Rivera, Chita << ree VAY rah, CHEE tah >> (1933-2024), was an American musical-comedy singer and dancer known for playing sexy characters with strong personalities. Rivera created the role of Anita, a fiery young Puerto Rican woman, in the stage musical West Side Story (1957). She was also featured in the Broadway musicals Bye Bye Birdie (1960), Chicago (1975), and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993). Rivera won several Tony Awards for her work.
Rivera was born on Jan. 23, 1933, in Washington, D.C. Her real name was Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero. After studying at the School of American Ballet in New York City, she made her professional debut as a chorus dancer in Guys and Dolls (1950). She also danced in the chorus of the musicals Call Me Madam (1950) and Can-Can (1953). She changed her name to Chita Rivera when she became a featured performer in The Shoestring Revue (1955). Rivera received her first star billing performing with the American entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., in Mr. Wonderful (1956).
Rivera’s other Broadway musicals include Bajour (1964), Merlin (1983), The Rink (1984), and Jerry’s Girls (1985). She also starred in touring versions of several Broadway musicals. In 2005 and 2006, she starred on Broadway in Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, which featured several new songs and dances as well as numbers from her earlier musicals. Rivera made a few motion-picture musicals, such as the film adaptations of the Broadway shows Sweet Charity (1969) and Pippin (1981). She died on Jan. 30, 2024.
