Anna Wheaton


Anna Meeker Wheaton was an American musical theatre actress and singer of the early 20th century.

Biography

Wheaton was born on November 26, 1894, in Savannah, Georgia. As a young child, the family moved to Washington, D.C. While still a youngster, she made her Broadway debut in the American premiere of Peter Pan starring Maude Adams in 1905.
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.
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.

Personal

Wheaton married Walter Thomas Collins in New York City on June 18, 1919. The couple had one child, Walter Kendall Collins.

Death

She died from a cerebral hemorrhage on December 25, 1961 in a Pasadena, California hospital.

Theatre credits

YearProductionTheatreRole
1921Ziegfeld 9 O'Clock FrolicDanse de Follies
1920Three ShowersHarris Theatre / Plymouth TheatreRoberta Lee "Bob" White
1917Oh, Boy!Princess Theatre / Casino TheatreJackie Simpson
1914Miss DaisyShubert Theatre / Lyric TheatreElsie Swigget
1913When Dreams Come True'’Lyric Theatre / 44th Street TheatreMargaret Smith
1913IolantheCasino TheatreCelia
1913The MikadoCasino TheatrePitti-Sing
1913The Beggar StudentCasino TheatreBronislava
1912The Passing Show of 1912Winter Garden TheatreThe Quaker Girl
1910Madame Troubadour'’Lyric Theatre / Nazimova's 39th Street TheatreGeorgette
1910Up and Down BroadwayCasino TheatreMiss Frite
1909The Rose of AlgeriaHerald Square Theatre / West End TheatreMrs. Billings F. Cooings
1906Cape Cod FolksAcademy of MusicSophronia
1905Peter PanEmpire TheatreLiza

Selected discography