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December 2011: PIXANNE CREATES HER "MAGIC" AGAIN!
Jane's "Evening of Love" concert was a huge success, and she wants to thank all her fans who came
to the concert which benefited The Hospice & Home Care Foundation. The evening was sold out and
everyone in attendance had the time of their lives. "Most fun ever" was the phrase concert-goers repeated
again and again, and a great deal of money was raised for the wonderful and worthy cause.
____________________________
Comments from some of the many emails, notes and letters from those attending "An Evening of Love" event:
"I was there, and I can attest to the fact that Jane was wonderful, her song selections were the
best, and the way she wove them into a story just added to her amazing interpretation of them.
She sings like an angel, and I know she and Paul Jost had everyone there spellbound. Jane's solo
performances were terrific, and her duets with Paul were beautiful. It was a 'Lovely Way To Spend
An
Evening', and I'm oh so glad to have been there. Everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly."
-Jacqueline Kravitz Strauss
"Bravo!!! Janie, you were awesome. I can't find the words to say how much I enjoyed your music!
All the musicians were fantastic; songs spoke to the heart, and you just Lit Up The Room!!
Take care and know you were totally loved by everyone in that room."
-Ruthanne Schlarbaum
"I've never been to a concert where the artist captured the audience the way you did.
The entire evening was a joy from beginning to end, and your music touched everyone's heart. We all
had such fun, and can't wait until the next time we see you perform. Perfection is hard to achieve, but
you did it! It was especially wonderful that Hospice was the beneficiary of your gift of love and music.
Thanks for a 'once in a lifetime' evening."
-Etta Friend
"Your performance last night was MAGICAL!!! Love (from another one of your many fans),"
-Rebecca Drury Sorlein
"Jane, you were sensational last night, and you must be glowing and enjoying the accolades coming your
way. I am so glad I was there. You looked exceptionally beautiful and elegant and moved on the stage with
grace; something younger performers could learn from you. You deserve all the applause.
Keep on singing and smiling."
-Nina Kaleska
"The concert was wonderful. You really have a beautiful voice. My mother so enjoyed herself, and she
kept on saying, 'NOW, THIS IS MUSIC!'"
-L. Rodgers
"Jane, it was lovely to see that wonderful article about you in the Inquirer. You have so much class and grace.
We are happy that you continue to 'exercise' your piano and that you are working on another performance.
The music and the stage are your heart. How blessed the rest of us are that you live in this world to share
that beautiful heart and talent of yours."
-Ilse Poindexter
"Dear Ms. Norman: My name is Valerie Dishong, and I was born in 1960. My sister Desiree and I grew up
with your inspiration, as you were a large part of our wonderful childhood. We grew up in Lebanon, PA,
the daughters of a nurse and a barber. My mother is retired and my father still cuts hair at 82. I only wish
that children today had more roll models like you. It would be a whole different world now if the generations
that followed us had had You to inspire them. I could "gush" on, but you have heard it all before. Thank you
for your talent and many contributions. You have given joy to so many people. Warmest Regards."
-Valerie Dishong
____________________________
Jane Norman, “Pixanne” the forest pixie to legions of baby boomers, now lives in a contemporary
condo with its own magical views. There is a pixielike quality to the woman who opens the door to
a high-in-the-sky condominium just off City Avenue in Bala Cynwyd. And no wonder: While she is
officially Jane Norman, she is TV’s Pixanne to the legions of young fans who joined her every
weekday afternoon in her magic forest. For nearly two decades, first locally on WCAU-TV from
1960 to 1969, then nationally for seven more years when the show was syndicated, she was
a kind of Pied Piper in green felt.
