Joan Roberts facts for kids

Joan Roberts (born July 15, 1917 – died August 13, 2012) was an American actress. She is best known for playing the main role of Laurey in the very first Broadway show of Oklahoma! in 1943.

Early Life and Training

Joan Roberts was born Josephine Rose Seagrist in Manhattan, New York. She grew up in Astoria, Queens. Joan started acting on stage when she was only 6 years old!

As a student at St. Patrick's Cathedral High School, she was very active in school plays. She also gained more experience by performing in summer theater shows. When she was young, she took singing lessons from Estelle Liebling, a famous voice teacher.

Her Acting Career

Joan Roberts had a long and interesting career in radio, on stage, and on television.

Radio Shows

Joan was a regular on a radio show called The Texaco Summer Theater. This show was on CBS from July to December in 1943. It was a summer show that stayed on longer than planned.

Stage Performances

Joan Roberts' first show on Broadway was Sunny River. She played the character Madeleine Caresse from December 1941 to January 1942. Later in 1942, she acted in Hit the Deck in Los Angeles.

Her most famous role was Laurey in Oklahoma!. She first tried out for a different role, Ado Annie. But the show's writer, Oscar Hammerstein II, saw her talent and chose her to be the main female lead, Laurey. When Joan Roberts passed away, she was one of only a few actors left from the original 1943 Oklahoma! cast. She was the only one who played a main character.

After Oklahoma!, Joan also starred as Sara Longstreet in another Broadway musical called High Button Shoes.

Besides acting, Joan Roberts also taught voice lessons. She held workshops to help others learn how to sing and project their voices. In 2011, a university in North Carolina put on a special production of Oklahoma!. It was just like the original Broadway show. Joan Roberts and another original cast member, Celeste Holm, both attended this special event.

After many years of retirement, Joan returned to Broadway in 2001. She played Heidi Schiller in a show called Follies. She also appeared in documentaries about famous theater people like Oscar Hammerstein II and George Abbott. She was also in the film Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There.

Television Appearances

Joan Roberts also acted on television. On December 19, 1966, she was in a TV production of Jack and the Beanstalk on CBS. In 1977, she appeared in an episode of the TV series Emergency! where she played a character named Jane.

Personal Life

Joan Roberts was married to Dr. John J. Donlon. He passed away in 1965. They had one son, John J. Donlon, Jr.

Later Years and Passing

Joan Roberts died on August 13, 2012, when she was 95 years old. Her son said she passed away from heart failure. Interestingly, Celeste Holm, who played Ado Annie in the original Oklahoma! show, also died just a month before Joan, also at age 95.

Notable Stage Roles

• Sunny River - 1941-1942
• Oklahoma! - 1943-1945
• Marinka - 1945
• Are You with It? (musical) - 1945-1946
• High Button Shoes - 1947-1949
• Follies - 2001

Film Roles

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

See also

In Spanish: Joan Roberts para niños