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Broadway legend and two-time Tony winner Chita Rivera, finest recognized for originating the position of Anita within the 1957 stage manufacturing of West Side Story, has died. She was 91.
Rivera handed away following a short sickness, her publicist introduced on Tuesday (30 March) morning.
The triple menace (singer, dancer, actor) was additionally recognized for her starring position as Velma Kelly within the first Broadway manufacturing of Chicago in 1975. She later appeared as Nickie within the 2002 film adaptation of the musical, led by Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger.
“A life well lived. An Icon. A friend. Well done Chita Rivera,” Oscar-nominated actor Colman Domingo wrote on X, following the information of Rivera’s demise.
“This extraordinary woman, the incomparable. Chita Rivera was one of the greatest spirits and colleagues I’ve ever known,” Seinfeld star Jason Alexander wrote. “She set the bar in every way. I will cherish her always. Dance in heaven, my friend.”
Born in 1933 in Washington DC, Rivera was 15 when she was handpicked by a trainer from the School of American Ballet to audition for a spot and scholarship.
Following early roles in a number of Broadway productions, together with Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, and Seventh Heaven, she landed the position of Anita within the unique Broadway manufacturing of West Side Story. Her efficiency would go on to make her a Broadway star.
Rivera went on to earn a complete of 9 Tony nominations all through her profession, touchdown her first nomination in 1960 for her portrayal of Rose reverse Dick Van Dyke in Bye Bye Birdie. She later gained Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical in 1983 for her position in The Rink and in 1993 for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
In 2002, she grew to become the primary Latinx American to obtain a Kennedy (*91*) Honor. Former US President Barack Obama awarded her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. And in 2018, she was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.
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While Rivera was primarily a stage actor, she often appeared in movie and tv, together with an episode of Will and Grace.
She is survived by her daughter, singer-dancer-choreographer Lisa Mordente, from her marriage to West Side Story co-star Tony Mordente; her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero; together with a number of nieces and nephews.
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