Broadway icon Chita Rivera, whose performances in more than 20 Broadway musicals over 60 years lives in the hearts of Browadway fans the world over, has died. She was 91.
Her death was confirmed by her daughter, Lisa Mordente. Publicist Merle Frimark told CNN that Rivera died “peacefully” on Tuesday “in New York after a brief illness.”
Rivera, the winner of three Tony awards throughout her storied career — and a record 10 Tony Award nominations — will be remembered for her roles in “West Side Story,” “Kiss of the Spiderwoman,“ “Sweet Charity,” and opposite Dick Van Dyke in “Bye Bye Birdie.”
Her other memorable performances were in “The Rink,“ and Bob Fosse musicals like “Chicago” and “All That Jazz,” along with the original Broadway casts of “Guys and Dolls” and “Mr. Wonderful.”
Her movie and TV credits include screen adaptations of “Sweet Charity” and “Chicago.” In 2021, she appeared in Netflix’s movie, “Tick, Tick… Boom,” a musical directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda of “Hamilton” and “Encanto” fame.
Rivera was a Kennedy Center honoree in 2002, and in 2009 was presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. In 2018, she was also awarded a Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Born in Washington, DC in 1933, Rivera began training as a ballerina at age 9 before receiving a scholarship to the School of American Ballet from legendary choreographer George Balanchine, an obituary from Frimark to CNN detailed.
Rivera, whose father was Puerto Rican, paved the way for Latinx artists to follow. She originated the role of Anita in the original Broadway premiere of “West Side Story” in 1957.
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