Iva Withers was born in Canada in 1917 and moved to New York in 1940 to take vocal lessons. In 1944, she began auditioning for roles in Broadway musical productions, and was hired in 1945 to understudy the lead female roles in both Oklahoma! (Laurey) and Carousel (Julie Jordan). Withers went on to play the Julie Jordan role more than 600 times on Broadway, and originated the role in the original London production of Carousel .
Withers' career included a series of subsequent "leading lady" understudy assignments in notable Broadway productions, including As The Girls Go, Make A Wish, Show Boat, Sally, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, Redhead, The Unsinkable Molly Brown, Rattle of a Simple Man, High Spirits, I Do! I Do!, Happy Time, Forty Carats, and The Last Wedding . Withers appeared on stage in all of these productions--in some, she took over the lead female role while the original production was still on Broadway; in others, Withers originated the lead female role for the touring production. Withers' acting career spanned from 1945 through 1970.
Iva Withers was married twice; her second marriage was to Broadway actor and dancer Kazimir Kokich.
From the guide to the Iva Withers Papers, 1917-2011, 1945-1970, (The Ohio State University. Rare Books and Manuscripts Library.)
