Chita Rivera: Iconic performer with more than seven decades of Broadway credits to her name dies at 91
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Chita Rivera, an iconic performer who has more than seven decades of Broadway credits, breathed her last at the age of 91. "It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved Broadway icon Chita Rivera. My dear friend of over 40 years was 91," shared her friend Merle Frimark in a statement on Tuesday, January 30.
According to a statement released by her daughter Lisa Mordente, Rivera died in New York "after a brief illness," New York Times reports.
"She 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," continues the statement, asking for any donations in her memory to be made to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Chita Rivera was a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor
Rivera was a recipient of the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor presented by the President of the United States in 2002, and won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical over the course of her illustrious career. She also received six additional Tony Award nominations.
Her Broadway credits date back to 1950 and include 30 roles for shows such as West Side Story, Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Merlin and Kiss of the Spider Woman.
She also starred as the original Velma Kelly in the 1975 production of Chicago on Broadway and for the 25-year anniversary, she played leading lady Roxie Hart in Toronto, Las Vegas and London.
Chita Rivera recently reflected on her legendary career
CBS News recently spoke with Rivera as she reflected on her career, after she’d recently celebrated her 90th birthday. "I always used to think that we should have two lifetimes: one to try it out, and the second one to know what's coming," she told the outlet.
The conversation came after Rivera reprised the role of Anita in West Side Story, the character that launched her career on Broadway. The show, directed by Seth Rudetsky, was held at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.
"Chita is, 'Hello, how are you? It's so nice to be here.' Dolores is, 'What is it you want?' It's a darker side. I believe that Dolores is responsible for me having a career. She's the guts. She's the courage,” Rivera said while describing her alter ego.
The actress and singer then detailed how she became a performer after proving to be an energetic child, often jumping on top of the furniture in her family’s home. "I missed one time, and I went through the coffee table," Rivera recalled. "And my mother said, 'That's it, you're out of here. You're going to a ballet school.' "
Chita Rivera dropped out of New York's elite School of American Ballet
Although Rivera attended New York's elite School of American Ballet, she eventually dropped out to follow her heart to Broadway. Rivera went on to star alongside other successful talents such as Sammy Davis Jr. in Mr. Wonderful and The Rink with Liza Minnelli.
"I learned so much from watching him," she said of Davis Jr on 'The Tamron Hall Show' in 2023. Reflecting on her accolades, she told Hall there was one award that felt like a culmination of all her success. "When I won the Kennedy Center [Honor], I couldn’t believe it, you know? I kept saying they’ve made a mistake!," she added.
