Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson;
January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in
''West Side Story'',
Velma Kelly
Velma Kelly is one of the main characters in the successful 1975 Broadway musical ''Chicago''. Kelly is based on the character "Velma", who first appeared in the 1926 play, also called ''Chicago'', who was in-turn inspired by the life of Belva Ga ...
in ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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,'' and the title role in ''
Kiss of the Spider Woman''. She is a ten-time
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
nominee and a three-time Tony Award recipient, including one for Lifetime Achievement.
She is the first
Latina
Latina or Latinas most often refers to:
* Latinas, a demographic group in the United States
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America.
*Latin Americans
Latina and Latinas may also refer ...
and the first
Latino American
Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spanish and/or Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include all Americans who identify as ...
to receive a
Kennedy Center Honor
The Kennedy Center Honors are annual honors given to those in the performing arts for their lifetime of contributions to American culture. They have been presented annually since 1978, culminating each December in a gala celebrating five honor ...
and is a recipient of the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
.
["President Obama Names Medal of Freedom Recipients"](_blank)
White House Office of the Press Secretary, July 30, 2009
Early life and education
Rivera was born in
Washington, D.C.
)
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, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
, the daughter of Katherine (Anderson), a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero, a
clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound.
Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitches ...
ist and saxophonist for the
United States Navy Band
The United States Navy Band, based at the Washington Navy Yard in Washington, D.C., has served as the official musical organization of the U.S. Navy since 1925. The U.S. Navy Band serves the ceremonial needs at the seat of government, performin ...
. Her father was Puerto Rican and her mother was of Scottish and Italian descent.
Rivera is one of five children. Rivera was seven years old when her mother was widowed and went to work at
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters building of the United States Department of Defense. It was constructed on an accelerated schedule during World War II. As a symbol of the U.S. military, the phrase ''The Pentagon'' is often used as a metony ...
.
In 1944, Rivera's mother enrolled her in the
Jones-Haywood School of Ballet The Jones-Haywood School of Ballet, now known as The Jones-Haywood Dance School, was founded in 1941 by Doris W. Jones and Claire Haywood in Washington D.C. to teach young dancers of color classical ballet.
Its students have gone on to dance with ...
(now the Jones Haywood School of Dance). Later, when she was 15, a teacher from
George Balanchine
George Balanchine (;
Various sources:
*
*
*
* born Georgiy Melitonovich Balanchivadze; ka, გიორგი მელიტონის ძე ბალანჩივაძე; January 22, 1904 (O. S. January 9) – April 30, 1983) was ...
's
School of American Ballet
The School of American Ballet (SAB) is the most renowned ballet school in the United States. School of American Ballet is the associate school of the New York City Ballet, a ballet company based at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New ...
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.
Career
1951-1993
In 1951, Rivera accompanied a friend to the audition for the touring company of ''
Call Me Madam
''Call Me Madam'' is a musical written by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin.
The musical is a satire on politics and foreign policy that spoofs postwar America's penchant for lending billions of dollars to ...
'' starring
Elaine Stritch
Elaine Stritch (February 2, 1925 – July 17, 2014) was an American actress, best known for her work on Broadway and later, television. She made her professional stage debut in 1944 and appeared in numerous stage plays, musicals, feature films a ...
and ended up winning the role herself. She followed this by landing roles in other Broadway productions such as ''
Guys and Dolls
''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and also bo ...
'', ''
Can-Can'', ''
Mr. Wonderful'' starring
Sammy Davis, Jr., and ''Seventh Heaven''
and dancing on ''The
Maurice Chevalier
Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor and entertainer. He is perhaps best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", "Louise", " Mimi", and "Thank Hea ...
Special'' in 1956.
In 1957, she was cast in the role which was destined to make her a Broadway star, the firebrand Anita in ''
West Side Story
''West Side Story'' is a musical conceived by Jerome Robbins with music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents.
Inspired by William Shakespeare's play ''Romeo and Juliet'', the story is set in the mid-1 ...
''.
In 1960, Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award
for creating the role of Rose in ''
Bye Bye Birdie
''Bye Bye Birdie'' is a stage musical with music by Charles Strouse and lyrics by Lee Adams, based upon a book by Michael Stewart.
