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This web site is dedicated to the legendary Chita Rivera, goddess of Broadway!

Chita's 2010 Tour Dates

Chita: And Now I Swing

A new solo recording by Chita to be called "And Now I Swing," will be released October 13, 2009 on the new
Yellow Sound Label.

The title is a variation on her previous recording "And Now I Sing."  The album will offer new takes on classic theatre songs from Chicago, Sweet Charity, The Happy Time and The Visit as well as jazz standards made famous by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday and Vera Lynn.  Album producer and Yellow Sound Label co-founder Michael Croiter said in a statement, "'And Now I Swing' is a realization of one of Chita's lifelong dreams. We are proud to deliver this recording to both theater fans and music aficionados who enjoy groundbreaking albums such as this." The release of the new recording coincides with Chita's performances at Birdland Oct. 14-17.

She will begins a tour of her concert Chita Rivera: My Broadway in January.

Chita Rivera will stop by the Lincoln Triangle Barnes & Noble in Manhattan on October 19, 2009 at 7:30 p.m. to perform highlights from her forthcoming album "And Now I Swing" and to talk with Patrick Pacheco about life and career

The White House announced on July 30, 2009 that Chita will be among 16 recipients of the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom on August 12th.  
America's highest civilian honor, the Medal of Freedom is awarded to individuals who make an especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the United States, world peace, cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. President Obama will present the awards at a ceremony on Wednesday, August 12 at The White House.

Among the other recipients, only actor Sidney Poitier made his contributions in the world of art and culture.  Chita has previously been honored with a Kennedy Center Honor, two Tony Awards, and just this year, the Helen Hayes Award for her performance in the Kander & Ebb, Terrence McNally musical, The Visit.

Mayor Adrian M. Fenty of Washington, D.C. commented, “I am extremely pleased to hear that D.C. native and Broadway legend Chita Rivera is a recipient of the President’s Medal of Freedom for 2009. Chita’s accomplishments as a singer, actor, and dancer, are truly historical. Congratulations to Chita on the enormous and well-deserved recognition she has received.”

Chita has released a statement in response to the announcement: 
"When my mother was a child, she rolled Easter eggs on the lawn of the White House. And now, to receive The Medal of Freedom from our President, is truly a dream. I am deeply honored to receive this award and to be in such distinguished company. I only wish my parents were here to share it with...but they are!"

In making the announcement, President Obama said, "These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds. Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way. Their relentless devotion to breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens sets a standard to which we all should strive. It is my great honor to award them the Medal of Freedom."

Chita Rivera's Medal of Freedom Citation:

Chita Rivera

From stage to screen, Chita Rivera has captured America’s imagination with her magnetic presence and radiant voice. Over a career that has spanned a half-century, she has received numerous accolades for her performances, including two Tony Awards, six additional Tony nominations, and the Kennedy Center Honors Award. As fearless as “Anita” in West Side Story, and as self-reliant as “Aurora” in Kiss of the Spider Woman, she has broken barriers under Broadway’s lights and inspired a generation of women to follow in her remarkable footsteps. The United States honors Chita Rivera for her lifetime of achievement as one of America’s great artists.

President Obama's remarks at the Medal of Freedom ceremony:

Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero — (applause) — knows the adversity that comes with a difficult name. (Laughter.) I can relate. (Laughter.) Known to the world by the name that has lit up Broadway marquees, Chita Rivera’s career had an improbable start. Accompanying a nervous classmate on an audition, she decided to audition herself, and impressed the choreographer, Jerome Robbins, who would make her famous as Anita in West Side Story. Sassy, electric — that rare performer who can sing, dance, and act — Chita Rivera revealed that still rarer ability to overcome when she recovered from a car accident that shattered her leg. She ended up retaking the stage, won a Tony for Kiss of the Spider Woman. And like her unforgettable Anita, Chita Rivera has shown that life can indeed be bright in America.

Photo by J. Scott Applewhite, AP

Read the article in the USA Today...

http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2009-08-12-obama-medal-of-freedom_N.htm

From Liz Smith's syndicated column, August 17, 2009

OPEN LETTER to Chita Rivera. Last week, Chita received the nation's highest civilian honor -- the Presidential Medal of Freedom -- from President Obama. Chita was also the first Hispanic to receive the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002:

"Dear Conchita Rivero -- I believe this was the name on the program for "Call Me Madam" when it toured in Chicago back in 1953. I was in the audience to see my friend Elaine Stritch, the star, and there in the chorus was one of the best dancers I'd ever seen. We have all been friends ever since. Dear Chita, or whatever you ever choose to call yourself. I send you loving congratulations. It is no small thing to admire a fabulous performer for 56 years. It's been great fun. Love, Liz Smith."

Special Podcasts: Love and Love Alone: A Conversation with Chita Rivera and her long-time friend Richard Seff, recorded by Joel Markowitz. As wistful and winning as the best Kander and Ebb songs themselves, this two part look at Chita Rivera and The Visit is all about the love she and Richard Seff hold for the theatre world, for each other and especially for Mssrs. Kander and Ebb.