'Chita's Life' - A Mesmerizing Knockout!

South Florida recently endured one of our mildest hurricane seasons in memory. That was until the force of nature known as Chita Rivera cycloned this town with a well needed dose of theatrical delerium.

It is known by theatergoers and theater lovers worldwide that Chita Rivera is theater royalty. In The Dancer's Life, the revered Rivera is given a platform to show why she reigns supreme over Broadway. To say that she "delivered" would be akin to saying Judy Garland could sing a song. Delivered? This woman had the crowd cheering and threatened to cause cracks in the ceiling of the Ziff Theater even when she first appeared only in silhouette. Chita Rivera The Dancer's Life is certainly the most electric musical to pass through our town in quite some time. Thus far, it is without a doubt the highlight of this year's South Florida Broadway Across America Series.

From Call Me Madam to the revival of Nine Chita recounts her brilliant professional successes and those with whom she worked, as well as giving us glimpses into the Chita behind the curtain. Ms. Rivera is a rare breed. She is perhaps the greatest theater dancer ever born, and heck she is also a very fine actress and an excellent exciting singer too. She is the only star I can think of who is a true star from the thrilling boards of the stage. Chita Rivera is not well known around the country or the world from her television appearances or movie roles or recordings. It is heartening and magnificent that in 2007 a star of this magnitude can spread her wattage throughout the land, without the aid of mass communication. Her natural and perfected performance gifts have let the world know that when you see a show with Chita Rivera in it, you will see a performance you will never forget.

Of course Rivera has created legendary roles on Broadway. She was the original Anita in West Side Story, she starred as Rosie when Bye Bye Birdie premiered on Broadway, she goose bumped the world and all that jazz as Velma in the original Chicago and she won her most recent of two Tony awards (the first was for Kander and Ebb's The Rink) as the title character in Kiss Of The Spider Woman.  She also has the distinction of being the only Hispanic recipient of America's Kennedy Center Honor.  There were many other Broadway shows, dozens of tours and hundreds, perhaps thousands of nightclub performances in her career. She had her share of clunky vehicles through the years (Bring Back Birdie, Merlin) but Rivera always emerged victorious, garnering Tony nominations even for shows not worthy of her presence.

Chita Rivera The Dancer's Life is no dusty museum relic. It lives, it explodes, it thrills and it whips the audience into a frenzy. I hestitate to mention any favorite parts of this show, because this critic was riveted from the moment it began. There are some numbers in this show that are sadly much too brief and the audience who had become her slaves simply wanted even more.

Written by Terrence McNally and directed and choreographed by Graciela Danielle (with Jerome Robbins' choreography reproduced by Alan Johnson and Bob Fosse's by Tony Stevens) The Dancer's Life is likely as perfect a memoir we will ever see celebrated on the stage. With all due great respect to some other wonderful performers who have done career retrospective shows in recent years, they can all get in line behind Chita. This is a show that theater devotees dream can possibly happen. It can happen and it does. WOW. Do not miss this show. Royalty is reigning supreme at the Carnival Center. This show and the impossibly ingenious Chita Rivera are treasured gifts to us all. Do not leave this package unopened.

The final performance of Chita Rivera The Dancer's Life is January 7 at the Carnival Center. It is an extraordinary way to begin the new year. Bravo and thank you Chita, Bravo!