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Daily Echo
Actress Flies Home to America As Elderly Mum is Taken
Ill
January 3, 2009
HOLLYWOOD actress Stefanie Powers has pulled out of her role in the
musical panto Cinderella at The Mayflower after her elderly mother was taken ill.
The big screen veteran, most famous for her role in 80s crime drama
Hart to Hart, flew back to the USA to be by her mother’s bedside following her performance as the Fairy Godmother on
New Year’s Eve.
Her understudy Grace Warner joins the all star cast including Christopher
Biggins, Matthew Kelly and Craig McLachlan until Ms Powers returns next week.
A spokesman for The Mayflower said: “Stefanie Powers’
92-year-old mother was taken into hospital back in the United States this week in a critical state.
“Stefanie flew out to be at her bedside following the New Year’s
Eve performance of Cinderella, and she is hoping to be back in the pantomime next week.
“Her understudy, Grace Warner, who previously played the baroness
in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang on tour, received a rapturous reception from the audience and left Christopher Biggins, Matthew
Kelly and Craig McLachlan spellbound at her performance.
“Our sympathies are with Stefanie at this difficult time.”
Last month Ms Powers, 67, took time out of rehearsals to visit Marwell
Zoo where two fans paid for her to sponsor an antelope.
The animal was named after Ms Powers, a keen conservationist, who
set up the William Holden Wildlife Trust in memory of her husband.
Following Cinderella, which runs at The Mayflower until January 17,
Ms Powers is staying in the UK, performing in the revival of Pack of Lies.
Daily Echo
Jan 7, 2009
Mayflower Panto Star Stefanie Powers Stopped at Heathrow
by Lorelei Reddin
THE Mayflower’s Fairy Godmother has been denied
access back into the UK by immigration officials today.
Despite attempts at wand waving, Stefanie Powers has
been unable to persuade officials she needs to fly back to Southampton for tonight’s show.
Stefanie, best known for her role in US TV hit Hart
to Hart, was travelling back to London from Los Angeles following the death of her mother.
Although initially granted entry when she first arrived
for rehearsals for Cinderella: The Musical Pantomime late last year, it now appears Stefanie’s work permit has been
lost.
Producers and lawyers are currently wrangling with the
UK Border Agency and hope to have her back in time for tomorrow’s matinee performance.
Daily Echo
Jan 8, 2009
Stefanie Powers clears immigration after visa mix-up
10:08am Thursday 8th January 2009
By Lorelei Reddin
THE Mayflower’s Fairy Godmother is back!
Stefanie Powers, who is starring in Cinderella: The
Musical Pantomime in Southampton, had been stuck at Heathrow urging officials to allow her back into the country.
But she has now cleared immigration after a mix-up with
her work visa and is expected to perform in today’s two performances of the show.
Stefanie, best known for her starring role in US TV
drama Hart to Hart, was returning to London from Los Angeles following the death of her mother.
She told the Daily Echo: "I am delighted to have returned
to Southampton even though there was a slight delay checking my fairy credentials by the British immigration. How many fairy
godmothers can they deal with on a daily basis at this time of year?
"I am looking forward to completing the run of Cinderella
with my friends and colleagues."
Cinderella: The Musical Pantomime runs until January
17.
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BBC NEWS
Fairy godmother in permit mix-up |
Stefanie Powers plays the fairy godmother in Cinderella |
American actress Stefanie Powers missed her pantomime
performance as the fairy godmother in Southampton when she was held up over a work permit mix-up.
The 67-year-old, who is starring in Cinderalla at the Mayflower Theatre,
was detained by immigration officials at Heathrow on Wednesday.
She had flown in from Los Angeles but a copy of her work permit was
lost and her passport unstamped.
The show's lawyers resolved the matter but Ms Powers missed
her performance.
The actress, most famous for starring in the US show Hart to Hart,
said: "I am delighted to have returned to Southampton even though there was a slight delay checking my fairy credentials by
British immigration.
"It may have been inevitable, but how many fairy godmothers can they
deal with on a daily basis at this time of year?"
She is due back on stage later on Thursday.
A spokesman for the theatre said: "Ms Powers was stuck at Heathrow
for over an hour and no amount of wand waving seemed to be able to magic her free from the ugly sisters of immigration and
border control."
The actress had flown back to America on New Year's Eve because her
92-year-old mother was taken ill and subsequently died. |
Detained star Powers misses panto
Thursday, January 08, 2009, 13:12
The US actress, 67, who is most famous for starring
in the US show Hart To Hart, flew back from Los Angeles to Heathrow on Wednesday but her magic wand could not release her
from the clutches of the UK Border Agency.
The star is appearing in Cinderella at the Mayflower
Theatre in Southampton and wanted to get to the south coast to perform. The show's producers and lawyers managed to set her
free.