Norman's close-cropped hair, her enviably slender body, and her sparkling spirit hark back to that
woodland creature who made the world seem like a wonderful, magical place for kids. These days,
Norman doesn't live in a magical forest. Home is a light-splashed contemporary world with a high
quotient of glamour, sophistication, and spectacular views. But that magical forest still lives in Jane
Norman. "I've been so blessed, so lucky," Norman says as she relates her own fairy tale of a little
Philadelphia girl who was a piano prodigy, able to play Bach and Beethoven by ear when her feet
couldn't yet reach the pedals. "When I was 8 years old, the Philadelphia Orchestra played one of
my compositions at a children's concert," she remembers. "Somewhere, I still have the
certificate they gave me that day."
Norman went on to study education at Temple, minoring in radio, TV, and theater. For several years,
her kindergarten teaching wowed kids, whose parents kept telling her she should be on TV. So, one
late summer day in 1960, she walked into WCAU-TV on a whim. She impressed the station manager,
went home, and the very next day showed up with the concept for a kids' TV show. Pixanne, the name
she proposed, stuck.
Since that day, Norman has never stopped performing, first on television, then in years of one-woman
shows and cabaret acts like Broadway Magic Moments and Beyond, which previewed at the Prince
Music Theater. Her music (she has released several albums, including 2010's A Perfect Christmas)
is often romantic standards and the mellow fare of composers like Gershwin, Cole Porter,
and Rodgers & Hart.
The Philadelphia area has always been home base for Norman. She met her husband, the late
Frank Beazley, at WCAU, where he was a sales director. He later went on to found the production
company Center City Film & Video with partner Jordan Schwartz. It was Beazley who pushed his
wife to give up the couple's large home in Gladwyne and pursue a lower-maintenance lifestyle in
a condominium. The drama of the space begins in a wide-open living room with a wall of windows
overlooking two patios, and a palette of beiges and whites punctuated by splashes of color in
accessories and art. A two-sided wood-burning fireplace with raised marble platform and an
abstract painting by Israeli artist Calman Shemi are focal points. With a white sofa and off-white
side chairs, set against walls clad in subtle off-white wallpaper, this room is urban chic. A free-form
piece Norman affectionately calls "the mushroom" begs to be tested as a seat or ottoman. A collection
of contemporary glass rests on glass shelves so the entire assemblage seems to float in one corner
of the room. Anchoring it all is Norman's beloved Yamaha piano, vintage 1960s,
which is "exercised" every day.
Because the condo's former owner was a chef, her kitchen has a vast butcher-block counter with
marble inlay. "There are 20 electrical outlets built into the counter," she says, "and I've never used
one of them." A minimalist master bedroom is done in soft grays, with built-in closets everywhere.
"I can't fill them!" says Norman. Tucked into one of them is her Pixanne costume, which, with urging,
she brings out. A coordinating costume, made for one of the couple's two now-adult sons, is a
perfect miniature. The kick-back space in this condo is in the den, a handsome gray leather
sectional. A custom carpet brings together the room's grays, reds, and blacks.
Norman's whimsy also is reflected in accessories such as stainless-steel magazine racks in
semi-human forms. A deep tub in the master bathroom is filled with realistic-looking artificial daisies.
Bathtub as planter tickles her.But the serious side of Jane Norman comes out when she discusses
a project dear to her heart.When her husband was in his final days, after battling prostate cancer
and related serious illnesses for the last two years of his life, Norman was helped by a local
hospice. Hospice care, she says, gave Frank comfort and dignity.
Since then, she has done substantial work on behalf of hospice care. She will be starring in
"An Evening of Love," a musical fund-raiser to benefit the Home Care Network/Main Line
Health/Jefferson Health System. "I'm singing for Frank," Norman says of the event.
"And I'm singing for hospice and the magic it does."
By Sally Friedman, For The Inquirer
articles.philly.com
It’s one of the songs on her new album. And when it’s aired on radio stations, “this seems to stand out,”
she says. “It strikes a chord with listeners. We took such a familiar song and made it our own.”
The concert also includes several of Norman’s original songs from her most recent album, “With Love.”
