Age of chita rivera biography book

Chita Rivera

American actress, dancer and singer (–)

Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (January 23, – January 30, ), known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Drama League Award.

She was the first Latina and the first Latino American[1] to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in , and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in [2] She won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in

After making her Broadway debut as a dancer in Guys and Dolls (), she went on to originate roles in Broadway musicals such as Anita in West Side Story (), Velma Kelly in Chicago (), and the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman ().

She was a ten-time Tony Award nominee, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice for her roles in The Rink () and Kiss of the Spider Woman ().[3] She was Tony-nominated for her roles in Bye Bye Birdie (), Chicago (), Bring Back Birdie (), Merlin (), Jerry's Girls (), Nine (), Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (), and The Visit ().

Rivera acted in the film Sweet Charity () and appeared in Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (), and Tick, Tick Boom! ().

Tony mordente biography Associated Press. December 15, She appeared with Antonio Banderas. Lifetime Achievement in Theatre.

She played Connie Richardson in the CBS sitcom The New Dick Van Dyke Show (–). She also appeared on television in The Judy Garland Show (), The Carol Burnett Show (), and Will & Grace (). Her autobiography, Chita: A Memoir, was published in [4]

Early life and education

Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero[5][6] was born in Washington, D.C.

on January 23, ,[7] the daughter of Katherine (née Anderson), a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero,[6] a clarinetist and saxophonist for the U.S. NavyBand. Her father was born in Puerto Rico. His family names are of Galician 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 at The Pentagon.[10]

In , Rivera's mother enrolled her in the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet (now the Jones Haywood School of Dance).[11] 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-Haywood School.

Rivera's audition was successful, and she was accepted into the school and given a scholarship.[12]

Career

– Breakthrough and stardom

In , Rivera accompanied a friend to the audition for the touring company of Call Me Madam starring Elaine Stritch and ended up winning the role herself.

She followed this by landing roles in other Broadway productions such as Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis Jr., and Seventh Heaven[13] and dancing on The Maurice Chevalier Special in [14] In , she was cast as Anita in West Side Story, the role which would make her a Broadway star.[15]

In , Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award[3] for creating the role of Rose in Bye Bye Birdie opposite Dick Van Dyke.

She appeared three times on The Ed Sullivan Show[14] and won raves for her performance on Broadway and in London opposite Peter Marshall, but was passed over for the film version where the role was played by Janet Leigh. In , Rivera was a guest on The Judy Garland Show and was cast opposite Alfred Drake in Zenda.

The Broadway-bound musical closed on the road but in , Rivera returned to Broadway in Bajour[13] and television in The Outer Limits[14]. After seeing her perform in the musical, music producer Norman Petty approached her in New York and inquired about recording with him. Her first single was released in on the Dot Records label, with a second single issued in Making a trip to Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico in , she was backed by The Fireballs for a full album of Buddy Holly cover songs, but the project went unreleased.[16]

Among many national tours, Rivera starred most notably in Sweet Charity directed by Bob Fosse, playing the role of Nickie in the film adaptation of Sweet Charity with Shirley MacLaine ().[12] Rivera appeared three times on The Hollywood Palace, twice on The Carol Burnett Show (including an episode airing February 22, [17][14]) and between and , played Connie Richardson on The New Dick Van Dyke Show.[14] In , Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award[3] starring as Velma Kelly opposite Gwen Verdon in the original cast of the musical Chicago,[12] directed by Bob Fosse.

In addition to her ballet instructors, Rivera cited Leonard Bernstein and Verdon, with whom she starred in Chicago, as influential to her success.[18] She later made a cameo appearance in the film version. She appeared as Fastrada in a filmed-for-television version of the musical Pippin in , and was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk awards for Bring Back Birdie ()[19] and a Tony Award for Merlin () on Broadway.[3]

In , Rivera starred in the Kander and Ebb musical The Rink with Liza Minnelli and won her first Tony and Drama Desk awards for her role as Anna.

