Chita’s aspirations to become a performer began with ballet training at the age of 11 in her native Washington DC. Five years later, she moved to New York, where she auditioned for legendary choreographer George Balanchine, who recognized Chita’s talent and gave her a scholarship to the American School of Ballet where she began taking classes with such dancers as Edward Villella, Melissa Hayden, Allegra Kent and Maria Tallchief. As an aspiring 17 year-old ballerina, Chita agreed to accompany a friend to an audition for the chorus of the national touring company of Call Me Madam starring Elaine Stritch. Although she had no serious intention of pursuing a part in the show, Chita was cast as a principal dancer, and the ballet world’s loss was Broadway’s gain - a future legend’s theater career was born.

After completing a cross-country tour of Call Me Madam, Chita returned to New York to replace Onna White as a principal dancer in Guys and Dolls.

With a bright and tuneful score by Irving Berlin, Call Me Madam originally starred Ethel Merman as "the hostess with the mostess’," a deliberate take off on Washington socialite Pearl Mesta. The original program stated, "The play is laid in two mythical countries. One is called Lichtenburg, the other is the United States of America."

Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse
Produced by Leland Hayward
Directed by George Abbott
Choreography by Jerome Robbins
Opened October 12, 1950 at the Imperial Theatre in NY and ran for 644 performances

Song List
• Overture
• Mrs. Sally Adams
• Hostess with Mostes' on the Ball
• Hostess With Mostes' on the Ball Encore
• Washington Square Dance
• Lichtenberg
• Can You Use Any Money Today?
• Marrying for Love
• Ocarina, The
• It's a Lovely Day Today
• Best Thing for Your, The
• Something to Dance About
• Once Upon a Time Today
• They Like Ike
• You're Just in Love

Synopsis
Ambassador Sally Adams, with slim credentials, is sent off to administer in the tiny duchy of Lichtenburg. It's not long before her down-to-earth, typically undiplomatic manner has surprised and charmed the local gentry, especially the handsome Prime Minister. A second romance is blossoming between her young Ivy League aid and Lichtenburg's enchanting young Princess. The course of love is threatened by the stuffy opposition, who eventually succeed in wrangling Sally's recall, but not before all has resolved happily for both pairs of lovers.

Info
In addition to Merman, the original cast featured Paul Lukas, Russell Nype, Galina Talva, Pat Harrington, Alan Hewitt, Tommy Rall and Nathaniel Frey. The show won 3 Tony Awards including Best Score.

In an interesting quirk of show business, Merman was NOT featured on the original cast recording. RCA Records had put up $250,000, the entire production cost of the show, and obtained rights to record the original cast album. Unfortunately, Merman was under contract to Decca Records, whose president, Dave Kapp, refused to release her to his rival company. Subsequently, there were two Call Me Madam albums in stores: RCA's version featured the entire original cast, with Dinah Shore as fill-in for

Merman; Decca's album of songs from Irving Berlin's score, originally an 8-song, 10" LP that was quickly reissued as a 12" LP with four additional tracks, had the show's star singing some numbers solo that she performed onstage as duets with Paul Lucas, while Dick Haymes and Eileen Wilson filled in for cast performers Russell Nype and Galina Talva.

The program for the 1952 national touring production of Call Me Madam, with Elaine Stritch and a principal dancer named Conchita del Rivero (see program detail below).

Elaine Stritch in the national touring production of Call Me Madam

Early in her career, Chita was billed as Conchita del Rivero, as seen here in the program for the national tour of
Call Me Madam, starring Elaine Stritch.