Originally titled ''Let's Go Steady'', ''Bye Bye Birdie'' is set in 1958. The short story "Dream Man", authored ...
'' opposite
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne Van Dyke (born December 13, 1925) is an American actor, entertainer and comedian. His award-winning career has spanned seven decades in film, television, and stage.
Van Dyke began his career as an entertainer on radio and telev ...
. She appeared three times on ''
The Ed Sullivan Show
''The Ed Sullivan Show'' is an American television program, television variety show that ran on CBS from June 20, 1948, to March 28, 1971, and was hosted by New York City, New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan. It was replaced in Septembe ...
''
and won raves for her performance on Broadway and in London opposite
Peter Marshall Peter Marshall may refer to:
Entertainment
* Peter Marshall (entertainer) (born 1926), American game show host of ''The Hollywood Squares'', 1966–1981
* Peter Marshall (author, born 1939) (1939–1972), British novelist whose works include ''Th ...
, but was passed over for the film version where the role was played by
Janet Leigh
Jeanette Helen Morrison (July 6, 1927 – October 3, 2004), known professionally as Janet Leigh, was an American actress, singer, dancer, and author. Her career spanned over five decades. Raised in Stockton, California, by working-class parents, ...
. In 1963, Rivera was a guest on ''
The Judy Garland Show
''The Judy Garland Show'' is an American Variety show, musical variety television series that aired on CBS on Sunday nights during the 1963–1964 television season. Despite a sometimes stormy relationship with Judy Garland, CBS had found succes ...
'' and was cast opposite
Alfred Drake
Alfred Drake (October 7, 1914 – July 25, 1992) was an American actor and singer.
Biography
Born as Alfred Capurro in New York City, the son of parents emigrated from Recco, Genoa, Drake began his Broadway career while still a student at Broo ...
in ''
Zenda''. The Broadway-bound musical closed on the road but in 1964, Rivera returned to Broadway in ''
Bajour
Bajaur District ( ps, باجوړ ولسوالۍ, ur, ) is a district in Malakand Division of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province in Pakistan. Until 2018, it was an agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, then during restructuring that merg ...
''
and television in ''
The Outer Limits''
''.''
Among many national tours, Rivera starred most notably in ''Sweet Charity'' directed by
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...
, playing the role of Nickie in the film adaptation of ''
Sweet Charity
''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields and book by Neil Simon. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse starring his wife and muse Gwen Verdon alongside John McMartin. It is based on ...
'' with
Shirley MacLaine
Shirley MacLaine (born Shirley MacLean Beaty, April 24, 1934) is an American actress, author, and former dancer. Known for her portrayals of quirky, strong-willed and eccentric women, MacLaine has received numerous accolades over her seven-dec ...
(1969).
Rivera appeared three times on ''The Hollywood Palace'', twice on ''
The Carol Burnett Show
''The Carol Burnett Show'' is an American variety/sketch comedy television show that originally ran on CBS from September 11, 1967, to March 29, 1978, for 279 episodes, and again with nine episodes in fall 1991. It starred Carol Burnett, Harvey ...
'' (including an episode airing February 22, 1971
) and between 1973 and 1974, played Connie Richardson on ''
The New Dick Van Dyke Show
''The New Dick Van Dyke Show'' is an American sitcom starring Dick Van Dyke that aired on CBS from 1971 to 1974. It was Van Dyke's first return to series television since ''The Dick Van Dyke Show''.
Background
CBS was so eager to have Dick Van ...
''.
In 1975, Rivera was nominated for a Tony Award
starring as Velma Kelly opposite
Gwen Verdon
Gwyneth Evelyn "Gwen" Verdon (January 13, 1925October 18, 2000) was an American actress and dancer. She won four Tony Awards for her musical comedy performances, and served as an uncredited choreographer's assistant and specialty dance coach for t ...
in the original cast of the musical ''
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
'',
directed by
Bob Fosse
Robert Louis Fosse (; June 23, 1927 – September 23, 1987) was an American actor, choreographer, dancer, and film and stage director. He directed and choreographed musical works on stage and screen, including the stage musicals ''The Pajam ...
. In addition to her ballet instructors, Rivera cites
Leonard Bernstein
Leonard Bernstein ( ; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was the first America ...
and Verdon, with whom she starred in ''Chicago'', as influential to her success.
