Bulgaria too and we are thinking on possible collaborations and I am looking forward to getting back to my acting career in LA. I also look forward to working with my new manager, Jacque Pedersen-Schrimscher of Step Forward Entertainment.
T2C: What are the things that are getting you through this time?
Maria Elena Infantino: I am using this time to have a very clean diet, with Bulgarian herbal teas and fresh clean products, creating creams and hair masks from scratch, exercising and taking the time to be inn touch with all my friends around the world. I’m being kind to my body. I sleep 10 hrs per night, which hadn’t happened in about 2 years. It’s about accepting the situation rather than fight it… and turn the negative into positive!
T2C: What haven’t we asked you that you would like to say?
Maria Elena Infantino: I would like to give a shout out to the two charities that I’m on the advisory board of :Caterina’s club in Orange County, where founder. CNN hero Bruno Serato keeps feeding 5000 unfortunate kids per day with pasta, even in these out of the ordinary times. And to Ranch Hands Rescue which is run by Bob Williams, helping veterans and abused kids heal through animal therapy!