Iva Withers facts for kids
Pearl Iva Edith Withers (born July 7, 1917 – died October 7, 2014) was an actress and singer. She was born in Canada but became an American citizen. Iva Withers is best known for stepping into lead roles in some of Rodgers and Hammerstein's most famous musical plays. From 1945 to 1970, she worked almost non-stop on Broadway or in big tours across the country. She often took over parts from other actors.
Around 1943, Iva Withers was first hired to be a backup for the main actresses in Broadway shows like Oklahoma! and Carousel. She soon became the main star of Carousel, playing the character Julie Jordan more than 600 times on Broadway. She was also the first actress to play Julie in London in 1950. After that, she took over the role of Adelaide in Guys and Dolls. She was a replacement or standby in many other Broadway shows throughout the 1950s and 1960s. She also toured North America, playing lead roles in Carousel, South Pacific, and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Her last Broadway role was in Forty Carats (1968–1970). After this, she decided to leave show business.
Early Life and Start in Acting
Iva Withers was born in Rivers, Manitoba, Canada. Her parents, Roy and Edith Withers, had moved from Ireland around 1913. Her father sold insurance, and her mother was a seamstress. As a child growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Iva performed in local vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a type of entertainment with different acts like singing, dancing, and comedy. She also continued to sing in church as a teenager.
In 1940, she moved to New York to study singing. She wanted to improve her voice for church performances. In 1942, she spent seven months in England during World War II. She returned to New York to try out for roles on Broadway. She shortened her name to Iva Withers. Around 1943, she joined the cast of Oklahoma!, a famous musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein.
She later became the backup for the main singing roles in Oklahoma! and Carousel. She once remembered a special day in 1945. She played Julie in Carousel in the afternoon show. Then, she quickly rushed from the Majestic Theatre to the St. James Theatre. That evening, she played Laurey in Oklahoma!. This amazing feat made Iva Withers the first actress ever to play the lead role in two different Broadway hits on the same day!
Broadway Success and Later Years
On January 1, 1946, Iva Withers took over the role of Julie Jordan from Jan Clayton. She played Julie more than 600 times on Broadway. In 1950, she was the first actress to play Julie in the original London production of Carousel. A critic named Philip Hope-Wallace wrote that she showed true emotion in the role.
Next, she became a replacement for the character Adelaide in the original Broadway show Guys and Dolls. She also toured across America. She played Julie in Carousel, Nellie in South Pacific, and Lorelei Lee in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
Iva Withers also had other roles on Broadway. She was a standby (meaning she was ready to fill in) for Janette in Make a Wish (1951). She replaced May in Redhead (1959). She was a standby for Molly in The Unsinkable Molly Brown (1960). She was an understudy for Cyrenne in Rattle of a Simple Man (1963). She was also a standby for Elvira in High Spirits (1964) and for Suzanne and Felice in The Happy Time (1968).
Her very last Broadway role was from 1968 to 1970. She played "Mrs. Adams" in Forty Carats. This was the only role she ever created herself. She was also a standby for the lead role of Ann Stanley, played by Julie Harris and later by Zsa Zsa Gábor. In August 1970, she performed the matinee show when Zsa Zsa Gabor was unable to. Iva Withers left show business after Forty Carats. She was tired of disagreements about her pay when she filled in for others.
Family Life
In 1943, Iva Withers married Robert Strom. While touring with Carousel in 1946, she met Kazimir Kokich. He was a ballet dancer who had become a Broadway actor. In 1949, both Iva and Kazimir ended their previous marriages and got married. Kazimir's first wife, ballerina Alexandra Danilova, remained friends with the family.
After leaving the stage, Iva Withers worked in an office for doctors to support herself and her two children. She retired at age 77. Her daughter, Kim Alexandra Kokich, is a reporter for NPR. Her son, Jerry Kokich, is a ballet coach and used to be a dancer with the Joffrey Ballet.
Death
Iva Withers passed away in Englewood, New Jersey, on October 7, 2014. She was 97 years old. She died at the Lillian Booth Actors Home.