["Website of the Jones Haywood School of Dance"](_blank)
joneshaywood.com She later made a cameo appearance in the
2002 movie version. She appeared as Fastrada in a filmed-for-television version of the musical ''
Pippin
Pippin or Pepin may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Pippin (comics), ''Pippin'' (comics), a children's comic produced from 1966 to 1986
* Pippin (musical), ''Pippin'' (musical), a Broadway musical by Stephen Schwartz loosely based on the life ...
'' in 1981, and was nominated for Tony and Drama Desk awards for ''
Bring Back Birdie
''Bring Back Birdie'' was a 1981 musical with music by Charles Strouse, lyrics by Lee Adams, and a book by Michael Stewart. It was a sequel to the 1960 musical ''Bye Bye Birdie'', which was written by the same team.
Taking place twenty years ...
'' (1981) and a Tony Award for ''Merlin'' (1983) on Broadway.
In 1984, Rivera starred in the
Kander and Ebb
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include ''C ...
musical ''
The Rink'' with
Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
and won her first Tony and Drama Desk awards for her role as Anna. In 1986, while earning a Tony Award nomination
for her performance in the
Jerry Herman
Gerald Sheldon Herman (July 10, 1931December 26, 2019) was an American composer and lyricist, known for his work in Broadway theatre.
One of the most commercially successful Broadway songwriters of his time, Herman was the composer and lyricis ...
musical, ''
Jerry's Girls
''Jerry's Girls'' is a musical revue based on the songs of composer/ lyricist Jerry Herman.
Production history
Created by Herman and Larry Alford in 1981, the show originated as a modest presentation at Onstage, a nightclub located in the Theate ...
'', Rivera was in a severe accident when her car collided with a taxi on
West 86th Street in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
. 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 1988, she toured the country in ''
Can-Can'' and got involved in a restaurant venture in partnership with the novelist
Daniel Simone
Daniel Simone (born in New York City) is an American author who specializes in writing about sensational crimes in collaboration with one of the perpetrators or investigators of the actual event.
''The Lufthansa Heist''
Daniel Simone co-wrote ''T ...
. The eatery, located on
42nd Street between
9th
9 (nine) is the natural number following and preceding .
Evolution of the Arabic digit
In the beginning, various Indians wrote a digit 9 similar in shape to the modern closing question mark without the bottom dot. The Kshatrapa, Andhra and ...
and
10th Avenue, was named "Chita's" after her. It soon became a significant attraction for the after-theater crowds and operated until 1994.
1993-present
![Chita Rivera 2009](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Chita_Rivera_2009.jpg)
In 1993, 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
Kander and Ebb were a highly successful American songwriting team consisting of composer John Kander (born March 18, 1927) and lyricist Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004). Known primarily for their stage musicals, which include ''C ...
.
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
Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of the Chicago theatre scene, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization. Part of its present theater complex occupies the lan ...
production of the musical ''
The Visit'' (also by Kander and Ebb) as Claire Zachanassian in 2001. In 2002, she became a
Kennedy Center Honoree. In 2003, Rivera returned to Broadway in the 2003 revival of ''
Nine
9 is a number, numeral, and glyph.
9 or nine may also refer to:
Dates
* AD 9, the ninth year of the AD era
* 9 BC, the ninth year before the AD era
* 9, numerical symbol for the month of September
Places
* Nine, Portugal, a parish in the ...
'' as Liliane La Fleur and received her eighth career Tony Award nomination (Best Featured Actress in a Musical) and fourth
Drama Desk Award
The Drama Desk Award is an annual prize recognizing excellence in New York theatre. First bestowed in 1955 as the Vernon Rice Award, the prize initially honored Off-Broadway productions, as well as Off-off-Broadway, and those in the vicinity. Fo ...
nomination (Outstanding Featured Actress in a Musical). She appeared with
Antonio Banderas
José Antonio Domínguez Bandera (born 10 August 1960), known professionally as Antonio Banderas, is a Spanish actor and singer. Known for his work in films of several genres, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Antonio Ba ...
. She later appeared on the revival's cast album.
