NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Chita Rivera, the dynamic dancer, singer and actor who garnered 10 Tony nominations, winning twice, in a long Broadway career that forged a path for Latina artists and shrugged off a near-fatal car accident, died Tuesday. She was 91.
Rivera's death was announced by her daughter, Lisa Mordente, who said she died in New York after a brief illness.
Rivera first gained wide notice in 1957 as Anita in the original production of and was still dancing on Broadway with her trademark energy a half-century later in 2015鈥檚 鈥淭he Visit.鈥
"I wouldn't know what to do if I wasn't moving or telling a story to you or singing a song," she told The Associated Press then. "That's the spirit of my life, and I'm really so lucky to be able to do what I love, even at this time in my life."
In August 2009, Rivera was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor the U.S. can give a civilian. Rivera put her hand over her heart and said she shook her head in wonderment as President Barack Obama presented the medal. In 2013, she was the marshal at the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City.
鈥淪he was a true Broadway legend,鈥 playwright Paul Rudnick said on X, formerly Twitter. 鈥淪he always delivered and audiences adored her. The moment she stepped onstage, the world became more exciting and glorious.鈥
Rivera rose from chorus girl to star, collaborating along the way with many of Broadway鈥檚 greatest talents, including Jerome Robbins, Leonard Bernstein, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Michael Kidd, Harold Prince, Jack Cole, Peter Gennaro and John Kander and Fred Ebb.
She rebounded from a car accident in 1988 that crushed her right leg and became an indefatigable star on the road. She was on Broadway in a raucous production of 鈥淭he Mystery of Edwin Drood鈥 in 2012 and the chilly 鈥淭he Visit鈥 in 2014, earning another best actress Tony nomination.
鈥淪he can鈥檛 rehearse except for full-out,鈥 said playwright Terrence McNally in 2005. 鈥淪he can鈥檛 perform except for full-out, no matter what the size of the house. She鈥檚 going to be there 101% for that audience.鈥
She won Tonys for 鈥淭he Rink鈥 in 1984 and 鈥淜iss of the Spider Woman鈥 in 1993. When accepting a Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018, she said 鈥淚 wouldn鈥檛 trade my life in the theater for anything, because theater is life.鈥
She was nominated for the award seven other times, for 鈥淏ye Bye Birdie,鈥 which opened in 1960; 鈥淐hicago,鈥 1975; "Bring Back Birdie,鈥 1981; 鈥淢erlin,鈥 1983; 鈥淛erry鈥檚 Girls,鈥 1985; 鈥淣ine,鈥 2003; and 鈥淐hita Rivera: The Dancer鈥檚 Life,鈥 2005.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think we have enough original musicals,鈥 she told The Associated Press in 2012. 鈥淚 know I鈥檓 being old fashioned, but the theater is the place where music, lyrics, words, scenery and stories come together. And I鈥檝e been blessed enough to have done several shows when they really did. They take you places and they鈥檙e daring. That鈥檚 what we need.鈥
Her albums include 16 tracks pulled from her original cast recordings and put out as part of Sony鈥檚 Legends of Broadway series and two solo CDs 鈥 鈥淎nd Now I Sing鈥 for a tiny record label in the 1960s and 鈥淎nd Now I Swing鈥 in 2009 for Yellow Sound Label.
鈥淚 looked up to you and always will admire you as a talent and mostly as a person!鈥 wrote Kristin Chenoweth on X. 鈥淎 kick butt woman you were. All the rest of us just wanna be you.鈥
In the 1993 musical 鈥淜iss of the Spider Woman,鈥 Rivera played the title role, a glamorous movie star at the center of the fantasy life of an inmate in a South American prison. The story, from a novel by Manuel Puig, had already been made into an Oscar-winning 1985 movie.