Besides Norman as soloist, the concert features jazz vocalist Paul Jost, a jazz vocalist who has been in two
prior shows with Norman and sings on her albums. The two will perform several duets. For one segment,
Jost will sing a solo, then Norman will sing one while he accompanies her on the harmonica. She’ll also be accompanied by four instrumentalists. Pianist Dan Waddell is based in California but is coming east for the
concert. The other three are local: bassist Kevin MacConnnell, drummer Joe Nero and Ron Kerber,
who plays flute and saxophone.
After four years, I knew I wanted to do a children’s TV show where I could reach more people.” She landed
her role in a most unlikely way. “Without any appointment, I just walked into the offices of channel 10 and
said, ‘I’ll do the best children’s program you’ve ever seen.’” It wasn’t just an empty boast. On the spot,
she sat down and played piano, sang songs, told stories.
Norman as Space Girl
“I did exactly what I’d been doing as a kindergarten teacher,” she relates. She did so well that she was
invited to return with an idea for a program. It took her just one day to come up with the idea of Pixanne,
a female type Peter Pan — a playful pixie who flew in and out of a magic forest. The program, which began
in l960 was a resounding success. It had a ten year run on NBC before going into syndication on 150
television stations. The versatile Norman, who’s been inducted into the Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame,
went on to co-produce and perform in a series of Emmy-nominated family specials for CBS. She also
co-created and produced a TV program for NBC and then wrote a book, “The Private Life of the American
Teenager,” based on that program. In addition to her television career, the former pixie launched a
career as a singer, doing live shows on both coasts as well as intimate cabaret performances.
She’s also recorded four CD’s. The most recent is “With Love,” in which she’s backed by a full orchestra.
Norman in Pixanne
Norman will be performing some of the songs on that album in next Wednesday evening’s concert.
Not only do all the songs refer to love in all its phases, but the concert itself is her heartfelt tribute to
a cause in which she deeply believes. This special fund-raising concert is sponsored by the Hospice
and Home Care Foundation. Specifically, it benefits the Home Care Network, Main Line Health/Jefferson
Health System. Norman eagerly accepted the invitation to perform for this benefit concert. She had first-hand
experience with hospice during the recent illness of her late husband, broadcast pioneer Frank Beazley.
Norman in Pixanne
“The visiting nurses and their team were truly angels, and I would do anything to spread the word
about their loving and skilled work,” she says. “Many of us may need their services at some point
in our lives, and they are a gift to be celebrated.” Love songs and hospice care might seem an
unusual combination — but for Jane Norman, it’s a natural blend. She’s eagerly looking forward
to the concert next Wednesday evening. “I’ll be sharing an evening of joy and fun,” she says. “
And through the music“ An Evening of Love,” featuring Jane Norman, takes place Oct. 5,
at the Merion Tribute House, 625 Hazelhurst Avenue, Lower Merion, PA 19066.
mainlinemedianews.com
*Click above to read recent news about Jane Norman in CSN!
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Jane as Pixanne
Unimpressed, the station manager politely told Norman
they “already had Sally Starr,” therefore her services would not be needed. Undaunted, Norman took the
short walk down the street to WCAU Channel 10, made the same pitch and the rest is history.
“Pixanne” captured an unheard of 62 percent share of audience when it aired and the show out-rated
every other program, including soap operas, the early evening news, and even “Captain Kangaroo.”
“I always loved Peter Pan, so I decided to create a female version of the character,” said Norman from
her Bala Cynwyd home. “I always loved children and was an educator, so it was natural for me. I believe
the show had such an impact because I was not just playing a character; I was treating the children with
respect. I talked to each and every child on an individual basis and made them feel special.”
“Pixanne” aired in Philadelphia for nine years before moving to New York City. It was filmed in black and
white for the first five years and became the first show in the tri-state area to be filmed in color. In addition, “Pixanne” was the first show to do remote programming, taping at the 1967 World Expo in Montreal, Canada,
and close to home at Linvilla Orchards in Middletown Township. “Oh, the memories I have of those times,”
said Norman. “I loved every minute of it.”
