Wilbur Whilt "Wib" Evans (August 5, 1905 – May 31, 1987) was an American actor and singer who performed on the radio, in opera, on Broadway in films and early live television.
Evans was born in Philadelphia to parents Walter Percy and
Emma Whilt Evans, of Welsh descent. He had a brother, Walter, and a sister,
Emma, who died at an early age. As a child, he sang with the Welsh Singing
Society of Philadelphia and as a soloist in the choir of the First Unitarian Church
in Germantown, aged 5. His first stage appearance came at Holmes Junior High
School in a production of Daddy Long Legs. From 1921 to 1925, he attended West
Philadelphia High School for Boys, where he starred as Ko-Ko in The Mikado by
Gilbert and Sullivan.
After graduating from high school, Evans earned a two-year scholarship at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music. During his second year at Curtis, in 1927, he entered the first national radio singing contest, the Atwater Kent Foundation National Radio Singing Contest. Out of 50,000 contestants, Evans won the top male prize of $5,000 in cash and a two-year scholarship for his junior and senior years at Curtis. Some have since referred to Evans as one of the 'first American Idols.'
A baritone, Evans performed in radio early his career. In 1930, he moved to Los Angeles to perform on the radio, in concerts and to try his hand has a performer in the movie-talkie fever that was sweeping the land. However, with limited financial success, he returned to New York in 1931 to resume his radio career.
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Wilbur with Jeanette MacDonald |
He returned to the Savoy stage on May 13 and 14, 1932, playing Jack Point in The Yeomen of the Guard, also at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. He credited his performance in this demanding role to director Pacie Ripple, who had appeared in D'Oyly Carte productions under Gilbert and Sullivan themselves. His duet with Savoy veteran John Steele Williams became a showstopper due to the audience's overwhelming applause. Evans made his final Savoy appearance in 1936, starring in Utopia, Limited, marking both Savoy's and Philadelphia's premiere of the opera. Once again directed by Pacie Ripple, Evans received rave reviews from local press.
Evans toured widely across North America, performing in concerts, operas, recitals and oratorios; he toured every state except North Dakota. He made his grand opera debut in 1933 in Tristan und Isolde with Fritz Reiner and the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra. He served for two years in the Marine Reserve during the 1930s. In 1942, he made his New York debut in The Merry Widow at Carnegie Hall and later made his Broadway debut in Mexican Hayride. He subsequently went on to perform in The New Moon, La Vie Parisienne and Up in Central Park. He made his directional debut at the Lambertville Music Circus in 1949.
In 1951, Evans co-starred with Mary Martin in the original London production of South Pacific at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. In the early 1950s, Evans and his wife, actress Susanna Foster, toured extensively in operettas and musicals. He appeared in By the Beautiful Sea on Broadway in 1954, and became director of the Valley Forge Music Fair in 1955.
Through the 1950s and 1960s, he also performed in concerts and cabarets, singing alongside stars including Mary Martin and Shirley Booth. He also appeared in Man of La Mancha at the Mastbaum Theater in Philadelphia in 1966.
Between 1967 and 1971, he served as an Army officer responsible for overseeing United Service Organizations shows in Vietnam. After returning to the U.S. in 1971, he was appointed head of the music and theater division at Fort Bliss, Texas, a position he held until his retirement from the Army in 1974.
Evans died at the Elmer Community Hospital, Elner, New Jersey on May 31, 1987, at the age of 81 and was survived by his fourth wife Masako Ogura.
(Edited from Wikipedia)
1 comment:
I couldn’t find any compilation of songs by Wilbur Evans so I compiled this one from various albums found on the streamers.
For “Wilbur Evans – Show Songs (2025 FromTheVaults)” go here:
https://pixeldrain.com/u/UAXNowDj
Broadcast (Jan 1938) Intro by Jeanette MacDonald
1) Wilbur Evans & Tommy - There Won’t Be Any Difference Between Us.mp3"
Student Prince (1943)
2) Kitty Carlisle & Wilbur Evans - Finale Of Act II (Original 1943 Recording).mp3"
The Merry Widow (1943)
3) Wilbur Evans - Mixim's. mp3"
4) Wilbur Evans & Kitty Carlisle - I Love You So - The Merry Widow Waltz.mp3"
Mexican Hayride (1944)
5) Wilbur Evans - I Love You.mp3"
6) Wilbur Evans - Girls.mp3"
Desert Song (1944)
7) Wilbur Evans - Opening Chorus & Riff Song.mp3"
8) Wilbur Evans & Kitty Carlisle - The Desert Song.mp3"
9) Wilbur Evans & Kitty Carlisle - Then You Will Know.mp3"
10) Wilbur Evans - One Alone.mp3"
The Red Mill (1945)
11) Wilbur Evans - Every Day is Ladies Day With Me.mp3"
12) Wilbur Evans - The Streets Of New York.mp3"
Up In Central Park (1945)
13) Wilbur Evans - When You Walk In The Room.mp3"
South Pacific (1951)
14) Mary Martin & Wilbur Evans - Twin Soliloquies.mp3"
15) Wilbur Evans - Some Enchanted Evening.mp3"
16) Wilbur Evans - This Nearly Was Mine.mp3"
By The Beautiful Sea (1954)
17) Wilbur Evans - I've Been Alone Too Long.mp3"
18) Wilbur Evans - More Love Than Your Love.mp3"
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