Joan Roberts

Joan Roberts (July 15, 1917 – August 13, 2012)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> was an American actress, most famous for creating the role of Laurey in the original Broadway production of Oklahoma! in 1943.

Early years

Roberts was born Josephine Rose Seagrist<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=lat/> in Manhattan, New York and was raised in Astoria, Queens.<ref name="obit"/> She first appeared on stage at age 6. She was active in dramatic productions as a student at St. Patrick's Cathedral (Manhattan) High School and gained additional experience in summer stock productions.<ref name=bde8843>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> She studied singing with Estelle Liebling, the teacher of Beverly Sills, in her youth.<ref name="obit">Template:Cite work</ref>

Career

Radio

Roberts was a regular on The Texaco Summer Theater on CBS July 4 - December 5, 1943. The program was a summer replacement for The Fred Allen Show but was extended when Allen did not return as scheduled.<ref name="dunningota">Template:Cite book</ref>

Stage

Sunny River was Roberts' first Broadway production. She played Madeleine Caresse December 4, 1941 - January 3, 1942.<ref name=pv>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Later in 1942 she played in Hit the Deck with the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera.<ref name=bde8843/>

Roberts initially auditioned for the role of Ado Annie in the original Broadway production of Oklahoma! (which eventually went to Celeste Holm), but the show's librettist Oscar Hammerstein cast her as the female lead, Laurey.<ref name="obit"/> At the time of her death she was one of four surviving cast members of the original 1943 opening night production of Oklahoma! and the only one who played a principal role (Celeste Holm died several weeks earlier), along with George S. Irving, Marc Platt, and Bambi Linn. Roberts subsequently starred as Sara Longstreet on Broadway in the musical High Button Shoes.<ref name="obit"/>

In addition to her work as an actress, Roberts taught voice lessons and presented workshops on singing and voice projection.<ref name="Playbill">Template:Cite work</ref> In 2011 the University of North Carolina's School of the Arts mounted a production of Oklahoma! that replicated the original Broadway staging of the show. Roberts and Celeste Holm both attended that production and were present at an event honoring the two actresses.<ref name="Playbill"/>

She was in retirement for many years on Long Island, New York, when she appeared as Heidi Schiller in the 2001 Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Follies.<ref name="obit"/> Over the years she was seen in documentaries about Oscar Hammerstein II, George Abbott and in the film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There.

Television

On December 19, 1966, Roberts appeared in a production of Jack and the Beanstalk on CBS-TV.<ref name=nat>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref>

In 1977 on the Series Emergency! S6 E15 “Breakdown”, she made an appearance as Jane.

Personal life

Roberts was married to Dr. John J. Donlon,<ref name=dm>Template:Cite news Template:Open access</ref> who died in 1965.<ref name=lat>Template:Cite news</ref> They had a son, John J. Donlon, Jr.<ref name=dm/>

Death

On August 13, 2012, Roberts died of congestive heart failure, aged 95, according to her son.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Celeste Holm, who played Ado Annie in the same original production of Oklahoma!, had died only a month before, also at age 95.<ref name="obit"/>

Stage

• Sunny River - 1941-1942<ref name=pv/>
• Oklahoma! - 1943-1945<ref name=pv/>
• Marinka - 1945<ref name=pv/>
• Are You with It? (musical) - 1945-1946<ref name=pv/>
• High Button Shoes - 1947-1949<ref name=pv/> (preceded by Nanette Fabray)
• Follies - 2001<ref name=pv/>

Film

• The Model and the Marriage Broker (1951)
• Lovely to Look at (1952)

Partial discography

• Joan Roberts Sings of Faith, Hope and Love - Aardvark Records<ref name=nat/>

Book

• Never Alone by Joan Roberts (McMullen Books Inc., 1954)<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

External links

• [https://www.imdb.com/{{#if: 731244

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• Template:Playbill person
• Joan Roberts Papers, 1966-1993, held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts