Chita Rivera, legendary Broadway actress, singer, and dancer, died at the age of 91 on January 30, 2024.
She was born in Washington, D.C. on January 23, 1933, as Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson to a Puerto Rican father and a mother of Scottish, Irish, and African-American descent. She began her ballet training at the Jones-Haywood School of Dance and later received a scholarship to the School of American Ballet.
Chita made her Broadway debut as a dancer in Guys and Dolls in 1950. In 1957, she was part of the original West Side Story cast – a performance that paved her way to Broadway stardom, originating the iconic role of Anita.
On December 1, 1957, Rivera married fellow West Side Story dancer Tony Mordente. Her 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 1958. The couple was divorced in 1966.
Rivera was also part of the original cast of Bye Bye Bye Bye Birdie alongside Dick Van Dyke, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. Van Dyke also paid tribute, saying Rivera was “the best that ever was”.
A few decades later, the actress remained at the top of her game and in 1975 starred in another iconic role: vaudeville performer Velma Kelly in Chicago. In 1993 came the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Rivera was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won twice, for The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman. She also received a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
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.
Rivera was a trailblazer for Latina performers and an inspiration for generations of theater lovers. She is survived by her daughter Lisa Mordente and her siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Rivero.
The tributes pouring in from her fellow actors have been effusive.
Rita Moreno, one of her best friends, said in a tribute on Instagram, “As I write this, I am raising a glass to this remarkable woman and friend.”
Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda described Rivera as a “trailblazer” who had many “iconic Broadway roles because she was an absolute original”.
Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber wrote that she “redefined the words ‘theatrical legend’.”
