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Gretchen Wyler Biography (1932-)

Born Gretchen Patricia Wienecke, February 16, 1932, in Bartlesville, OK; daughter of Louis Gustave (a gasoline engineer) and Peggy (Highley) Wienecke; married Shepard Coleman, June 18, 1956 (divorced, 1968). Addresses: AGENT--c/o Irv Schechter and Company, 9300 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA 90212.

Nationality

American

Gender

Female

Birth Details

February 16, 1932

Bartlesville, Oklahoma, United States

Famous Works

• Credits
• BROADWAY DEBUT--Chorus, Where's Charley?, Broadway Theatre, 1948.
• LONDON STAGE DEBUT--Title role, Sweet Charity, Prince of Wales Theatre, 1967.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE APPEARANCES
• Dancer, Giselle and Sleeping Beauty, both Ballet Guild, Little Rock Auditorium, Little Rock, AR, 1950.
• corpe de ballet and Jane Ashton, Brigadoon, St. Louis Municipal Opera, St. Louis, MO, 1950.
• Miss Adelaide, Guys and Dolls, 46th Street Theatre, New York City, 1953.
• Janice Dayton, Silk Stockings, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1955.
• Lola, Damn Yankees, 46th Street Theatre, 1955.
• Kate Drew, Rumple, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1957.
• Rose, Bye, Bye Birdie, Shubert Theatre, then Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, both 1961, later St. Louis Municipal Opera, and Westchester Dinner Theatre, Westchester, NY, both 1962.
• Adelaide, Guys and Dolls, Metropolitan Musicals, Baltimore, MD, 1962.
• Annie, Annie Get Your Gun, Westchester Town House, Westchester, NY, 1963.
• Essie Whimple, Redhead, Aqua Theatre, Seattle, WA, 1963.
• Bells Are Ringing, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1963.
• Cherie, Bus Stop, Winter Theatre, Atlanta, GA, 1964.
• Wonder World, New York World's Fair, New York City, 1964.
• Lizzie Curry, 110 in the Shade, St. Louis Municipal Opera, 1965.
• Lola, Damn Yankees, Salt Lake City Music Theatre, Salt Lake City, UT, 1965.
• Rose, Bye Bye Birdie, St. Louis Municipal Opera, 1966.
• Cyrenne, Rattle of a Simple Man, Warwick Playhouse, Warwick, NY, 1966.
• title role, Sweet Charity, Westbury Music Fair, Long Island, NY, then Coconut Grove Playhouse, Coconut Grove, FL, 1967.
• Margo Channing, Applause, Palace Theatre, New York City, 1970.
• Joanne, Company, Meadowbrook Dinner Theatre, Cedar Grove, NJ, 1973.
• Evy Meara, The Gingerbread Lady, Ring Theatre, University of Miami, Miami, FL, 1974.
• Miss Fancy, Sly Fox, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1976.
• Cole Porter Requests the Pleasure, Coconut Grove Playhouse, 1985.
• title role, Diamond Lil, American Conservatory Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 1988.
• Also dancer in summer theatre productions, Toronto, ON, Canada, 1951; resident understudy, St. Louis Municipal Opera, 1954; Irene Lavelle, Say, Darling, Kenley Players, Warren, OH, and Columbus, OH, 1962; Hatful of Rain, Warwick Playhouse, 1966; Maggie, The Man Who Came to Dinner, Williamstown FestivalTheatre, Williamstown, MA; in Broadway Greats and the Songs That Made Them Famous (one-woman show), Town Hall, New York City; First Lady, Berkshire Theatre Festival, Stockbridge, MA; as Olivia, Your Own Thing, in Chicago, IL; and in summer theatre productions of Mame, Kismet, Here's Love, Call Me Madam, Anything Goes, Golden Rainbow, Dames at Sea, The Boy Friend, and Born Yesterday.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL STAGE WORK
• Producer, The Ballad of Johnny Pot, Theatre Four, New York City, 1971.
• Credits; MAJOR TOURS
• Amy, Where's Charley?, U.S. cities, 1948.
• Miss Adelaide, Guys and Dolls, U.S. cities, 1951.
• Janice Dayton, Silk Stockings, U.S. cities, 1956.
• Lola, Damn Yankees, U.S. cities, 1957.
• Frenchy, Destry Rides Again, U.S. cities, 1960.
• Rose, Bye, Bye Birdie, U.S. cities, 1961.
• Anna Reardon, And Miss Reardon Drinks a Little, U.S. cities, 1973.
• Margo Channing, Applause, U.S. cities, 1973.
• Also in Follies, California cities, 1987.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL FILM APPEARANCES
• Lady of Joy, The Devil's Brigade, United Artists, 1968.
• Aunt Kissy, Private Benjamin, Warner Brothers, 1980.
• TELEVISION DEBUT--Dancer, The Kate Smith Show, NBC, 1950.
• Credits; PRINCIPAL TELEVISION APPEARANCES; SERIES
• Regular, The Bob Crosby Show, NBC, 1958.
• host, Step This Way, syndicated, 1965-67.
• Toni McBain, On Our Own, CBS, 1977-78.
• Dr. Conrad, Dallas, CBS, 1981.
• Also Somerset, NBC.
• Credits; EPISODIC
• The Colgate Comedy Hour, NBC.
• Walter Winchell, NBC.
• Sergeant Bilko (also known as The Phil Silvers Show and You'll Never GetRich), CBS.
• Bell Telephone Hour, NBC.
• I've Got a Secret, CBS.
• The Tonight Show, NBC.
• To Tell the Truth, CBS.
• Stump the Stars, CBS.
• Naked City, ABC.
• Password, CBS.
• Picture This, CBS.
• The Perry Como Show, NBC.
• The Garry Moore Show, CBS.
• Music '60, CBS.
• The Andy Williams Show, NBC.
• The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS.
• Match Game, NBC.
• The Price Is Right, CBS.
• Get the Message, ABC.
• Girl Talk ABC.
• Call My Bluff, NBC.
• The Dean Martin Show, NBC.
• Charlie's Angels, ABC.
• St. Elsewhere, NBC.
• Hart to Hart, ABC.
• Making a Living, ABC.
• The New Odd Couple, ABC.
• Gimme a Break, NBC.
• Credits; MOVIES
• Emily Amend, Portrait of an Escort, CBS, 1980.
• Olivia Probashka, When the Circus Came to Town, CBS, 1981.
• Credits; SPECIALS
• An Evening with Gretchen Wyler, ABC.
• Writings;STAGE
• Lyrics, Noah, Pittsburgh Playhouse, PA, 1965.