She guest-starred along with
Michele Lee
Michele Lee is an American actress, singer, dancer, producer, and director. She is known for her role as Karen Fairgate MacKenzie on the prime-time soap opera ''Knots Landing'' (1979–1993), for which she was nominated for a 1982 Emmy Awar ...
in a February 2005 episode of ''
Will & Grace
''Will & Grace'' is an American television sitcom created by Max Mutchnick and David Kohan. Set in New York City, the show focuses on the friendship between best friends Will Truman (Eric McCormack), a gay lawyer, and Grace Adler (Debra Messing), ...
'', 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 2007, that was later postponed to the following season. Instead, she performed at New York's Feinstein's at the Regency
supper club
A supper club is a traditional dining establishment that also functions as a social club. The term may describe different establishments depending on the region, but in general, supper clubs tend to present themselves as having a high-class image ...
in New York for two weeks and, in 2008, appeared in a revised production of ''The Visit'' at the
Signature Theatre in
Arlington, Virginia, co-starring
George Hearn
George Hearn (born June 18, 1934) is an American actor and singer, primarily in Broadway theatre, Broadway musical theatre.
Early years
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hearn studied philosophy at Southwestern at Memphis, now Rhodes College before ...
.
Rivera guest-starred on
Disney Channel
Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Compan ...
's ''
Johnny and the Sprites
''Johnny and the Sprites'' is an American children's musical television show that aired every weekend on the "Playhouse Disney" block on Disney Channel. The show was created by, produced by, and starred John Tartaglia (most famous for his work o ...
'' as Queen of All Magical Beings. The episode debuted on March 15, 2008.
In August 2009, US President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
presented Rivera the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
.
In the 1960s Rivera had recorded two albums, ''Chita Rivera: Get Me To The Church On Time'' and ''And Now I Sing''. These early 1960s albums were reissued on CD by
Stage Door Records
Stage Door Records is a UK-based label founded in 2007 by Tim Hutton that specializes in cast recordings and vocalist albums from stars of stage and screen. The label has issued a number of cast albums on CD for the first time, including ''Mutiny ...
in February 2013.
In November 2008, 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, 2011. In 2012, Rivera played "Princess Puffer" in the Broadway revival of ''
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
''The Mystery of Edwin Drood'' is the final novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in 1870.
Though the novel is named after the character Edwin Drood, it focuses more on Drood's uncle, John Jasper, a precentor, choirmaster and opium ...
'' at
Studio 54
Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater was ...
. She was the
Grand Marshal
Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military rank, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. ...
of the
Puerto Rican Day Parade
The Puerto Rican Day Parade (also known as the National Puerto Rican Day Parade) takes place annually in the United States along Fifth Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City. The parade is held on the second Sunday in June, in hon ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
on June 9, 2013.
Rivera returned to Broadway in ''
The Visit'', the final musical written by
John Kander
John Harold Kander (born March 18, 1927) is an American composer, known largely for his work in the musical theater. As part of the songwriting team Kander and Ebb (with lyricist Fred Ebb), Kander wrote the scores for 15 musicals, including ''Ca ...
,
Fred Ebb
Fred Ebb (April 8, 1928 – September 11, 2004) was an American musical theatre lyricist who had many successful collaborations with composer John Kander. The Kander and Ebb team frequently wrote for such performers as Liza Minnelli and Chita Riv ...
and
Terrence McNally
Terrence McNally (November 3, 1938 – March 24, 2020) was an American playwright, librettist, and screenwriter.
Described as "the bard of American theater" and "one of the greatest contemporary playwrights the theater world has yet produced," ...
. The musical opened at the
Lyceum Theatre on March 26, 2015, and closed on June 14, 2015. Co-starring
Roger Rees
Roger Rees (5 May 1944 – 10 July 2015) was a Welsh actor and director, widely known for his stage work. He won an Olivier Award and a Tony Award for his performance as the lead in ''The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby''. He also rece ...
, the production was directed by
John Doyle and choreographed by
Graciela Daniele Graciela Daniele (born December 8, 1939) is an Argentine-American dancer, choreographer, and theatre director.
Biography
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina to Raúl Daniele and Rosa del Carmen Almoina. After her parents divorced, her mother got a jo ...
