{"id":72104,"date":"2024-01-31T13:09:49","date_gmt":"2024-01-31T10:09:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/armenia23.ru\/?p=72104"},"modified":"2024-01-31T13:09:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-31T10:09:49","slug":"famous-broadway-star-of-west-side-story-and-chicago-chita-rivera-has-passed-away-see-how-old-she-was","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/armenia23.ru\/?p=72104","title":{"rendered":"Famous Broadway star of “West Side Story” and “Chicago,” Chita Rivera, has passed away. See how old she was\u2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chita Rivera, 91, died away after a long and illustrious career on Broadway. Rivera won three Tony Awards for her performances in Chicago, Bye Bye Birdie, and West Side Story.<\/p>\n

Deadline reports that Rivera’s daughter Lisa Mordente confirmed the news by saying that her mother \u2018died peacefully\u2019.<\/p>\n

On January 23, 1933, in the nation’s capital, Rivera came into this world as the third of five siblings. <\/p>\n

Her early ballet training paid off, and she quickly became a Broadway star, appearing in the original casts of Guys & Dolls, Can-Can, and Mr. Wonderful.<\/p>\n

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Rivera became one of Broadway’s biggest performers thanks to West Side Story. She was also a trailblazer in Latina representation on Broadway and an amazing dancer and singer.<\/p>\n

In addition, she played lead roles in two other iconic musicals, originating Velma Kelly in Chicago <\/p>\n

in 1975 and Rose in Bye Bye Birdie in 1960. Her performances in both productions earned her nominations for Tony Awards.<\/p>\n

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Despite having to have two operations after a car accident in 1986 broke her left leg, Rivera was adamant about dancing and made a comeback to the Broadway stage seven years later.<\/p>\n

\u2018I’ll never wear ballet slippers again because my Achilles tendon is missing.\u2019 In 1993, she told the New York Times,<\/p>\n

\u2018I can’t do the full stretch.\u2019 However, I’m no longer in pain. The only issue is that my leg triggers airport metal detectors.<\/p>\n

For the musical The Rink in 1984 and for her Broadway return in 1993’s Kiss of the Spider Woman, both composed by her regular collaborators Kander & Ebb, <\/p>\n

Rivera was awarded two Tony Awards for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. In 2018, she was honored with a third Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.<\/p>\n

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Rivera was a mainstay of the Broadway theater for six decades. Her later appearances included The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Nine, the autobiographical revue Chita Rivera: <\/p>\n

The Dancer’s Life, and her farewell musical, The Visit, for which she was nominated for a Tony Award in 2015.<\/p>\n

Despite having a career focused mostly on theater, Rivera had cameos in Chicago and Tick, Tick\u2014Boom! and costarred in the 1969 film adaptation of Sweet Charity.<\/p>\n

She had appearances on TV shows like Will & Grace, The Carol Burnett Show, and The Judy Garland Show.<\/p>\n

The highest civilian award in the US, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, was given to her in 2009.<\/p>\n