Dedicated to preserving the work of Chita Rivera! A barrier-busting Latina, a strong Woman, and a singular Dancer/Actress/Singer who popularized "All That Jazz", "Hey, Big Spender!", "America" and created some of musical theater's best female roles.
Theatre & Dance are among the more ephemeral arts...It's my hope that everyone who is curious can enjoy the brilliant and historic performances of this true Diva.
"her voice is a dagger wrapped in velvet" NY TIMES
"The Greatest musical theater dancer ever" NEWSWEEK
2 Tony awards (7 additional nominations) 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree 1 Special Grammy and many more
This is so fantastic 🥰 this video needs more attention. They’re both fantastic. And Brent 😍 goodness gracious could he be any more handsome and charming 💕💕💕
Chita Rivera passed away yesterday (January 30, 2024) at age 91. If you watch only one clip of her, this performance of "Beale Street Blues" with choreographer, Jack Cole, is absolutely thrilling. But I recommend watching as much footage of Chita as you can find. In her astonishing seven-decade career she never failed to give her all to delighted audiences. A true triple threat, Chita's work ethic and professionalism were surpassed only by her star quality and masterful technique. A spectacular world-class dancer with strong singing and acting skills, as well as a uniquely appealing stage presence, Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson was clearly destined to be a Broadway star. I was 12 years old in 1975 when I was fortunate enough to be invited by a friend's parents to join them for a performance of a new musical on Broadway called CHICAGO. I was a theatre kid from a young age and had already seen some great stuff on Broadway. However, nothing could have prepared me for this wildly engaging, eye-opening theatre experience. Directed by Bob Fosse and starring Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera, the crossed themes of murder and fame were dizzying -- but at that age I was far more focused on the abundant charms of Ms. Verdon and Ms. Rivera who seemed to stop the show every time they sang and/or danced. Soon after that experience my grandmother gifted me the original cast album and I recall playing it through, then turning it back to Side A and listening through again. I saw A CHORUS LINE around the same time and those two inventive, fresh, extremely entertaining musicals mark a time for me when theater turned from intrigue to passion. I didn't quite understand how much the theater geniuses Bob Fosse and Michael Bennett had to do with my rise in excitement about musicals but I definitely understood that Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera were magnificent and undeniably magical. 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 2002 she was chosen as a Kennedy Center honoree, and in 2009, she was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Modern sensibility and sensitivity has led to retiring the theatre term "gypsy" which affectionately described the young ladies and gentlemen in the chorus of musicals who moved from show to show to show. However, Chita began as a self-described Broadway gypsy who, in a relatively short period of time, became a true star and ultimately a living legend. But you'll never hear her described as a "diva." Instead, Chita Rivera will be lovingly remembered and cherished as a hard-working, collaborative team player who never lost the gypsy in her soul.
