The Estate of Chita Rivera to be Auctioned at Bonhams

One-of-a-kind costumes, awards, photographs, and ephemera from the extraordinary career of Broadway legend Chita Rivera (1933-2024) will be auctioned online at Bonhams from November 17 – 26. A towering figure in the world of musical theater, Rivera redefined the art of performance as one of the first true triple threats, performing in more than 20 Broadway musicals over six decades including the renowned original productions of West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, and Chicago. All That Jazz: The Estate of Chita Rivera will present over 250 lots that tell the story of her trailblazing career.
 
Rivera, a Puerto Rican actor-singer-dancer, skyrocketed to stardom when she originated the role of Anita in the Broadway production of West Side Story in 1957, one of the most beloved and influential musicals of the 20th century. She would go on to originate several other iconic roles including Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, 1960 and Velma Kelly in Chicago, 1975 and turn in Tony Award winning performances in The Rink, 1984 and Kiss of the Spider Woman, 1993. In addition to her two wins, Rivera was nominated for eight other Tonys and received a special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre in 2018. She was lauded for her magnetic stage presence and the way she seamlessly blended charismatic singing and dancing with raw emotion and impeccable technique. In 2002, Rivera became the first Hispanic American woman to receive Kennedy Center Honors and in 2009, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama.
 
The highlight of the collection is a selection of the awards that Rivera received throughout her career including her first Tony Award for Kiss of the Spider Woman, estimated at $10,000 – 15,000. Based on the Manuel Puig novel and the 1985 film of the same name, Kiss of the Spider Woman is a fantastical thriller which ran for 904 performances and won seven Tony Awards from 11 nominations. Also on offer is Rivera’s Tony Award for The Rink, estimated at $8,000 – 12,000. Starring alongside Liza Minnelli as a mother-daughter duo, The Rink marked Rivera’s triumphant return to the stage after a car accident forced her to take a decade-long break to recover.
 
Additionally, the sale will present costumes, props, and scripts from some of her most memorable performances. This includes:
 
·       Rivera’s white top hat from “Nowadays", the closing song of Chicago, estimated at $800 – 1,200. An iconic Bob Fosse style number, “Nowadays" sees Velma Kelly (Rivera) and Roxie Hart (Gwen Verdon) released from prison and joining forces in a new vaudeville show.
·       One of the earliest drafts and Rivera’s first copy of the Chicago script, estimated at $1,500 – 2,000.
·       Rivera's ten page "cue script" for West Side Story, containing all of Anita's dialogue in black ink with the introductory lines or actions in red ink, estimated at $1,200 – 1,800.
 
The collection also features a large number of Rivera’s photographs and correspondence from fellow Broadway, television, and film stars. This includes a holiday card from Sammy Davis Jr. as well as letters and telegrams from celebrities like Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, Dick Van Dyke, Rosie O’Donnell, and Debbie Allen.