At 90, Chita Rivera Looks Forward with Autobiography, Performances

What becomes a legend most? In the case of Chita Rivera, it is her ease at sustaining her career past her 90th birthday. The three-time Tony winner is still performing, as she did recently at the North Shore Music Theatre in Beverly, MA with actor George Dvorsky, and celebrated her birthday with the publication of her memoir, "Chita: A Memoir."

"Chita: A Memoir," written with the journalist Patrick Pacheco, traces the three-time Tony Award winner's life with a veteran's clarity and insouciance, reports the New York Times.

"Over its 320 pages, the Puerto Rican-American performer, who was raised in Washington, D.C., fondly recalls her early dance classes, her move to New York City to study at George Balanchine's School of American Ballet, her breakthrough as Anita in 'West Side Story' and her continued success on Broadway (18 appearances total) and beyond."

Rivera followed her 1957 breakout role "West Side Story" with "Bye, Bye Birdie" in 1960, "Chicago" in 1977, "The Rink" in 1984 (Tony Award), "Kiss of the Spider Woman" in 1993 (Tony Award), revivals of "Nine" (2003) and "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" (2012), her autobiographical musical "Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life" (2005), and the Kander and Ebb musical "The Visit" (2015). In 2018 she received a Lifetime Achievement in Theatre Tony.

Her relationship with co-author Pacheco goes back to 1975, when he profiled her for the gay entertainment magazine After Dark. "They also got together over cosmopolitans in 2005, when Pacheco interviewed her at length; his notes shaped McNally's book for her solo Broadway show, 'Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life,' " writes the Times.

"I don't think she would have ever done it if COVID hadn't come around," Pacheco told the Times, "because she is unstoppable when it comes to her career. That's what she really lives for – to be on that stage."

"She was less enthusiastic about revealing her private life," Pacheco continued, noting her reluctance to discuss her romance with Sammy Davis Jr. "But she really was a good sport. Once we read a chapter together, she rarely asked for any changes. I would say, in 100,000 words if she asked me to delete 50, that would be major."

Those seeking gossip might be disappointed, though. Aside from some light naughtiness when describing her love affairs and weakness for Italian men, the book's juiciest disclosure might be that Rivera turned down the playwright Arthur Laurents's request to star as Rose in the London premiere of "Gypsy" in the early 1960s because she thought herself too young and not in the mind-set to play a pushy stage mother.

She also confessed to a conflicted relationship with Hollywood. Three times Hollywood has cast actresses in roles she originated that have gone on to win Oscars for the roles: Anita in "West Side Story" (Rita Morena and Ariana DeBose) and Velma Kelly in "Chicago" (Catherine Zeta-Jones).

"I feel that you can't replace the person that originates a role," she continued. "I say in my act: 'Catherine, you keep your Oscar, I'll keep my vamp.' And it's a great vamp. I would hold it as long as the first two rows would let me... Whenever you hear that vamp, you think of 'Jazz,' " she said, tapping her fingers like a drumroll. "And who sang 'Jazz'? I did."

EDGE spoke to Rivera recently about her autobiography, performing, and her favorite roles.

EDGE: Why was now the time to write your memoir, "Chita: A Memoir," and does having a milestone birthday [90] have anything to do with it?

Chita Rivera: No, it just happened. I am a very private person and never wanted my life story to be out there. So, now was just the just the right time, and I just succumbed to it. Writing this also helped remind me of what I've done and the wonderful adventures I've had.

EDGE: What do you think readers will find most surprising about you from your new memoir?

Chita Rivera: There's an expression that I used on a New York Times reporter once. He asked, "What is it about you that nobody else knows?" I said, "I'm nowhere near as nice as I appear to be."

EDGE: How did the idea for your recent show "Rhythm of My Life" come about?

Chita Rivera: It came about because this is my life. No one better to do it than me. The title "Rhythm of my Life" was very appealing. The show is a conglomeration of all the songs that that I love to sing and all the favorites of the audience.

EDGE: You performed it with actor George Dvorsky. How did you two connect?

Chita Rivera: We performed together in "Kiss Me, Kate" many years ago. I just fell in love with George. I swore that if I had a chance, I would work with him again. So, this show just worked out perfectly for the both of us.

EDGE: Creating the song list for the show must be challenging, because you must have so many favorite ones to sing. How do you decide which ones make the cut?

Chita Rivera: The song list we have is perfect, absolutely perfect. All the songs we sing just fit us perfectly. We have some wonderful duets. They were made for me and George.

EDGE: Do you have any favorite songs that didn't make the cut?

Chita Rivera: Oh yes, an entire career of songs. I think the songs we chose perfectly fit the show.

EDGE: I love how theater can move an audience. What do you most enjoy about the theatre?

Chita Rivera: I love that the audience is part of the play, and we are doing it for them. Their response is live and immediate – that is what makes performing in the theater so amazing.

EDGE: What has been your most memorable moment on stage?

Chita Rivera: Oh, my God, that's impossible! I was brought up during the Golden Age of theatre, where every show that was produced was a hit. It's very difficult to choose a favorite time, but I loved my time with "Kiss of a Spider Woman," "Can-Can," and "Guys and Dolls. "

EDGE: Who Is the character that you most identified with?

Chita Rivera: I think I identified with most of them. There was a part of me that belonged to every character that I played. It also helped to have Candor & Ebb and Terrence McNally wrote these amazing parts for me, so it was quite simple for me to just get into a part and play it, because it was part of me.

EDGE: What was it like having a friendship and working relationship with Kander & Ebb?

Chita Rivera: It was unbelievable. What luck, for me, to have two artists like that writing music for you and then becoming lifelong friends. They made me what I am today. I give them an awful lot of credit for who I am.

EDGE: What's next for you? Obviously, it sounds like retirement is not in your plans.

Chita Rivera: No, it's not. I am going to hang on until the last minute or until my daughter tells me it's time to quit. She's the only one that I believe, and I will listen to her.

For more on Chita Rivera, including upcoming appearances, visit her website.