CHITA RIVERA

'Chita Rivera' (born 'Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero' on January 23, 1933 in Washington, D.C.) is a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical actress dancer, and singer best known for her musical theater roles. Rivera who is of Puerto Rican heritage, is the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award.

Contents

Early years

Broadway roles

Tony awards and recognitions

Later years

Additional Broadway credits

See also

External links

Early years

She was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington, D.C. to a Puerto Rican father who played clarinet and saxophone for the Navy band and a mother of Scottish and Italian descent. Rivera was seven-years-old when her mother became a widow and went to work for The Pentagon.
In 1944, Rivera's mother enrolled her in the Jones-Hayward School of Ballet. Later, when she was 15, a teacher from George Balanchine's School of American Ballet visited their studio and Rivera was one of two students picked to audition in New York City; she was accompanied to the audition by Doris Jones, one of the people who ran the Jones-Hayward School. Chita's audition was successful and she was accepted into the school and given a scholarship. Among her new teachers were Allegra Kent and Maria Tallchief.

Broadway roles

In 1952, Rivera accompanied a friend to the audition for a Broadway production of ''Call Me Madam'' and ended up winning the role herself. She followed this by landing roles in other Broadway productions such as ''Guys and Dolls'' and ''Can-Can''. In 1957, she was cast in the role which was destined to make her a Broadway star, the firebrand Anita in ''West Side Story''. (The role would bring fame and an Oscar to another Puerto Rican, Rita Moreno, in the 1961 film version). Rivera starred in a national tour of ''Can-Can'' and played the role of Nicky in the film adaptation of ''Sweet Charity'' with Shirley MacLaine.
On December 1 1957, Rivera married dancer Tony Mordente. Her performance was so important for the success of the show that the London production of ''West Side Story'' was postponed until she gave birth to the couple's daughter Lisa. In 1963, Rivera was cast opposite Alfred Drake in ''Zenda''. The Broadway-bound musical closed on the road.
In 1986, Rivera was in a severe accident when her car collided with a taxi on West 86th Street in Manhattan. Injuries sustained included the breaking of her left leg in twelve places, requiring eighteen screws and two braces to mend. After rehabilitation, Rivera continued to perform on stage.
Rivera is regarded by many theatre aficionados as a "living legend" and in an ''In Theatre'' magazine interview, George Horsfall suggested, "You must be tired of the term 'legend', but let's get it out of the way. You have long been considered a Broadway legend." Rivera replied "Oh, God!" and laughed.
In addition to her ballet instructors, Rivera credited Leonard Bernstein and Gwen Verdon, with whom she starred in ''Chicago'', as being people from whom she learned a great deal.

Tony awards and recognitions

Rivera received two Tony Awards (for ''The Rink'' and ''Kiss of the Spider Woman'') and seven additional nominations. She was the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award.

Later years

Rivera starred in the Goodman Theatre production of the Kander and Ebb musical ''The Visit'' in 2001. She is expected to reprise her role in a Signature Theatre staging in Autumn 2007. She guest-starred along with Michele Lee in a February 2005 episode of ''Will & Grace'', and in December of that year '', a retrospective of her career, opened on Broadway. She received a Tony nomination for her self-portrayal.

Additional Broadway credits

★ ''Mr. Wonderful''

★ ''Bye Bye Birdie''

★ ''Bajour''

★ ''Born Yesterday''

★ ''The Rose Tattoo''

★ ''Call Me Madam''

★ ''Threepenny Opera''

★ ''Sweet Charity''

★ ''Kiss Me, Kate''

★ ''Bring Back Birdie''

★ ''Nine the Musical''

See also

★ List of famous Puerto Ricans

External links

★ Official webste

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★ 2003 Interview with Chita Rivera about ''West Side Story''.

★ TonyAwards.com Interviews with Chita Rivera