The entertainment industry mourns the loss of Kennedy Center Honor recipient Broadway actress Chita Rivera.
Chita Rivera, a legendary American Broadway actress, singer, and dancer, passed away after a brief illness at the age of 91 on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. She was a two-time winner of the Tony Award and was a recipient of the Prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.
Chita Rivera passed away at the age of 91 after suffering from a ‘brief illness’ on Tuesday, January 30, 2024. Her rep, Merle Frimark, announced the sad news in a statement on Tuesday, which said,
“It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved Broadway icon Chita Rivera. My dear friend of over 40 years was 91,” the statement read.
Lisa Mordente, Rivera’s daughter, said in a statement that her mother passed away in New York “after a brief illness.”
“She is also survived by her siblings Julio, Armando, and Lola del Riverop (her older sister Carmen predeceased her), along with her many nieces, nephews, and friends,” the statement added.
A memorial event for Rivera will “be announced in due course,” as per family, but her funeral will “be private.” The family has requested that donations be made in her honor to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.
Who was Chita Rivera?
Chita Rivera was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson in Washington, D.C., on January 23, 1933, to parents Katherine (Anderson), a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero, a clarinetist and saxophonist for the U.S. Navy Band. When she was 15 years old, she was accepted into George Balachine’s School of American Ballet and given a scholarship after being one of the two students picked to audition in New York.
Chita Rivera made her Broadway debut as a dancer in Guys and Dolls (1950) and went on to originate roles in Broadway musicals such as Anita in West Side Story (1957), Velma Kelly in Chicago (1975), and the title role in Kiss of the Spider woman (1993). She was nominated for the Tony Award ten times and won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical twice for her role in The Rink (1984) and Kiss of the Spider Woman. She received several nominations for Tony Awards for her roles in Bye Bye Birdie (1961), Chicago (1975), Merlin (1983), Jerry’s Girls (1986), Nine (2003), and The Visit (2015).
Rivera also won numerous accolades for her outstanding performances, including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and a Drama League Award. She was the first Latina and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009. She won the Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2018.