The Latina Broadway superstar and Hollywood icon Chita Rivera passed away at age 91 on 30st January 2024, a week after her birthday. The trailblazing entertainer had an insanely successful Broadway career spanning over a range of nearly 7 decades! Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson was regarded as a “triple-threat” – singing, dancing and acting in numerous Broadway hits throughout the years, her most iconic roles being Anita in West Side Story and Velma Kelly in Chicago.
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Tributes Paid
Rita Moreno, who played Anita in the first film version of West Side Story in 1961, led the tributes, describing her as “the essence of Broadway”.
“As I write this, I am raising a glass to this remarkable woman and friend,” the 92-year-old wrote in a tribute on Instagram.
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda described Rivera as a “trailblazer” who had many “iconic Broadway roles because she was an absolute original”.
Catherine Zeta-Jones, who won an Oscar for playing Velma on screen, said on Instagram: “There are no words to tell you what an incredible impact you have had on my life.
“From dreaming of being you as a little girl, then meeting you and then being deeply connected to you by playing the one and only Velma Kelly in Chicago.
“There will never, ever, be anyone like you Chita, ever. Dim the lights on Broadway! Or, may I suggest, we just plug the plug. I love you Chita, sleep tight my Queen.”
Cause Of Death
Rivera reportedly “died peacefully” on Tuesday morning after a “brief illness”. Her daughter, Lisa Mordente who confirmed her death in a statement, revealed, “She [Chita Rivera] is also survived by her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero, (her older sister Carmen predeceased her), along with her many nieces, nephews and friends. Her funeral will be private. A memorial service will be announced in due course.”
A close source and representative spoke with sorrow in a public statement, as they announced “the death of the beloved Broadway Icon Chita Rivera”, referring to her as a dear friend and a blessing.
Childhood
Chita was born to a Puerto Rican father Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero and a mother of Scottish, Irish, and African-American descent, Katherine Anderson. Many credit her musical talents to having inherited from her father, a clarinettist and saxophonist for the U.S. Navy Band, who had unfortunately passed away when she was only seven years old.
Early Schooling And Its Impact On Her Life
Chita had always been an energetic child, nicknamed the “cheetah” of the neighbourhood for the amount of chaos she created at home. Herr mother decided to put all that energy to good use and sold off her father’s saxophone and clarinet to pay for the dance lessons
In 1944, Rivera’s mother enrolled her in the Jones-Haywood School of Ballet (now the Jones Haywood School of Dance). 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.
After attending George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet, she set her sights on musical theatre. Having started out performing as Conchita del Rivero she shortened her name after being told it was too long for theatre posters. I
The Legacy of Chita Rivera
Rivera had not been chasing a broadway career, but it seemed as if things were working the other way around for her. She had accompanied a friend to the audition for the touring company of Call Me Madam, and as fate worked its charm, the icon ended up outperforming her friend and winning the role herself. What followed was a trail of successful roles in other Broadway productions such as Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Mr. Wonderful starring Sammy Davis, Jr., and Seventh Heaven.
However, it wasn’t until 1957 when she landed her first break, as Anita in West Side Story, did she become the talk of the town. In 1960, Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award for creating the role of Rose in Bye Bye Birdie opposite Dick Van Dyke.
She had even been 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.
Her Acting Gigs
Rivera acted in the film Sweet Charity (1969) and appeared in Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), and Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021). She played Connie Richardson in the CBS sitcom The New Dick Van Dyke Show (1973–1974). She also appeared on television in The Judy Garland Show (1963), The Carol Burnett Show (1971), and Will & Grace (2005).
Accolades
Chita Rivera was the recipient of a treasure trove of well-deserved accolades, including 10 prestigious Tony nominations, including two wins for Best Actress in a Musical — the first for 1984’s The Rink, the second for 1993’s Kiss of the Spider Woman. She was Tony-nominated for her roles in Bye Bye Birdie (1961), Chicago (1975), Bring Back Birdie (1981), Merlin (1983), Jerry’s Girls (1986), Nine (2003), Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life (2005), and The Visit (2015). In 2018, she received the Tony’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rivera was also the first Latina woman (and the first Latino American) to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009. The singer and actress has even received two Drama Desk Awards and a Drama League Award, one 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.