Five decades later, Norman, who can still fit into her tiny Pixanne costume, continues to delight
audiences with her soft, but powerful vocal ability. To date, she has released four critically acclaimed
CDs and has written a book, “The Private Life of the American Teenager.” In addition, Norman has
appeared on 95 radio and television talk shows, and was recently inducted into the
Broadcast Pioneers Hall of Fame.
“My life has been blessed and I am trying to do everything in my power to share what I can with others,”
she said. As spry and charming as ever, Norman is creating her own special brand of magic once again
— this time for charity. She will be starring in a fundraising concert titled “An Evening of Love,” 8 p.m.,
Oct. 5 at the Merion Tribute House in Merion Station. Proceeds for the concert will benefit the hospice
and home care programs of the Home Care Network/Main Line Health/Jefferson Health System.
Norman was delighted to accept the invitation to perform because of the tremendous care her husband,
former Channel 10 sales director Frank Beazley, received when he was so ill. Beazley passed away last
year after a courageous battle with a variety of ailments.
“The visiting nurses and their team are angels and I would do anything to spread the word about their
loving and skilled work,” said Norman. “Many of us may need their services at some point in our lives
and they are a gift to be celebrated.” Norman said she wants people to understand that hospice is not
a place, but rather a concept of compassionate, life-enhancing care for individuals who are facing
their final months, weeks and days of life.
“I really wished I knew then what I know now,” said Norman. “I would have had the hospice service
for Frank so much earlier. Once the hospice nurse arrived, our lives became joyous and happy.
Hospice is not a sad thing, its life-enhancing to both the patient and caregiver.”
“An Evening of Love,” will feature the songs of George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hart.
Norman will appear with guest performer Paul Jost and they will be accompanied by four of the
finest musicians in the country. Songs scheduled to be performed include “Bewitched, Bothered
and Bewildered,” “Someone to Watch Over Me,” “Just in Time,” “Love Is Here To Stay,” “It Might As
Well Be Spring,” “Every Time We Say Goodbye,” and several of Norman’s own original recordings,
including “The Newness of The Morning.”
There are also opportunities for audience participation throughout the show. “I really like to get the
audience involved,” said Norman. “I guess it goes back to my Pixanne days when I tried to talk to
each child. During my shows, I do at least two audience-participation songs so they can
become a part of the show.”
Norman, who was born in Philadelphia, was a musical prodigy by the age of 3 and was composing
music by 7. By 8, she wrote a musical piece performed by Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia
Orchestra. She has vivid childhood memories of writing and performing in neighborhood plays for
captivated audiences. Throughout her career, Norman’s creativity has influenced several generations,
and to this day she maintains a large following.
Jane Norman and Paul Jost
“It is so gratifying to have people recognize me and tell me how much it meant to start their day with
Pixanne,” she said. “I miss my husband each and every day, but I know he left this earth free of pain
and comfortable because of the hospice nurses. Therefore, I’m doing all I can to help them.”
By LORETTA RODGERS
Times Correspondent
mainlinemedianews.com
JANE NORMAN Gone Too Soon
GONE TOO SOON
Jane Norman has just released a new "single" Gone Too Soon, which was originally performed by Michael Jackson. This new CD is touching the hearts of listeners everywhere, and is being played on hundreds of
radio stations nationwide!
*There are 3 ways to purchase Gone Too Soon:
1. The Purchase Page
2. USPS check or money order
3. CD Baby
WITH LOVE
Jane Norman's standards classic CD WITH LOVE; a tribute album to Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland. WITH LOVE is being played in rotation on hundreds of radio stations nationwide, as was her newest holiday CD, A PERFECT CHRISTMAS: A Winter of Love.
A PERFECT CHRISTMAS: A Winter of Love
Click HERE to read reviews of both albums:
WITH LOVE
A PERFECT CHRISTMAS: A Winter of Love |
