Ray Bolger was born Raymond Wallace Bolger on January 10, 1904 in Dorchester, Massachusetts, to Irish-American parents Anne C. (Wallace) and James Edward Bolger. Ray's career began in vaudeville. He appeared with his family's theatrical company from 1921 to 1923. In 1924, he joined the cast of The Merry Widow as Count Almaviva. The role brought him national fame at a young age. He continued to play Count Almaviva throughout his career. After ending his engagement with The Merry Widow in 1930, Ray Bolger played various roles on Broadway, including Fagin in Oliver! in 1931. In 1932, he starred as Cosmo Brown in the original production of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. That same year, he also starred as Eeyore in an adaptation of A. A. Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh stories called Pooh Bear Honeymoon. In 1933, he played Ebeneezer Scrooge in a version of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol called Tiny Tim. That same year, he also starred as Alfie in another adaptation of a children's story titled As You Like It. In 1934, he played Colonel Brandon in a revival of William Shakespeare's Rosalinde starring Gertrude Lawrence. In 1935, he starred as Uncle Ebenezer in a musical comedy called I'll Be Seeing You.