Jane Powell 'pleased' to be in Kiwanis holiday show

Written by Bill Brautigam
Wednesday, 04 November 2009 14:39

Jeff Turner, president of the Wilton Kiwanis Club, announced recently that Wilton resident, Broadway and Hollywood star Jane Powell will be the emcee at this year’s “Home for the Holidays” show on Saturday, Dec. 5, at 8 p.m. in the Clune Center for the Arts at Wilton High School. “It’s fantastic to have someone of Jane’s fame and talent to lead this year’s program”, said Mr. Turner.

Ms. Powell has done it all: films, television, theater, radio, the concert state, sound recordings, commercials, nightclubs, and the lecture circuit. She has performed for five U.S. Presidents and the Queen of England. With starring roles in 20 major MGM musicals, including the classics Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Royal Wedding co-starring Fred Astaire, Jane Powell has appeared in every entertainment medium and has also won acclaim as a dramatic actress and comedienne.

Ms. Powell, who lives in Wilton with her husband Robert Osborne was featured in a recent article in “Arts and Leisure” section of the Acorn Press. “I’ve performed many times at Kiwanis lunches but not in Wilton,” Ms. Powell said in a recent interview. “I’m pleased to be able to perform locally in the Wilton Kiwanis Holiday concert — it’s a pleasure to support a local organization’s event that provides resources for local needs.”

On Broadway, she starred in Irene. On tour, she broke house records in more than a score of American cities, with starring roles in South Pacific, My Fair Lady, Peter Pan, The Sound of Music, Carousel, Brigadoon, The Boy Friend, Oklahoma!, The Student Prince, I Do, I Do, and many others. Off-Broadway she co-starred with Jerry Stiller and Anne Mera in Meara’s satiric comedy After Play, and in Avow, for which she won rave reviews for her performance as an enthusiastically religious grandmother-to be. She co-starred in Stephen Sondheim’s musical Bounce.

In the heyday of live radio comedy series, she played Charlie McCarthy’s girlfriend, and hosted Frank Sinatra’s weekly radio show in his absence. In the era of TV specials, she guest-starred on virtually every one and more recently, she has appeared in sitcoms and daytime dramas. She has hosted the PBS series, The Musicals, for five years and was the young grandmother in the TV series Growing Pains.

Ms. Powell was born in Portland, Ore. At the early age of 12, she had two shows on local radio stations, and following the outbreak of World War II, she was named the Oregon Victory Girl entertaining at veterans’ hospitals and selling War Bonds. In October 2008, she was honored by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs with the Secretary’s Diamond Award for her legacy of service to military personnel and veterans. The Diamond Award is the VA’s highest honor to private citizens for helping the Department carry out its mission.

This year’s concert will return to the Clune Center for the Arts at Wilton High School and starts at 8 p.m. Net proceeds will be distributed to community charities and organizations through the Wilton Kiwanis Foundation. Ticket information may be obtained by calling 203-604-9014 or at www.wiltonkiwanis.org.