Sunday, January 29, 2023
The Parker
Tickets
By Denny Patterson
On January 29, 2023, guests are invited to attend an intimate evening of music and conversation at the Parker, hosted by Seth Rudetsky and featuring Broadway legend Chita Rivera.
An accomplished and versatile entertainer, Rivera is one of the most nominated performers in Tony Award history, having earned 10 nominations and winning twice. She also received the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. The icon made her Broadway debut when she was 19 years old as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam, but originating the role of Anita in West Side Story is what catapulted her into stardom.
Since then, her career has been highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, The Rink, Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and countless more. Her recent Broadway performances include The Mystery of Edwin Drood, The Dancer’s Life, which is a dazzling musical celebrating her spectacular career, and the Broadway revival of Nine with Antonio Banderas.
Rivera took some time to talk about her upcoming South Florida appearance and more with OutClique.
Denny Patterson: Thank you for taking some time to chat with me, Chita! What can we expect from your upcoming South Florida appearance with Seth Rudetsky?
Chita Rivera: With Seth, you can always expect very interesting subjects and a very interesting formula that he puts together. It’s actually a surprise to me when we sit, talk, and then go into the piano. So, I welcome the surprises.
Photo Courtesy of Rob Latour
Denny Patterson: Is there anything in particular you hope audiences take away from this intimate evening?
Chita Rivera: Just an enjoyable evening. It’s very different from anything else. It’s relaxed, informative, and I hope everyone has a great time.
Denny Patterson: For those who don’t know, how did your career in entertainment begin, and has this always been your passion?
Chita Rivera: Yes, this has always been my passion. I was initially put in ballet school because I broke up all the furniture in the house and I didn’t know what to do with my energy. So, my mother put me in ballet school, and that was the initial drive. While I attended the School of American Ballet, I escorted a dancer to an audition for Call Me Madam, just to keep her company, and she said, why don’t you do the audition as well? I did and I got it, but she didn’t, and I haven’t spoken to her since (laughs). But that started the whole thing, and it was a path that I enjoyed very much.
Denny Patterson: Every time you stepped out on stage, how did you keep each performance fresh and exciting?
Chita Rivera: Fortunately, the material is very good, and I’ve always welcomed it. Kander and Ebb, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim – that’s good stuff. If you can’t recognize that, then you should put your shoes up.
Denny Patterson: What was the best advice you received when you first started on Broadway?
Chita Rivera: Know what you’re doing, believe what you’re doing, and don’t be afraid. Of course, the third one is the hardest. That advice was given to me by Gwen Verdon.
Chita and Gwen Verdon CHICAGO 1975 – Photo Courtesy of Martha Swope ©The New York Public Library
Denny Patterson: The role which was destined to make you a Broadway star was Anita in West Side Story. What was your absolute favorite part about playing her?
Chita Rivera: Oh, I really consider every role I’ve played to be a part of me, but with Anita, there was Lenny’s amazing music, Peter Gennaro and Jerry Robbins’ amazing choreography, and the Romeo and Juliet story was exceptional. So, what wasn’t there to like?
Denny Patterson: Did you see Steven Spielberg’s remake of West Side Story last year?
Chita Rivera: No, I haven’t seen it yet. I just haven’t gotten around to it.
Denny Patterson: You were also a part of the Golden Age of Broadway. What are your thoughts on this new era?
Chita Rivera: I have no opinion (laughs). Being from the Golden Age, you can’t beat that. There’s nothing like it. There was an enormous amount of time that we were able to enjoy, and there were so many great composers, librettists, lyricists, and choreographers. You just ate it all up!
Chita & Liza Minnelli THE RINK – Photo Courtesy of Ken Howard
Denny Patterson: Is there a role you would have loved to play, but never had a chance to?
Chita Rivera: You know, I’d be very stupid to say there are because I really had wonderful roles to play. It would be selfish to say there was something else that I wanted to do. So, no. I’m very happy with what I got.
Denny Patterson: Do you have any desire to get back on stage or pursue new projects?
Chita Rivera: Oh, absolutely! I’m ready, willing, and able.
Denny Patterson: Because of your extraordinary success, that led you to become the first Latina and first Latin American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor, and you are also a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. How special and significant were those moments in your life?
Chita Rivera: Very, very special. Those were exceptional times and those are exceptional awards, and I am very, very grateful to have received them from Presidents Obama and Bush.
Denny Patterson: Is it true that you are currently writing a memoir?
Chita Rivera: Yes, it is! I finally said, okay, I’ll do it, and it comes out April 25.
Denny Patterson: What do you hope readers take away from it?
Chita Rivera: I just hope to put people in the room where I was. It’s called Chita, but it could have been called If I Can Do It, You Can.
Photo Courtesy of Jamie Casertano
Denny Patterson: What more do you hope to accomplish with your career?
Chita Rivera: Just to be able to do it (laughs). Do it, enjoy it, and learn more because it’s never too late to learn something new.
For more information and to purchase tickets for Chita Rivera with Seth Rudestsky, visit ParkerPlayhouse.com.
