Entertainment
Two-time Tony winner and nine-time nominee, Chita Rivera, dead at 91
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, and siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Rivero, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
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Chita Rivera, a groundbreaking Broadway star who earned the distinction of being the first Latina to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor and a Tony Award winner, has passed away.
Her daughter, Lisa Mordente, confirmed the sad news, stating that Chita died in New York after a brief illness.
Born as Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson, Chita carved a remarkable path for Latina artists, making history as the inaugural actress to portray Anita in βWest Side Storyβ in 1957 and Velma Kelly in βChicago.β
Over six decades on stage, she amassed an impressive 10 Tony nominations and secured the Best Actress in a Musical award for both βKiss of the Spider Womanβ and βThe Rink.β
Chita Rivera also graced Broadway stages in notable productions such as βThreepenny Opera,β βKiss Me Kate,β and βSweet Charity,β among numerous others.
In her most recent stage appearance, she was seen dancing in the 2015 production of βThe Visit,β expressing to AP at the time that she couldnβt envision a life without movement, storytelling, or singingβa sentiment where performance was described as βthe spirit of my life.β
Chita, a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, achieved New York Times bestseller status in 2023 with her memoir, βChita: A Memoir.β
She is survived by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, and siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Rivero, along with numerous nieces and nephews.
According to her representative, Merle Frimark, a private funeral is planned, and details for a memorial service will be announced in due course.
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