A spokesman for the theatre said that when she came
to Britain for the show in November her passport was not stamped and a copy of her work permit was lost.
"Ms Powers was stuck at Heathrow for over an hour and
no amount of wand waving seemed to be able to magic her free from the ugly sisters of Immigration and Border Control," a theatre
spokesman said.
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The confusion has now been cleared up and Ms Powers
will appear on stage today (Thursday).
She said: "I am delighted to have returned to Southampton
even though there was a slight delay checking my fairy credentials by the British immigration.
"It may have been inevitable, but how many fairy godmothers
can they deal with on a daily basis at this time of year?"
The show is due to run until January 17.
The actress had flown back to America on New Year's
Eve because her 92-year-old mother was taken ill and subsequently died.
Evening Standard
January 8, 2009
Sorry Stefanie, but you won't make it to the ball
by Amar Singh
AMERICAN actress Stefanie Powers missed her panto performance
as a fairy godmother yesterday when she was detained at Heathrow over a work permit mix-up.
Ms Powers, 67, who starred in the US show Hart To Hart,
flew back from Los Angeles yesterday but her magic wand wasn't enough to release her from the clutches of the UK Border Agency.
A spokesman for the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton, where Ms Powers is starring in Cinderella, said that when she came to
Britain in November her passport was not stamped and a copy of her work permit was lost. She was detained at Heathrow for
more than an hour while the confusion was cleared up.
Ms Powers, who will appear on stage today, said: "There
was a slight delay checking my fairy credentials."
STAGE
January 8, 2009
Powers misses panto performance in work permit mix-up
by Lalayn
Baluch
American actress Stefanie Powers, best known for starring in US show
Hart to Hart, was forced to miss a pantomime performance at Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre after being detained by
immigration officers at Heathrow Airport because of a work permit mix-up.
Stefanie Powers as the Fairy Godmother Cinderella - The Musical
Pantomime at the Mayflower in Southampton Photo: Ian Ferguson, Mayflower Theatre
Powers, who is currently appearing as the fairy godmother in the Mayflower’s
production of Cinderella, was held at the airport yesterday after flying in from Los Angeles, where she had travelled to on
New Year’s Eve to see her mother who was taken ill and subsequently died.
A spokesperson for the theatre explained that when Powers initially
flew into the UK in November, her passport was not correctly stamped and a copy of her work permit was lost.
The spokesperson added: “Ms Powers was stuck at Heathrow for
over an hour and no amount of wand-waving seemed to be able to magic her free.”
The show’s producers and lawyers argued with immigration officials
for an hour before the actress was allowed to leave.
Powers, who will resume her role today, said: “I am delighted
to have returned to Southampton, even though there was a slight delay checking my fairy credentials by the British immigration.”
Cinderella, which also stars Christopher Biggins and Matthew Kelly,
completes its run on January 17.
The Portsmouth News
10 January 2009
Fairy godmother falls foul of immigration
ACTRESS
Stefanie Powers feared she would be refused entry to Britain to resume her role in a panto after her work permit was lost.
The American star
plays a flying fairy godmother in Cinderella at Southampton's Mayflower Theatre, but she was grounded by immigration officials
at Heathrow Airport.
She was on her way back from Los Angeles, having flown home after the death of her mother.
Insisting
she returned to the theatre for the remainder of the panto season, Stefanie had ensured her work permit was in order. Unfortunately
her return was hampered when she was refused re-entry to Britain because her permit had been lost and her passport hadn't
been stamped.
Ms Powers, 66, was stuck at Heathrow for over an hour wrangling with border control before producers
and lawyers worked their magic to set her free.
She said: 'I am delighted to have returned even though there was a
delay checking my fairy credentials.'
The full article
contains 164 words and appears in NS-Final newspaper.
The Brothers Gershwin: George & Ira
The 25th Annual Southland
Theatre Artists Goodwill Event (S.T.A.G.E.) Honoring Michael Kearns
Benefiting AIDS Project Los Angeles
Saturday, March 21 (8:00
p.m.) and Sunday, March 22 (3:00 p.m.)
Wilshire Theatre Beverly Hills
8440 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly
Hills, CA 90211
Enjoy two exciting performances of song and dance saluting legendary
composers George and Ira Gershwin featuring Ian Abercrombie, Allen Barton, Baul Point Pen: Paul Peglar & Ben McLain, Shoshana
Bean, Mary Jo Catlett, Carole Cook, James Darren, Loretta Devine, The Cast of "Forever Plaid": Roger Befeler, Jeremy Bernard,
David Engel, & Larry Raben, Betty Garrett, Lucas Grabeel, Sam Harris, Bill Hutton, Michael K. Lee, Vicki Lewis, Kimberley
Locke, Jon Maher, Pat Marshall, Linda Michele, Valarie Pettiford, Stefanie Powers, Jai Rodriguez, Bruce Vilanch, Dee Wallace,
Nita Whitaker, and John Lloyd Young.
