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Chita
Rivera is one of the greatest living triple-threats that
the stages of Broadway or London were ever blessed with. In
1957, Chita helped to make Broadway history by creating the role of Anita,
dancing those terrific Jerome Robbins dances, in the world premiere
of West Side Story. She went from there to star as Rosie in Bye,
Bye, Birdie both on Broadway (opposite Dick Van Dyke) and in London
(opposite Peter Marshall). In 1975 she began her relationship with
the songwriting team of John Kander & Fred Ebb, originating the role
of Velma Kelly in Bob Fosse's Chicago and as recently as 2001,
she starred in Kander & Ebb's The Visit at the Goodman
Theatre in Chicago. It was thanks to Kander & Ebb that Rivera
won her two Tonys, the first for the role of Anna Antonelli opposite Liza
Minnelli in The Rink (1984) and then second in the glamorous
title role of Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993).
(Incidentally, both musicals featured books by Terrence McNally.)
However, like most First Ladies of the Stage, Rivera is not immune to
flops, either, playing a gypsy in Bajour (1964), an evil sorceress in Merlin
(1983), as Beatriz to John Cullum's Christopher Columbus in Meridith
Wilson's 1491 (1969), and reprising her Rosie in the chaotic
sequel, Bring Back Birdie (1981), opposite Donald O'Connor.
She most recently wowed Broadway audiences in Chita Rivera: The
Dancer's Life (2005). |
