Anna Wheaton
Musical theatre actress and singer
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Anna Meeker Wheaton (November 26, 1894 – December 25, 1961) was an American musical theatre actress and singer of the early 20th century.
November 26, 1894[1]
Anna Wheaton | |
|---|---|
![](#/media/File:The_Bacchanal_Rag_by_Louis_A._Hirsch,_from_"The_Passing_Show_of_1912".jpg) Cover of published sheet music to "The Bacchanal Rag" by Louis A. Hirsch, 1912 | |
| Born | Anna Meeker Wheaton November 26, 1894[1] Savannah, Georgia, United States[1] |
| Died | December 25, 1961 (aged 67)[2] Pasadena, California, United States[3] |
| Occupation | actor |
| Years active | 1900s–1920s |
Biography
Wheaton was born on November 26, 1894 (some sources indicate 1893[4] or 1896[3]), in Savannah, Georgia.[1][5] As a young child, the family moved to Washington, D.C.[4] While still a youngster, she made her Broadway debut in the American premiere of Peter Pan starring Maude Adams in 1905.[3]
She is perhaps best known for her role as Jackie Simpson in the original production of Oh, Boy! in 1917. The hit musical featured the music of Jerome Kern with lyrics by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse. In the show, she performed "Till the Clouds Roll By" with Tom Powers. She subsequently recorded the song on Columbia Records with James Harrod, where it climbed to the top of the American music charts for six weeks.[6]
Earlier that year, she had a solo hit with "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I" from the revue, Hitchy-Koo. The song reached number two on the popular music charts.[6]
Personal
Wheaton married Walter Thomas Collins in New York City on June 18, 1919.[7] The couple had one child, Walter Kendall Collins (1921–1996).
Death
She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1961, in a Pasadena, California hospital.[2][3]
Theatre credits
| Year | Production | Theatre(s) | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Ziegfeld 9 O'Clock Frolic[8] | Danse de Follies | |
| 1920 | Three Showers[9] | Harris Theatre / Plymouth Theatre | Roberta Lee "Bob" White |
| 1917 | Oh, Boy![10] | Princess Theatre / Casino Theatre | Jackie Simpson |
| 1914 | Miss Daisy[11] | Shubert Theatre / Lyric Theatre | Elsie Swigget |
| 1913 | When Dreams Come True[12][13] | Lyric Theatre / 44th Street Theatre | Margaret Smith |
| Iolanthe[14][15] | Casino Theatre | Celia | |
| The Mikado[16] | Casino Theatre | Pitti-Sing | |
| The Beggar Student[17][18] | Casino Theatre | Bronislava | |
| 1912 | The Passing Show of 1912[19][20] | Winter Garden Theatre | The Quaker Girl |
| 1910 | Madame Troubadour[21] | Lyric Theatre / Nazimova's 39th Street Theatre | Georgette |
| Up and Down Broadway[22] | Casino Theatre | Miss Frite | |
| 1909 | The Rose of Algeria[23] | Herald Square Theatre / West End Theatre | Mrs. Billings F. Cooings |
| 1906 | Cape Cod Folks[24][25] | Academy of Music | Sophronia |
| 1905 | Peter Pan[26] | Empire Theatre | Liza |
Selected discography
| Year | Single | Label and number | US Chart[6] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1917 | "M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I" | Columbia 2224 | 2 |
| "Till the Clouds Roll By" (w/ James Harrod) / "Drip, Drip, Drip, Went the Waterfall"[27] | Columbia 2261 | 1 | |
| "Help, Help, I'm Sinking"[28] | Columbia 2295 | - | |
| "There's a Million Reasons Why I Shouldn't Kiss You" (w/ Sam Ash)[28] | Columbia 2303 | - | |
| "How Can Any Girlie Be a Good Little Girl (When She Loves a Naughty Little Boy?)[28] | Columbia 2334 | - | |
| "I Don't Want to be Loved a Little by a Lot of Little Boys (But by One Little Boy a Lot)" (from the musical, His Little Widows)/"I'd Love to be a Monkey in the Zoo"[27][28] | Columbia 2384 | - |