Chita Rivera was a Broadway star who won two Tony Awards and originated such roles as Anita in “West Side Story” and Velma Kelly in “Chicago.”
- Died: January 30, 2024 (Who else died on January 30?)
- Details of death: Died at the age of 91.
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Chita Rivera’s legacy
After several small Broadway roles in the early 1950s, Rivera became a star with the 1957 debut of “West Side Story.” Playing the leading role of Anita, she sang the show-stopping “America” as well as “A Boy Like That” and “Tonight (Quintet).” Rivera was one of only two stars of the original Broadway cast to also star in the 1958 debut of “West Side Story” on London’s West End; however, she was not cast in the 1961 film adaptation – Rita Moreno played the role of Anita for the big screen.
Instead, Rivera was continuing to enjoy Broadway success as “West Side Story” played in movie theaters. She originated the role of Rosie, the secretary – and later fiancée – to Albert, originated by Dick Van Dyke on Broadway and played by Peter Marshall in the West End, where Rivera also starred. She was nominated for her first Tony Award for the performance, picking up a second nomination in 1975. That second nomination was for “Chicago,” in which she originated the role of Velma Kelly and sang the iconic song “All That Jazz.”
A third Tony nomination came in 1983 for Rivera’s performance as the Queen in the musical “Merlin.” And in 1984, she finally won her first Tony for playing roller rink owner Anna in “The Rink.” Rivera picked up her second Tony Award in 1993, playing Aurora in “Kiss of the Spider Woman.” She had originated the role in London, and she continued playing Aurora in the show’s original national tour. And in 2018, she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.
Though Rivera is most closely associated with her work as an actress, dancer, and singer on Broadway, she also had a notable screen career. In 1969, she starred alongside Shirley MacLaine in the film adaptation of Bob Fosse’s (1927–1987) “Sweet Charity.” She had a cameo in the 2002 film adaptation of “Chicago” and another in the 2021 adaptation of “Tick, Tick… Boom!” Rivera appeared in TV variety shows like “The Judy Garland Show” and “The Carol Burnett Show,” and she made appearances on such series as “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” and “Will & Grace.”
In addition to her two competitive and one honorary Tony Award wins, Rivera was nominated for eight other competitive Tonys over the years. As of her death, this was a record-setting number of nominations, with only two other performers – Julie Harris (1925–2013) and Audra McDonald – receiving that number. In 2009, President Barack Obama honored her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. And in 2017, the Astaire Awards were renamed in her honor; they are now known as the Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography.
Notable quote
“As I tell the kids, you have to be ready, and you have to wear your own shoes. Don’t put on somebody else’s shoes. In other words, don’t try to be anybody else but yourself. You don’t even know who you are. Your entire life you’re learning who you are, so just be open and don’t be afraid to share your life because that’s how you learn.” —from a 2015 interview for the Interval
Tributes to Chita Rivera
Full obituary: The New York Times
