Chita Rivera | |
|---|---|
 Rivera in 1997 | |
| Born | Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (1933-01-23)January 23, 1933 Washington, D.C., U.S. |
| Died | January 30, 2024(2024-01-30) (aged 91) New York City, U.S. |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 1950–2024 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Lisa Mordente |
| Awards | Full list |
| Website | chitarivera |
| Signature | |
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| External audio | |
|---|---|
 "Chita Rivera" performsAmerica andAll That Jazz from 1982 onYouTube |
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024), known professionally asChita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including twoTony Awards, twoDrama Desk Awards, and aDrama League Award. She was the firstLatina and the firstLatino American[1] to receive aKennedy Center Honor in 2002, and thePresidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.[2] She won theTony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.
After making herBroadway debut as a dancer inGuys and Dolls (1950), she went on to originate roles in Broadway musicals such as Anita inWest Side Story (1957),Velma Kelly inChicago (1975), and the title role inKiss of the Spider Woman (1993). She was a ten-timeTony Award nominee, winning theTony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice for her roles inThe Rink (1984) andKiss of the Spider Woman (1993).[3] She was Tony-nominated for her roles inBye Bye Birdie (1961),Chicago (1975),Bring Back Birdie (1981),Merlin (1983),Jerry's Girls (1986),Nine (2003),Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (2005), andThe Visit (2015).
Rivera acted in the filmSweet Charity (1969) and appeared inSgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), andTick, Tick... Boom! (2021). She played Connie Richardson in theCBS sitcomThe New Dick Van Dyke Show (1973–1974). She also appeared on television inThe Judy Garland Show (1963),The Carol Burnett Show (1971), andWill & Grace (2005). Her autobiography,Chita: A Memoir, was published in 2023.[4]
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero[5][6] was born in Washington, D.C. on January 23, 1933,[7] the daughter of Katherine (née Anderson), a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero,[6] a clarinetist and saxophonist for theU.S. NavyBand. Her father was born in Puerto Rico. His family names are ofGalician origin. Her mother was of Scottish, Irish, and African-American descent.[8] Rivera was one of five children.[9] Rivera was seven years old when her mother was widowed and went to work atThe Pentagon.[10]
In 1944, Rivera's mother enrolled her in theJones-Haywood School of Ballet (now the Jones Haywood School of Dance).[11] Later, when she was 15, a teacher fromGeorge Balanchine'sSchool 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-Haywood School. Rivera's audition was successful, and she was accepted into the school and given a scholarship.[12]
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In 1951, Rivera accompanied a friend to the audition for the touring company ofCall Me Madam starringElaine Stritch and ended up winning the role herself. She followed this by landing roles in other Broadway productions such asGuys and Dolls,Can-Can,Mr. Wonderful starringSammy Davis Jr., andSeventh Heaven[13] and dancing onTheMaurice Chevalier Special in 1956.[14] In 1957, she was cast as Anita inWest Side Story, the role which would make her a Broadway star.[15]
In 1960, Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award[3] for creating the role of Rose inBye Bye Birdie oppositeDick Van Dyke. She appeared three times onThe Ed Sullivan Show[14] and won raves for her performance on Broadway and in London oppositePeter Marshall, but was passed over for the film version where the role was played byJanet Leigh. In 1963, Rivera was a guest onThe Judy Garland Show and was cast oppositeAlfred Drake inZenda. The Broadway-bound musical closed on the road but in 1964, Rivera returned to Broadway inBajour[13] and television inThe Outer Limits[14]. After seeing her perform in the musical, music producerNorman Petty approached her in New York and inquired about recording with him. Her first single was released in 1965 on the Dot Records label, with a second single issued in 1966. Making a trip toPetty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico in 1966, she was backed byThe Fireballs for a full album ofBuddy Holly cover songs, but the project went unreleased.[16]
