For what is Chita Rivera renowned? Chita Rivera is a well-known American actress, singer, and dancer who was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson on January 23, 1933.
She became well-known for playing the lead parts in several original Broadway productions, such as Anita in West Side Story, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and the title character in Kiss of the Spider Woman.
Ten Tony Awards nominated Rivera, who received three wins, including one for lifetime achievement. She received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and is the first Latina and Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor. She released her memoir, titled Chita: A Memoir, in 2023.
Rivera’s dual performance as Aurora and Spider Woman in the musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, for which she won the 1993 Tony and Drama Desk Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical, was one of her most noteworthy achievements.
Later, she played Roxie Hart in the London version of Chicago by Kander and Ebb, and in 2001, she made an appearance as Claire Zachanassian in The Visit at the Goodman Theatre.
She earned the Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, and for her portrayal of Liliane La Fleur in the 2003 revival of Nine, she was nominated for her eighth Tony Award the following year.
She also starred in Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, a retrospective production that won her another Tony nomination, and she had an appearance in an episode of Will & Grace from 2005.
Rivera has received numerous awards for his work in the entertainment sector. President Barack Obama gave her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.
Stage Door Records re-released Chita Rivera: Get Me To The Church On Time and And Now I Sing on CD in 2013. In November 2008, Rivera also made available her third studio album, And Now I Swing.
She performed as Princess Puffer in The Mystery of Edwin Drood’s Broadway production in 2013 and was the New York City Puerto Rican Day Parade’s Grand Marshal. Rivera made a comeback to Broadway in 2015 playing the title character in The Visit, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award and garnered favorable reviews.
Additionally, in 2017 the Astaire Awards were renamed the Chita Rivera Awards for Dance and Choreography in her honor. In 2018, she was presented with a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.
She was recognized as one of the top Broadway divas of all time by Time Out New York in 2019. Additionally, Rivera has frequently served as a guest narrator for Disney’s Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World, most recently in the seasons of 2021 and 2022.
For what is Chita Rivera renowned?
Famous for her work as an actress, singer, and dancer, Chita Rivera is American. Her most famous roles were Anita in West Side Story, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and the main part in Kiss of the Spider Woman, all of which she originated.