Jane Powell

 Jane Powell, born Suzanne Lorraine Burce ( April 1, 1929 – September 16, 2021)

Powell was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where she achieved local fame as a child singer, touring the state as the Oregon Victory Girl selling victory bonds. As a teenager, she relocated to Los Angeles, where she signed a film contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Powell's vocal, dancing, and acting talents were utilized for lead roles in a variety of musicals for the studio. She made her feature debut as a performer in Song of the Open Road (1944), followed by a lead in Arthur Lubin's Delightfully Dangerous (1945). Powell gained further widespread recognition for her lead roles in the musicals A Date with Judy (1948), Royal Wedding (1951), Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954), and Hit the Deck (1955). In the late-1950s, Powell's film career slowed, though she starred in two rare non-musical roles in the film noir The Female Animal, and the adventure film Enchanted Island (both 1958). Beginning in the 1960s, Powell began acting in national touring theatrical productions, including high-profile productions of My Fair Lady and The Sound of Music. From 1973 to 1974, Powell starred in a Broadway production of Irene, in the title role. She continued to appear occasionally on television throughout the 1980s, including recurring guest roles on The Love Boat (1981–1982), as well as the sitcom Growing Pains (1988–1992).

Powell returned to the stage in 2000, starring in an Off-Broadway production of Avow, followed by a short run of Stephen Sondheim's musical Bounce. In December 2007, she united with the musical group Pink Martini, performing as a vocalist with them in their shared hometown of Portland. Powell performed with the group again at New York City's Lincoln Center in 2008, and later in 2010 at the Hollywood Bowl. Powell also filled in as guest host on Turner Classic Movies for Robert Osborne when he was on medical leave from July 17–23, 2011. She was married five times and had three children. Following the death of her husband, Dickie Moore in 2015, Powell sold their Manhattan apartment and relocated permanently to their second home in Wilton, Connecticut. She died there at age 92 on September 16, 2021.