S.T.A.G.E. co-founder and award-winning actor Michael Kearns will
receive the "2009 Producers STAGE Award" at the March 21 performance in recognition of his ongoing personal and professional
commitment to and advocacy for people living with HIV/AIDS.
An array of items will be featured in the live and silent auctions
at both performances including: tickets to watch a live broadcast of “American Idol,” a South African safari,
a set visit to Hugh Jackman’s next film shot in Hollywood, Joan Rivers jewelry, theatre and restaurant packages, Broadway
memorabilia, and much, much more!
S.T.A.G.E. is the longest continuously running AIDS benefit in the
world.
Buy Tickets Online!
Solicitation Permit No. T1109 available upon request.
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Julie Powers
was born Juliana Dimitria Golan in July of 1912, near Middletown, New York, at home on the family farm with the help of a
midwife. Her parents had immigrated to America from Poland during the great immigration period from central Europe to the
states. She was raised with four sisters and one brother and is survived by Alex Golan Lloyd and Henry Golan. Eventually more
of the family came to seek their fortunes in the new world and her uncle Leo in particular was a great influence on her and
inspired her sense of adventure by reading to her the National Geographic magazine. She had an idyllic childhood in the countryside
and growing up saw the world around her change, introducing to rural America the telephone and the telegraph as means of communication,
as Ford brought out its first model T as transport for everyman, and the moving picture shows as entertainment. There were
also the occasional barnstorming aviators who toured the rural communities putting on shows and taking young ladies for rides
in their open cockpit bi-planes…very exciting for the young Miss Golan.
But it was the musical theater and musical
films that caught her attention and her fancy, and the lure of the big city of New York was always primary in her thoughts
and in those of her older sister Helena, so when the time came for the young women to leave the farm and spread their wings,
Julie and Helena moved to the city and found respectable housing on West 69th Street in the brownstone home of an Italian
lady by the name of Carmella. While studying dance and going to all the auditions she could, Julie and her sister worked part-time
as hostesses at the exclusive foreign film cinema on 57th Street, called the Little Carnegie Theatre. It was an extremely
glamorous small art house cinema that served cocktails, tea or coffee in the lounge foyer and had speakers from the foreign
film companies who had no wide spread distribution of films at that time. It was very avant-garde. As a result of her involvement
at the theatre, she met many of the moviemakers from England, France, and Germany. In fact, she maintained friendships with
some of them for many years and was able to introduce her daughter to them when Stefanie was filming for the first time in
England. It was a connection and education that would come in handy many years later.
In 1934, Julie made the giant
step to move to Hollywood following through on her dream to perform in films. Finding the most glamourous way to travel West,
Julie went to Hollywood by boat through the Panama Canal. She was quite an attractive package with lots of admirers on the
ship. The Captain of the ship even invited her to travel to the Far East with him, but she declined. She could have stayed
on the ship, but instead she stepped off of the boat and made her way to Hollywood. She lived at the Lido Hotel just north
of Hollywood Boulevard near Cahuenga very close to another landmark glamour spot called the Monticito. There was a piano player
in the lobby and while having tea one day, she met a young aspiring photographer who would became her first husband and result
in her greatest joy… her two children. For her daughter, Stefanie's earliest memory of her mother's sense of style was
on those occasions when Julie was going out for an evening, dressed in a black taffeta dress and silver fox stole. Her dress
rustled as she leaned down to give a good night kiss and Stefanie could smell the Shalimar perfume on her neck and the gardenia
on her purse. Julie's love of classical music and the ballet led to young Stefanie beginning to dance around the house on
her toes. Julie bought young Stefanie her first pair of toe shoes and found an experienced ballet master from the Ballet Russe
called Michele Panieff and enrolled her daughter in his class for young dancers. Hollywood was a very small town in those
days and there were two other young ladies in that same ballet class both of whom would have lives that would criss-cross
each other for many years…Natalie Wood and Jill St. John. When it became obvious that Stefanie was not going to meet
the physical requirements of the ballet, Julie enrolled her in the American School of Dance to study jazz. When Stefanie auditioned
for the film "West Side Story" and was asked to join the cast, Julie was required by law to accompany her under aged daughter
to the set, beginning many years of professional chaperoning for Julie. All throughout the school years of her children, Julie
had been the chaperone of choice voted by all the kids who looked upon Julie as a surrogate parent but one whose advice was
compassionate not judgmental…she was so popular that she collected strays some of whom would find a bed and a hot meal
at Julie's house always given with humor and wit. When Stefanie performed in the film "McLintock," Julie stepped in front
of the camera, performing as an extra in scenes behind actor John Wayne. As Stefanie's successful career grew over the years,
Julie joined her on most of her locations all over the world, enjoying adventures to Egypt, South America, the Far East, Africa,
and many other locations, expanding her horizons.