In , while earning a Tony Award nomination[3] for her performance in the Jerry Herman musical, Jerry's Girls, 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. Recovered, in , she toured the country in Can-Can and got involved in a restaurant venture in partnership with the novelist Daniel Simone. The eatery, located on 42nd Street between 9th and 10th Avenue, was named "Chita's" after her. It soon became a significant attraction for the after-theater crowds and operated until [12]

– Later career and roles

In , 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 musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, written by Kander and Ebb.[12] Rivera later participated in the London edition of Kander and Ebb's long-running revival of Chicago, this time in the role of Roxie Hart.

Rivera starred in the Goodman Theatre production of the musical The Visit (also by Kander and Ebb) as Claire Zachanassian in In , she became a Kennedy Center Honoree.[20] In , Rivera returned to Broadway in the revival of Nine as Liliane La Fleur and received her eighth career Tony Award nomination (Best Featured Actress in a Musical) and fourth Drama Desk Award nomination (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical).

She appeared with Antonio Banderas. She later appeared on the revival's cast album.[12]

She guest-starred along with Michele Lee in a February episode of Will & 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 of The Visit in autumn of , that was later postponed to the following season. Instead, she performed at New York's Feinstein's at the Regency supper club in New York for two weeks and, in , appeared in a revised production of The Visit at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia, co-starring George Hearn.[12][21] Rivera guest-starred on Disney Channel's Johnny and the Sprites as Queen of All Magical Beings.

The episode debuted on March 15, [22]

In August , U.S. President Barack Obama presented Rivera the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[2] In the s, Rivera had recorded two albums, Chita Rivera: Get Me To The Church On Time and And Now I Sing.

Rita moreno wikipedia: Read Edit View history. October 30, Career [ edit ]. The Drama League.

These early s albums were reissued on CD by Stage Door Records in February [12] In November , Rivera released her third solo album, And Now I Swing. Rivera performed in a staged concert of The Visit as a benefit at the Ambassador Theatre on November 30, [23] In , Rivera played "Princess Puffer" in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood at Studio [24] She was the Grand Marshal of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City on June 9, [25]

Rivera returned to Broadway in The Visit, the final musical written by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Terrence McNally.

The musical opened at the Lyceum Theatre on March 26, , and closed on June 14, Co-starring Roger Rees, the production was directed by John Doyle and choreographed by Graciela 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] The Astaire Awards were rebranded The Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography in [29] In , she received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.[30] In , Time Out New York named her "one of the best Broadway divas of all time."[31]

Rivera had been a frequent guest narrator at Disney's Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World, most recently appearing in the and seasons.[32]

Personal life

On December 1, , Rivera married fellow West Side Story dancer Tony Mordente.

They were divorced in [10] Rivera's 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 Despite the divorce, Rivera and Mordente remained on good terms.[33]

Rivera was a Roman Catholic.[34]

Death

Rivera died in New York following a brief illness on January 30, , aged [10][35] Her former husband, Tony Mordente died in June , five months after Rivera's death.[33]

Acting credits

Film

Television

rainbow magic the series - Kiki (voice) (17 episodes)

Theatre (selected)

Awards and honors

Rivera was nominated for the Tony Award ten times, as either Best Featured Actress in a Musical or Best Actress in a Musical.

This is the current record for the most individual Tony Award nominations for a performer, which she shares with Julie Harris and Audra McDonald. In , she was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Rivera was honored as The New Jewish Home's Eight Over Eighty Gala honoree. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Florida in [51]

See also

References

  1. ^"In 35 Years, Kennedy Center has Honored Only One Hispanic American…Chita Rivera".

    AllGov.

  2. ^ ab"President Obama Names Medal of Freedom Recipients", White House Office of the Press Secretary, July 30,
  3. ^ abcde"Chita Rivera Tony Awards Info".

    Broadway World. Retrieved September 25,

  4. ^Morris, Bob (April 17, ).

    Age of chita rivera biography book The Ed Sullivan Show. Chita Rivera, Documentary [ 36 ] [ 38 ]. January 30,

    "Chita Rivera on Love, Showbiz and All That Jazz". The New York Times. ISSN&#; Retrieved April 17,

  5. ^"There is no stopping Chita Rivera". CBS News. Interviewed by Rocca, Mo. December 15, Archived from the original on February 6, Retrieved February 6,
  6. ^ ab"Biography".