. Rivera received praise for her performance, and was nominated for a Tony Award, Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical and a Drama Desk Award. The
Astaire Awards were rebranded The
Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography
The Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography (previously titled the Fred and Adele Astaire Awards) celebrate outstanding dance and choreography in theatre, both on Broadway and Off-Broadway and in film at an annual ceremony in New York City ...
in 2017. In 2018, she received a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement. In 2019, ''
Time Out New York
''Time Out'' is a global magazine published by Time Out Group. ''Time Out'' started as a London-only publication in 1968 and has expanded its editorial recommendations to 328 cities in 58 countries worldwide.
In 2012, the London edition becam ...
'' named her "one of the best Broadway divas of all time." In 2020, she was one of the two Grand Marshalls in the
Rose Parade
The Rose Parade, also known as the Tournament of Roses Parade (or simply the Tournament of Roses), is an annual parade held mostly along Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena, California, United States, on New Year's Day (or on Monday, January 2 if N ...
in
Pasadena, California
Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district.
I ...
on January 1.
Rivera has been a frequent guest narrator at
Disney's Candlelight Processional
Disney's Candlelight Processional is an annual event held at Disneyland in California and Epcot at Walt Disney World in Florida. The processional is currently performed for two nights only at Disneyland, and throughout the month of December at E ...
at
Walt Disney World
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, th ...
, most recently appearing in the 2021 and 2022 seasons.
Personal life
On December 1, 1957, Rivera married fellow ''West Side Story'' dancer
Tony Mordente
Tony Mordente (born December 3, 1935) is an American dancer, choreographer, actor, and television director.
Career
Born in New York City, Mordente attended the High School of Performing Arts and made his professional dance debut at the Jaco ...
. 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 Lisa or LISA may refer to:
People
People with the mononym
* Lisa Lisa (born 1967), American actress and lead singer of the Cult Jam
* Lisa (Japanese musician, born 1974), stylized "LISA", Japanese singer and producer
* Lisa Komine (born 1978), J ...
in 1958. They were divorced in 1966.
She is
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
.
Select stage credits
Filmography
Film
Television
Awards, nominations and honors
Rivera has been nominated for the
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cer ...
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, which she shares with
Julie Harris
Julia Ann Harris (December 2, 1925August 24, 2013) was an American actress. Renowned for her classical and contemporary stage work, she received five Tony Awards for Best Actress in a Play.
Harris debuted on Broadway in 1945, against the wish ...
.
In 2009, she was presented with the
Presidential Medal of Freedom
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian award of the United States, along with the Congressional Gold Medal. It is an award bestowed by the president of the United States to recognize people who have made "an especially merito ...
by President
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
.
Rivera was honored as
The New Jewish Home
The New Jewish Home (formerly Jewish Home Lifecare among other prior names) is an American nonprofit older adult health care system based in New York City. The organization serves older adults of all religions and ethnicities at its three campus ...
's Eight Over Eighty Gala 2016 honoree.
She was awarded an honorary
Doctor of Fine Arts
Doctor of Fine Arts (D.F.A.) is a doctoral degree in fine arts, may be given as an honorary degree (a degree ''honoris causa'') or an earned professional degree (in the UK).
Description
Doctoral programmes leading to DFAs are of equivalent level ...
degree from the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
in 2018.
[Gans, Andrew]
Chita Rivera Will Receive Honorary Doctorate From University of Florida
''Playbill'', April 9, 2018
Awards
See also
*
List of Puerto Ricans
*
List of Puerto Rican Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
This is a list of notable Puerto Ricans who were awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The list includes people who were born in Puerto Rico, people who are of full or partial Puerto Rican ancestry such as Pablo Casals, whose mother was Puert ...
Notes
References
Further reading
2003 Interview with Chita Rivera about ''West Side Story''
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rivera, Chita
1933 births
Living people
American people of Italian descent
American actresses of Puerto Rican descent
American people of Scottish descent
American female dancers
American dancers
American film actresses
American musical theatre actresses
American television actresses
Drama Desk Award winners
Hispanic and Latino American actresses
Kennedy Center honorees
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipients
Special Tony Award recipients
Tony Award winners
20th-century American actresses
21st-century American actresses
Actresses from Washington, D.C.
Dancers from Washington, D.C.
Dancers from New York (state)
Catholics from Washington, D.C.