Rivera, Chita (1933–)
Rivera, Chita (1933–)
American dancer, singer and actress. Born Delores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero, Jan 23, 1933, in Washington, DC; dau. of Katherine and Pedro del Rivero (Puerto Rican musician); m. Tony Mordente (dancer), 1957 (div.); children: Lisa Mordente (actress).
Trained on scholarship at School of American Ballet in New York City, but interrupted studies to perform on tour in the chorus of Call Me Madam (c. 1952); on Broadway, performed in The Shoestring Revue (1955), Seventh Heaven (1955), and Mr. Wonderful; came to prominence as Anita in West Side Story (1957); appeared in Gower Champion's Bye Bye Birdie (1960), Zenda (1963) and Zorba (1968), and Bob Fosse's Sweet Charity (1967) and Chicago (1975); also starred in Jerry's Girls, Bring Back Birdie and Nine; appeared on tv and film. Received 8 Tony award nominations and won Tonys for The Rink (1984) and Kiss of the Spiderwoman (1993); was among those feted at the Kennedy Center Honors (2002).