    Archived from the original on November 13, Retrieved July 7,

  7. ^Rose, Mike (January 23, ). "Today's famous birthdays list for January 23, includes celebrities Mariska Hargitay, Chita Rivera". . Retrieved January 23,
  8. ^"Chita Rivera: What I Know Now". . AARP.

    March 27, Retrieved May 17,

  9. ^"Lighting Up The Stage With Stars Of A Certain Age – For Chita Rivera And A Host Of Other Veteran Actresses, Age Is No Longer An Issue | The Seattle Times". . Retrieved October 11,
  10. ^ abcMcFadden, Robert D.

    (January 30, ). "Chita Rivera, Electrifying Star of Broadway and Beyond, Is Dead at 91". The New York Times. Retrieved January 30,

  11. ^Kaufman, Sarah L (March 15, ). "How Chita Rivera keeps dancing at 83, with 16 screws in her leg". Washington Post. ISSN&#; Retrieved May 22,
  12. ^ abcdefghRatner-Arias, Sigal (September 4, ).

    "Q&A: Chita Rivera reflects on life in the theater". Taiwan News. AP. Archived from the original on March 4,

  13. ^ ab"Chita Rivera – Broadway Cast & Staff".

    Chita rivera biography book Kennedy Center Honorees s. July 30, NBC News. Daily Beast.

    IBDB. Retrieved September 26,

  14. ^ abcde"Welcome to Chita ". . Retrieved October 11,
  15. ^McFadden, Robert D. (January 30, ). "Chita Rivera, Electrifying Star of Broadway and Beyond, is Dead at 91".

    The New York Times.

  16. ^"Discography (R)". Nor-Va-Jak Music. Retrieved February 5,
  17. ^The Carol Burnett Show Collector's Edition
  18. ^"Website of the Jones Haywood School of Dance"
  19. ^Skethway, Nathan (March 5, ). "Look Back at Chita Rivera and Donald O'Connor in Bring Back Birdie on Broadway".

    Playbill. Retrieved October 4,

  20. ^"Tony Winner Chita Rivera to Receive Kennedy Center Honor". Playbill. July 30, Retrieved October 4,
  21. ^Jones, Kenneth. "Chita and Company: Cast Is Complete for Signature's 'The Visit'"Archived April 12, , at the Wayback Machine, , April 8,
  22. ^Hernandez, Ernio (February 22, ).

    "Photo Call: Chita Rivera Crowned Queen in 'Johnny and the Sprites'". Playbill.

  23. Rita moreno wikipedia
  24. George chakiris biography
  25. Carol channing biography

    26. Archived from the original on September 11, Retrieved February 2,

  26. ^Haun, Harry. "A New Kind of Spider Woman: Chita Rivera Wows Broadway Crowd in Concert of Kander & Ebb's 'The Visit'"Archived December 2, , at the Wayback Machine, , December 1,
  27. ^"Chita Rivera returns to Broadway for Edwin Drood revival".

    CBC News. Associated Press. March 1, Retrieved February 5,

  28. ^"Broadway icon Chita Rivera dies at age 91". NBC News. January 30,
  29. ^Hetrick, Adam. "A Musical Nearly 20 Years in the Making: 'The Visit', Starring Chita Rivera, Arrives On Broadway at Long Last"Playbill/, March 26,
  30. ^Gans, Andrew.

    "69th Annual Tony Awards Nominations Announced!"Playbill, April 28,

  31. ^Cox, Gordon (April 23, ). "Drama Desk Nominations: 'Hamilton' Leads the Polls (FULL LIST)". Variety. Retrieved October 4,
  32. ^McPhee, Ryan (March 30, ). "The Astaire Awards, Honoring the Best in Dance, Are Now the Chita Rivera Awards".

    Playbill. Retrieved October 4,

  33. ^BWW News Desk. "Chita Rivera Wins Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement Award". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 4,
  34. ^"The Best Broadway Divas of All Time". Time Out New York. October 30, Retrieved October 6,
  35. ^Candlelight Processional narrators
  36. ^ abMurphy, Matthew (June 15, ).

