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Chita Rivera has died at 91 years old. Her daughter Lisa Mordente revealed that her mother died after suffering from a short illness in New York in a statement on Tuesday, January 30. The Broadway star has been a legend on the stage for decades, and she received countless accolades throughout her career. “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,” her rep said in a statement.
Chita’s daughter shared more about the siblings that the singer was survived by in her statement. “She is also survived by her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero, (her older sister Carmen predeceased her), along with her many nieces, nephews and friends. Her funeral will be private. A memorial service will be announced in due course,” she told People, while noting that in lieu of flowers, the family is asking people to donate to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS in her honor. Find out more about Chita here.
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Chita Was a Tony-Winning Broadway Actress
Chita began her stage career in a touring production of Call Me Madam. She went on to appear in Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, and Mr. Wonderful. In 1957, she originated the role of Anita in the Broadway production of West Side Story, which skyrocketed her to fame. She also originated roles in the musicals Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Nine, and The Visit. She won Tonys in 1984 for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for The Rink and again in 1993 for Kiss of the Spider Woman.
She’s Been Featured in a Bunch of Musical Movies
While Chita mainly stuck to live performances in theater, she did occasionally appear in TV and movies. She had roles in one-off episodes of The Outer Limits, The Carol Burnett Show, and Will and Grace, as well as seven episodes of The New Dick Van-Dyke Show. With her experience in musicals, she also appeared in a number of musical movies, including Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978), Chicago (2002), and tick, tick… BOOM (2021), via IMDb.
She Was Married to Fellow Actor Tony Mordente for Almost 10 Years
While starring in West Side Story, Chita tied the knot with Tony Mordente, who played A-Rab in the stage version and Action in the film version of the movie, in 1957. Tony was also an understudy in Bye Bye Birdie, and he worked in a few more Broadway productions, and later became a TV director in the 70s. Chita and Tony divorced in 1966.
Her Daughter Is Also a Broadway Star
Shortly after the pair got married, Chita gave birth to her daughter Lisa in 1958. She made her Broadway debut in 1978 and received a Tony nomination for her 1981 performance in Marlowe. She also served as an assistant choreographer for The Who’s Tommy in 1993. She’s also acted in various TV shows and worked as a choreographer for musicals such as Sister Act.
She Received the Presidential Medal of Freedom
In 2009, then-President Barack Obama presented Chita with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and she was celebrated at the Kennedy Center Honors. Chita spoke about what an immense honor it was at the time. “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,” she said, via Playbill.
