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Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life May Set Off on 2007 Tour

By: Dec. 16, 2005
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Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, the musical retrospective featuring the Tony Award-winning legend, is likely to circle the country in 2007. 

A production spokesperson for the show confirmed that producer Marty Bell is planning a 2007 tour of The Dancer's Life, which began New York previews at the Schoenfeld Theatre (236 West 45th Street) on November 23rd and opened on December 11th.

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In The Dancer's Life, Rivera is joined by a 10-person ensemble comprising Richard Amaro, Cleve Asbury, Lloyd Culbreath, Jasmine Perri, Madeleine Kelly, Malinda Farrington, Edgard Gallardo, Deidre Goodwin (who has also played Velma in Chicago), Richard Montoya, Lainie Sakakura, Alex Sanchez, and Allyson Tucker, with Liana Ortiz as Young Chita.

The Dancer's Life features a book penned by four-time Tony Award-winner Terrence McNally (who did the same for The Rink in 1984), and boasts direction and choreography by Graciele Daniele (Annie Get Your Gun, Ragtime, Once on This Island).

The Dancer's Life is billed as a "tour through famous numbers in the American musical theatre," with Rivera dipping and gliding through dances she's performed in some of her greatest triumphs. To two new songs by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens (Ragtime, Dessa Rose), as well as musical theatre classics, Rivera performs numbers choreographed by Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Gower Champion, Michael Kidd and others, among them the "Shriner's Ballet" from Bye, Bye Birdie, "America" and "Dance at the Gym" from West Side Story, "All That Jazz" from Chicago and the title song from Kiss of the Spiderwoman. Rivera is  backed by 10 ensemble performers, as well.

Loy Arcenas (sets), Toni Leslie James (costumes), Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer (lighting) and Scott Lehrer (sound) comprise the show's design team. Mark Hummell handles the musical direction.

Rivera has been a consistent and dynamic presence on Broadway for over half a century. She most recently starred in the New York-bound Kander and Ebb musical The Visit at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Rivera is a two-time Tony Award winner for The Rink and Kiss of the Spiderwoman, and also received nods for her performances in Nine (her most recent Broadway appearance), Jerry's Girls, Merlin, Bring Back Birdie, the original production of Chicago and Bye Bye, Birdie. Rivera originated the role of Anita in West Side Story, and has also been seen on Broadway in Can-Can, Mr. Wonderful, Shinbone Alley and Bajour, as well as in touring productions of Pippin and Sweet Charity. Rivera is a 2002 Kennedy Center Honoree.

For tickets and more information, visit www.thedancerslife.com.  


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