    "'West Side Story' Star Dies Months After Ex-Wife Chita Rivera". Daily Beast. Retrieved June 16,

  37. ^Reedy, R. Scott (October 10, ). "Join iconic Broadway star Chita Rivera for conversation and song with Seth Rudetsky". The MetroWest Daily News. Archived from the original on October 11,
  38. ^"Broadway Icon Chita Rivera Dies at 91 - ".

    January 30, Retrieved January 30,

  39. ^ abcdefghijkl"Chita Rivera".

    Rotten Tomatoes.

    Rita moreno biography Edward Hambleton Martin Beck Theatre. Retrieved February 5, — via ProQuest. Permissions and Credits.

    Retrieved February 2,

  40. ^ abc"Chita Rivera". American Film Institute. Retrieved February 2,
  41. ^ abcdef"Chita Rivera – Filmography".

    Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved February 2,

  42. ^O'Connor, John J. (October 25, ). "TV: 'Bay City Blues' Begins on NBC". The New York Times. p.&#;C Retrieved February 5,
  43. ^ abcdefghijk"Chita Rivera List of Movies and TV Shows".

    TV Guide. Retrieved February 2,

  44. ^"Casting de The Drawn Together Movie&#;: The Movie!" (in French). SensCritique. Retrieved February 5,
  45. ^Terrace, Vincent (June 6, ). Television Specials: 5, Entertainment Programs, – (2&#;ed.). McFarland. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  46. ^Super, John C.

    (). The Fifties in America. Vol.&#;2. Salem Press. p.&#; ISBN&#;.

  47. ^Vincentelli, Elisabeth (January 31, ). "Chita Rivera Lived to Entertain. Here Are 9 Memorable Performances". The New York Times. ProQuest&#; Retrieved February 5, &#; via ProQuest.
  48. ^Hicks, Wessely (March 13, ).

    "Cranston dreams in color". The Gazette. Montreal. p.&#;9. Retrieved February 5,

  49. ^Leonard, David J.; Troutman Robbins, Stephanie, eds. (January 26, ). Race in American Television: Voices and Visions That Shaped a Nation. Bloomsbury Publishing. p.&#; ISBN&#;.
  50. ^Hernandez, Ernio (February 22, ).

    "Photo Call: Chita Rivera Crowned Queen in "Johnny and the Sprites"". Playbill. Retrieved February 5,

  51. ^Hedli, Laura (March 1, ). "Spoofing the Art of Getting the Part". The Wall Street Journal. ProQuest&#; Retrieved February 5, &#; via ProQuest.
  52. ^Peter, Thomas (March 3, ).

    "Kristin Chenoweth, Chita Rivera, Max von Essen, Barrett Foa Guest Star on Fourth Episode of "Submissions Only" (Video)". Playbill. Retrieved February 5,

  53. ^ ab"Chita Rivera".

  54. Item 3 of 7
  55. Item 4 of 7
  56. Chita Rivera: Age, Net Worth, Relationships & Biography
  57. Settings
  58. Item 1 of 1

    59. Playbill. Retrieved February 5,

  59. ^Gans, Andrew. Chita Rivera Will Receive Honorary Doctorate From University of FloridaPlaybill, April 9,
  60. ^ abcdefghij"Winners and Honorees – Nominations (Chita Rivera)".

    American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Retrieved February 5,

  61. ^ abcdefghijk"Chita Rivera Tony Awards Stats".

    BroadwayWorld. Retrieved February 5,

  62. ^" Awards". Drama Desk Award. Retrieved February 5,
  63. ^" Awards". Drama Desk Award. Retrieved February 5,
  64. ^" Awards". Drama Desk Award. Retrieved February 5,
  65. ^"Tony Winner Chita Rivera to Receive Kennedy Center Honor".

    Playbill. July 30, Retrieved February 5,

  66. ^" Awards". Drama Desk Award. Retrieved February 5,
  67. ^" Awards". Drama Desk Award. Retrieved February 5,
  68. ^"Awards History". The Drama League. March 25, Retrieved February 5,
  69. ^Viagas, Robert.

    "Dates Announced for 71st Annual Theatre World Awards; Chita Rivera To Be Honored"Playbill, May 1,

  70. ^"Winners and Honorees – Special Awards (Chita Rivera)". American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League. Retrieved February 5,

Further reading

External links