Among many national tours, Rivera starred most notably inSweet Charity directed byBob Fosse, playing the role of Nickie in the film adaptation ofSweet Charity withShirley MacLaine (1969).[12] Rivera appeared three times onThe Hollywood Palace, twice onThe Carol Burnett Show (including an episode airing February 22, 1971[17][14]) and between 1973 and 1974, played Connie Richardson onThe New Dick Van Dyke Show.[14] In 1975, Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award[3] starring as Velma Kelly oppositeGwen Verdon in the original cast of the musicalChicago,[12] directed by Bob Fosse. In addition to her ballet instructors, Rivera citedLeonard Bernstein and Verdon, with whom she starred inChicago, as influential to her success.[18] She later made a cameo appearance in the2002 film version. She appeared as Fastrada in a filmed-for-television version of the musicalPippin in 1981, and was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk awards forBring Back Birdie (1981)[19] and a Tony Award forMerlin (1983) on Broadway.[3]
In 1984, Rivera starred in theKander and Ebb musicalThe Rink withLiza Minnelli and won her first Tony and Drama Desk awards for her role as Anna. In 1986, while earning a Tony Award nomination[3] for her performance in theJerry Herman musical,Jerry's Girls, Rivera was in a severe accident when her car collided with a taxi onWest 86th Street inManhattan. 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. Recovered, in 1988, she toured the country inCan-Can and got involved in a restaurant venture in partnership with the novelistDaniel Simone. The eatery, located on42nd Street between9th and10th Avenue, was named "Chita's" after her. It soon became a significant attraction for the after-theater crowds and operated until 1994.[12]
In 1993, Rivera received Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her dual portrayal of Aurora and Spider Woman in the musicalKiss of the Spider Woman, written byKander and Ebb.[12] Rivera later participated in the London edition of Kander and Ebb's long-running revival ofChicago, this time in the role of Roxie Hart. Rivera starred in theGoodman Theatre production of the musicalThe Visit (also by Kander and Ebb) as Claire Zachanassian in 2001. In 2002, she became aKennedy Center Honoree.[20] In 2003, Rivera returned to Broadway in the 2003 revival ofNine as Liliane La Fleur and received her eighth career Tony Award nomination (Best Featured Actress in a Musical) and fourthDrama Desk Award nomination (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical). She appeared withAntonio Banderas. She later appeared on the revival's cast album.[12]
She guest-starred along withMichele Lee in a February 2005 episode ofWill & Grace, and in December of that year,Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, a retrospective of her career, opened on Broadway. She received another Tony nomination for her self-portrayal. Though she was expected to reprise her role in a Signature Theatre staging ofThe Visit in autumn of 2007, that was later postponed to the following season. Instead, she performed at New York's Feinstein's at the Regencysupper club in New York for two weeks and, in 2008, appeared in a revised production ofThe Visit at theSignature Theatre inArlington, Virginia, co-starringGeorge Hearn.[12][21] Rivera guest-starred onDisney Channel'sJohnny and the Sprites as Queen of All Magical Beings. The episode debuted on March 15, 2008.[22]
In August 2009, U.S. PresidentBarack Obama presented Rivera thePresidential Medal of Freedom.[2] In the 1960s, Rivera had recorded two albums,Chita Rivera: Get Me To The Church On Time andAnd Now I Sing. These early 1960s albums were reissued on CD byStage Door Records in February 2013.[12] In November 2008, Rivera released her third solo album,And Now I Swing. Rivera performed in a staged concert ofThe Visit as a benefit at theAmbassador Theatre on November 30, 2011.[23] In 2012, Rivera played "Princess Puffer" in the Broadway revival ofThe Mystery of Edwin Drood atStudio 54.[24] She was theGrand Marshal of thePuerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 9, 2013.[25]
Rivera returned to Broadway inThe Visit, the final musical written byJohn Kander,Fred Ebb, andTerrence McNally. The musical opened at theLyceum Theatre on March 26, 2015, and closed on June 14, 2015. Co-starringRoger Rees, the production was directed byJohn Doyle and choreographed byGraciela Daniele.[26] Rivera received praise for her performance, and was nominated for a Tony Award, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical[27] and a Drama Desk Award.[28] TheAstaire Awards were rebranded TheChita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography in 2017.[29] In 2018, she received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.[30] In 2019,Time Out New York named her "one of the best Broadway divas of all time."[31]
Rivera had been a frequent guest narrator atDisney's Candlelight Processional atWalt Disney World, last appearing in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.[32]
