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Chita Rivera, an iconic actress of stage and screen with credits including “Chicago,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman” and “Sweet Charity,” has died. She was 91 years old.
Merle Frimark, Rivera’s longtime publicist, confirmed the news to CNN on Tuesday, saying Rivera died “peacefully” on Tuesday “in New York after a brief illness.”
Rivera, who received a record 10 Tony Award nominations and won two for “The Rink” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” Rivera’s incomparable Broadway career spanned decades, from playing Anita in “West Side Story” and alongside Dick Van Dyke in “Bye Bye Birdie” to signature Bob Fosse musicals like “Chicago” and “All That Jazz.”
Although he maintained a hectic schedule on stage, Rivera also appeared in several films and television shows, including film adaptations of “Sweet Charity” and “Chicago,” as well as “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
His most recent on-screen credit was in the 2021 Netflix film “Tick, Tick… Boom!” in which he appeared in a sequence among other musical luminaries on stage.
AP
This 1957 file photo shows Chita Rivera, a member of the original cast of the Broadway musical production of “West Side Story.”
Born in Washington, D.C. in 1933, Rivera began training as a dancer at age 9 before receiving a scholarship to legendary choreographer George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet, an obituary by Frimark details.
Rivera, whose father was Puerto Rican, soon became one of Broadway’s most notable triple threats (actor-singer-dancer), paving the way for Latin artists to follow. She originated the timeless anita paper in the original Broadway premiere of “West Side Story” in 1957.
Highlights of her stage career include starring roles in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “The Rink” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” along with the original Broadway casts of “Guys and Dolls” and “Mr. Marvelous.”
Rivera’s honors included being a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2002 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, presented to her by President Barack Obama in 2009. She also received the 2018 Special Tony Award for her lifetime achievement in theater.
Rivera also wrote a book, “Chita: A Memoir,” which was published last year.
In a statement, Lin-Manuel Miranda, director of “Tick, Tick… Boom!”, called Rivera “Puerto Rico’s pioneer on Broadway.” He said Rivera had initially been unavailable for the scene in which he hoped she would make a cameo, but he left her a vacant chair, determined to make it happen. His dream came true during reshoots of the movie, when Rivera was finally able to sit in the chair Miranda had reserved for him. That day, he said, she “was in court all day.”
“It remains one of the all-time joys of my life. She was magnificent,” she added. “She IS magnificent, she’s not ready for the past tense yet.”
Evan Agostini/Invisión/AP
Chita Rivera at the 72nd Annual Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 10, 2018 in New York.
Rita Moreno, who won the Academy Award for best supporting actress for playing Anita in the 1961 film adaptation of “West Side Story,” said in a statement provided to CNN that Rivera was “timeless” and “the essence of Broadway.”
“When I discovered that this amazing creature was one of my people, I boasted with pride,” added Moreno, of Puerto Rican descent. “Over the years, we were sometimes mistaken for each other, which I always saw as a badge of honor… As I write this, I raise a glass to this extraordinary woman and friend. “Cheetah, friend, cheers!”
Catherine Zeta-Jones, who also won an Oscar for playing a role in a film originated by Rivera on Broadway – in this case, for playing Velma Kelly in the film adaptation of “Chicago” – highlighted the “incredible impact” that Rivera had . about her life and paid tribute to her “queen.”
“From dreaming of being you as a child, then meeting you, and then being deeply connected to you playing the one and only Velma Kelly in Chicago,” Zeta-Jones posted on instagram“There will never ever be anyone like you, Cheetah, ever.”
Ariana DeBose, who also won the Academy Award for playing Anita, in the 2021 remake of Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” called Rivera “a force” in his instagram tribute on Tuesday.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
US President Barack Obama presents the Medal of Freedom to Chita Rivera during a ceremony at the White House August 12, 2009 in Washington, DC.
“The truth is that it made me nervous. To be in his presence was to behold greatness,” DeBose added. “I always had the feeling that she had high expectations, but none higher than those she fulfilled herself… I am heartbroken and yet always inspired as she showed many of us what was possible.”
Stephanie Pope, a Broadway actress and friend of Rivera, told CNN on Tuesday that the late star “is and always will be a legend…He achieved a standard of excellence that we all aspire to but will never match.”
“I appreciate the time I spent with her both on and off stage,” Pope added. “The theater community and the world have lost a true star.”
Frimark included a statement from Rivera’s daughter, Lisa Mordente, who mentioned that the star’s funeral will be private and that she is survived by her daughter and her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero “along with her many nieces, nephews and friends.” .
CNN’s Brian Lowry and Dan Heching contributed to this report.
This story has been updated with additional information.