Julie's long relationship with Jack Robinson, a breeder of thoroughbred
race horses, gave Stefanie and her brother, Jeff, a chance for a real father figure and wonderful times were shared with him
until his untimely death. Julie's happiest times were spent by his side. After his passing, she resumed her close relationship
with her daughter traveling with her or to visit her on location, as theirs was an unusually close mother and daughter friendship
that lasted throughout Julie's life.
In the 1970's, Stefanie and William Holden were living in Palm Springs with a
parrot and a dog, when "Hart to Hart" was sold as a series. Stefanie moved back to LA just around the time her mother's apartment
building was going to be turned into condos so she invited her mother to move in and use the house as a base. Julie was thrilled
with the move as she loved spending time with her daughter and having the wonderful pets around for company. When Stefanie
started living in Africa part of the year, Julie happily traveled to Kenya with the dogs and the baggage. Oftentimes, it was
like the circus leaving town. On one occasion as they were taking off for Kenya, Stefanie was invited by Pan Am to play polo
on elephants in Nepal. When Julie heard this news, she said something Stefanie had never heard before, "I've always wanted
to go to Nepal." Off they went on another adventure. At this point Julie was 78 and riding elephants through the tall grass
of southern Nepal. Since they were in the neighborhood, Stefanie organized a visit to see the Taj Mahal and visit other sites
around Northern India where they stayed in the palaces of Rajasthan and Udipour. On the eve of their departure from New Delhi
back to London, they were hosted by the Oberoi family to a lovely dinner at a long and beautiful table, shortly before the
dinner ended Julie and some ladies excused themselves from the table saying they would be back shortly…two hours later,
back in her room Stefanie had a knock on the door and opened it to discover her mother standing there with a diamond in her
nose... It wasn't a small diamond either, it was a proper stone pierced in the side of her nose. Julie said that she had always
been fascinated by nose rings as far back as when she looked at the photographs in National Geographic as a child showing
all the vibrant colors of India and the exotic adornments…interesting that the National Geographic was not published
in color until the 1960's…so fanciable was her imagination…
Throughout her travels, Julie shared her homespun
humor as she collected people. Everyone loved her. She was feisty, energetic and memorable to those she met. She had many
favorites in life. She loved the color beige and had a great appreciation for classical music. Her favorite flowers were peonies
and her favorite perfume was Shalimar. With an entertaining spirit, she enjoyed changing everyone's names. She always called
Charlene's husband, Richard, by … Roger. And, a couple from England who were named Gilly and Hugh, became Zoey and Max.
Always up for fun, even in her 80's, she was riding horses in Africa. Loved by many, on her 95th birthday, 25 people
joined her to celebrate the milestone. Enjoying the moment, even with a feeding tube, Julie asked, "Where's my champagne?"
Stefanie made sure she got 20 cc's of champagne right through the tube… and she loved it. Everyone remembers Julie's
acerbic wit. Even when she was using a wheelchair, she joked, "I never kiss on the first date." She was very flirtatious and
loved men. When she met Omar as he was interviewing for a job at the house, she was watching her favorite TV program, "Dancing
With The Stars." She looked at Omar saying, "Do you dance? I could show you a thing or two." She lifted her arms and he lifted
her out of her chair and they swayed back and forth …needless to say... He got the job. She had such an uplifting spirit.
She was also spiritual as she meditated and practiced long-distance healing with a healer in Wales. Julie was open to metaphysics
and her philosophy was, "Let go and let God." She had all of the Saints around her, especially Saint Anthony and Saint Jude.
In many ways, her daughter, Stefanie, was both her hobby and her purpose in life. To love her daughter was her greatest gift.
Julie's last words to Stefanie were, "I love you, baby…"
Stefanie will miss her mother... her friend: "She gave
me the opportunity to wean myself from her in the past year and a half since her first brush with death… she was the
ballast in my life. Looking at our parents, all children have to learn that there is a beginning, middle and end. She taught
me everything until the end. She even taught me how to die."
Julie Powers was a fighter all the way. She was a tenacious
survivor, who was never going to give up. As she's on a journey right now, her spirit will be set free when her ashes are
scattered at sea by her family and friends. May she be remembered for her beautiful smile…
Memorial donations
are welcome in Julie Powers' name to the William Holden Wildlife Foundation www.whwf.org.
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Stefanie Powers missed her panto performance as a fairy godmother when she was detained by immigration officials over a work permit mix-up.