On December 1, 1957, Rivera married fellowWest Side Story dancerTony Mordente. They were divorced in 1966.[10] Rivera's performance was so important for the success of the show that the London production ofWest Side Story was postponed until she gave birth to the couple's daughterLisa in 1958. Despite the divorce, Rivera and Mordente remained on good terms.[33]
Rivera died in New York following a brief illness on January 30, 2024, one week after her 91st birthday.[10][35] Her ex-husband, Tony Mordente,died in June 2024, less than five months after Rivera's death.[33]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | Sweet Charity | Nickie | [36][37] |
| 1978 | Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band | Guest at Heartland | [37][38] |
| 1983 | He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin' | Herself | Documentary[39] |
| 2002 | Chicago | Nickie | Cameo[36][37] |
| 2003 | Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There | Herself | Documentary[38][40] |
| 2006 | Kalamazoo? | Giannina | [36][40] |
| 2010 | The Drawn Together Movie: The Movie! | Singer | Voice[41] |
| 2012 | Carol Channing: Larger Than Life | Herself | Documentary[38][40] |
| Show Stopper: The Theatrical Life ofGarth Drabinsky | Herself | Documentary[36][38] | |
| 2018 | Still Waiting in the Wings | Broadway Diva | Documentary[36][40] |
| 2021 | Tick, Tick... Boom! | "Sunday" Legend | [40] |
| 2023 | Studio One Forever | Herself | Documentary |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | The Maurice Chevalier Show | Herself | 1 episode[42] |
| 1960 | The Gary Moore Show | Herself | 1 episode[43] |
| 1960 | The Ed Sullivan Show | Herself | S14.E6, performing "Spanish Rose" from musicalBye Bye Birdie |
| 1963 | The Judy Garland Show | Herself | Episode 17[36] |
| 1964 | The Outer Limits | Mrs. Dane | Episode: "The Bellero Shield"[36][40] |
| 1965 | The Hollywood Palace | Herself | 1 episode[44] |
| 1971 | The Carol Burnett Show | Various characters | Episode: "4.22"[36] |
| 1973 | The Marcus-Nelson Murders | Josie Hopper | Television film[36][38] |
| 1973–1974 | The New Dick Van Dyke Show | Connie Richardson | Main role; 7 episodes[36][40] |
| 1977 | Once Upon a Brothers Grimm | Gingerbread Lady | Episode: "Hansel and Gretel"[40] |
| 1981 | Pippin: His Life and Times | Fastrada | Television film[40] |
| 1982 | Strawberry Ice | Performer | Television film[45] |
| 1985-2004 | Great Performances | Herself | 4 episodes |
| 1987 | Mayflower Madam | Risa Dickstein | Television film[36][38] |
| 1997 | Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child | Grasshopper | Voice, episode: "Thumbelina"[40] |
| 2004, 2019 | Dora The Explorer | The Witch | Voice, 2 episodes[46] |
| 2005 | Will & Grace | Lenore Portillo | Episode: "Dance Cards and Greeting Cards"[36][40] |
| 2008 | Johnny and the Sprites | The Queen | Episode: "Johnny Not Invited"[47] |
| 2011 | Submissions Only | Gladys Franklin | Episode: "Yore So Bad"[48][49] |
| Year | Title | Role | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Guys and Dolls | Dancer(replacement) | 46th Street Theatre | [50] |
| 1953 | Can-Can | Dancer | Shubert Theatre | |
| 1955 | Seventh Heaven | Fifi | ANTA Playhouse | |
| 1956 | Mr. Wonderful | Rita Romano | Broadway Theatre | |
| 1957 | Shinbone Alley | Mehitabel | ||
| West Side Story | Anita | Winter Garden Theatre | ||
| 1960 | Bye Bye Birdie | Rose Alvarez | Martin Beck Theatre | |
| 1964 | Bajour | Anyanka | Shubert Theatre | |
| 1975 | Chicago | Velma Kelly | 46th Street Theatre | |
| 1981 | Bring Back Birdie | Rose Alvarez | Martin Beck Theatre | |
| 1983 | Merlin | The Queen | Mark Hellinger Theatre | |
| 1984 | The Rink | Anna | Martin Beck Theatre | |
| 1985 | Jerry's Girls | Performer | St. James Theatre | |
| 1993 | Kiss of the Spider Woman | Spider Woman/Aurora | Broadhurst Theatre | |
| 2003 | Nine | Liliane La Fleur | Eugene O'Neill Theatre | |
| 2005 | Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life | Herself | Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre | |
| 2012 | The Mystery of Edwin Drood | The Princess Puffer / Miss Angela Prysock | Studio 54 | |
| 2015 | The Visit | Claire Zachannassian | Lyceum Theatre |
Rivera was nominated for theTony Award ten times, twice forBest Featured Actress in a Musical and eight times forBest Actress in a Musical. Rivera's eight nominations in the latter category is the current record for nominations in that category. In 2009, she was presented with thePresidential Medal of Freedom by PresidentBarack Obama. Rivera was honored asThe New Jewish Home's Eight Over Eighty Gala 2016 honoree. She was awarded an honoraryDoctor of Fine Arts degree from theUniversity of Florida in 2018.[51]