In his review, then-Associated Press drama critic Michael Kuchwara wrote that Rivera 鈥渋s more than a musical theater star. She鈥檚 a force of nature 鈥 which is exactly what is needed for the role of the Spider Woman. With her Louise Brooks haircut, brassy voice and lithe dancer鈥檚 body, Rivera dominates the stage whenever she appears.鈥
In 1975, she originated the role of Velma Kelly (to Gwen Verdon鈥檚 Roxie Hart) in the original Broadway production of 鈥淐hicago.鈥 Rivera had a small role in the 2002 film version, while Catherine Zeta-Jones won the best supporting actress Oscar as Velma 鈥 just as Rita Moreno had picked up an Oscar for her portrayal of Anita in 鈥淲est Side Story.鈥
The songwriters for 鈥淐hicago,鈥 Kander and Ebb, also wrote Rivera鈥檚 first Tony-winning performance, for 鈥淭he Rink.鈥 In winning the Tony for best actress in a musical, Rivera topped the show鈥檚 top star, Liza Minnelli, who also had been nominated. The two played a mother and daughter who struggle to rebuild their relationship after a long estrangement; the setting is an old-fashioned roller rink that has seen better days.
鈥淪pider Woman鈥 had been her first Broadway show since 1986, when she suffered a broken leg in the traffic accident while she was appearing in 鈥淛erry鈥檚 Girls,鈥 a Broadway tribute to the songs of Jerry Herman.
At the Tony awards a few weeks later, she flashed her cast and belted out 鈥淧ut on a Happy Face鈥 from the musical 鈥淏ye, Bye, Birdie.鈥
It took months of physical therapy to bring back her dancing skills. She told The Associated Press: 鈥淚t never entered my mind that I wouldn鈥檛 dance again. Never. I can鈥檛 explain to you why. It鈥檚 hard work getting back but that鈥檚 what I鈥檓 doing.鈥
鈥淢y spirit is still there.鈥
the Broadway songwriter and performer, featured Rivera in a scene in his 2021 film adaptation of 鈥淭ick, Tick... Boom,鈥 and in a statement said having her included "remains one of the all-time joys of my life.鈥
Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero was born Jan. 23, 1933, in Washington, D.C. Her Puerto Rican father, Pedro del Rivero, was a musician who played in the United States Navy Band, who died when she was 7. Her mother was of Scottish and Italian descent.
She took dance classes and then entered the prestigious School of American Ballet in New York. Her first theater gig, at age 17, was in the touring company of 鈥淐all Me Madam.鈥 That led to chorus stints in such shows as 鈥淕uys and Dolls鈥 and 鈥淐an-Can.鈥
another woman steals scene after scene: her self-proclaimed alter ego, Dolores. Unapologetic and fiery, Dolores was the unfiltered version of Chita and served as motivation in times of self-doubt. In one chapter, Rivera writes that she doesn鈥檛 read reviews 鈥渙r Dolores just might invest in a dozen voodoo dolls.鈥
鈥淚 consist of 鈥 and I think we all do 鈥 I consist of two people: Dolores and Conchita,鈥 Rivera sain in an interview with the AP that year. 鈥淐onchita, she鈥檚 the one that has been taking all the glory, you know. She鈥檚 been doing all the shows, but Dolores is the one that鈥檚 pushed her into it. And she鈥檚 been keeping me on track, so I listen to Dolores. I listen to her. She鈥檚 growing in my head now as we speak.鈥
Among other early appearances on the New York stage were roles in 鈥淭he Shoestring Revue,鈥 1955; a 1955 musical version of 鈥淪eventh Heaven鈥 starring Ricardo Montalban; and 鈥淢r. Wonderful,鈥 a 1956 show starring Sammy Davis Jr.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that I鈥檝e been given the gift to look back and relive my life,鈥 she told The Associated Press shortly before 鈥淭he Dancer鈥檚 Life鈥 opened on Broadway in late 2005. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about how anybody can do it 鈥 if you really believe it, you have the good fortune, you do all the right things and you really work hard.鈥
Rivera, who had a relationship with the now-deceased Davis, married fellow 鈥淲est Side Story鈥 performer Tony Mordente in 1957. The marriage ended in divorce. Their daughter, Lisa Mordente, also became a performer who occasionally appeared on Broadway, garnering a Tony nomination in 1982 for 鈥淢arlowe.鈥
Among those honoring Rivera on social media were actor Jason Alexander, who said 鈥渟he set the bar in every way,鈥 and actor and dancer Debbie Allen, who wrote: 鈥淚 will miss touching you, but I will forever hear your laughter and hold that baton of power you tossed my way.鈥
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