Chita Rivera, the Broadway legend who played Anita in the original production of West Side StoryHe has died at the age of 91.
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson was born on January 23, 1933 in Washington, DC. She studied ballet at the Jones Haywood School of Dance and, as a teenager, she received a scholarship to the School of American Ballet in New York City.
In 1951, Rivera landed her first role in the musical. Call me ma'am. She appeared as a dancer in the 1953 Broadway production of Cancan, and in 1955 she appeared as Fifi in Seventh sky. The following year, Rivera played Rita Romano in Mr. Wonderful, starring Sammy Davis Jr.
In 1957, Rivera was cast as Anita in the original Broadway production by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. West Side Story. As part of the production, Rivera sang now-iconic songs like “America” and “A Boy Like That / I Have a Love.”
While in West Side Story, Rivera met her husband, fellow dancer Tony Mordente. The following year, the show's London production was postponed so Rivera could give birth to the couple's daughter, Lisa. Rivera and Mordente eventually divorced in 1966.
In 1960, Rivera played Rose opposite Dick Van Dyke in Goodbye little bird, a role for which she was nominated for a Tony. As her star power increased, she also appeared on the biggest television shows of the time, including The Ed Sullivan Show, The Judy Garland Show, The Carol Burnett Show, and The new Dick Van Dyke show.
Rivera received her second Tony Award nomination for her role as Velma Kelly in 1975. chicago, which included their performance of “All That Jazz.” She was nominated again in 1981 for the Goodbye little bird continuation Bring back Birdie, and again in 1983 for her work as The Queen in Merlin. Finally, in 1984, Rivera won her first Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for playing Anna in Track, which also starred stage legend Liza Minnelli.
Rivera was nominated for another Tony for her 1985 work in Jerry's girls. The following year, the actress was involved in a serious car accident in which she broke her leg in 12 places and required 18 screws to heal. She appeared in a touring production of Cancan a few years later, but her career slowed down comparatively until 1993, when she played Aurora and Spider Woman in Kander and Ebb. The kiss of spider women. He received his second Tony Award for the role.
After appearing in a London production of chicago and a Chicago production of The visit, Rivera returned to Broadway in 2003 for Nine. Two years later he starred Chita Rivera: The life of the dancer, a retrospective of his career. Rivera also appeared as a guest star on some television series at the time, including appearances on Will and Grace and the Disney musical show Johnny and the Sprites.
Rivera's last role on Broadway was in 2015. The visit, the final musical written by John Kander, Fred Ebb and Terrence McNally. She was nominated for her tenth and final Tony Award for her role. In 2018, she received the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award, completing her career with 10 Tony nominations and three wins.
In 2009, Rivera received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama. She was honored by the Kennedy Center in 2002, becoming the first Latina to receive the award.
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