OUR BORN-THIS-MONTH FEATURE FOR JANUARY SALUTES... GUESS WHO!

Every month, we take a moment to honor someone among those having a birthday that month who has made a real mark in the entertainment world .  January’s birthday salute goes to a sensation on the stages of theatres and cabaret (such as New York’s 54 Below, in this case).  This lady has danced her way into our hearts, been on musical theatre's stages to sing her way through the works of the greats like Cole Porter, Jerry Herman, Maury Yeston, Rupert Holmes, Charles Strouse, Lee Adams, Cy Coleman, Dorothy Fields, Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, John Kander and Fred Ebb, among others.  Last year she reached the milestone age of 90, and she released a book that reflects on her life and career.  Who else could it be but..... the great Chita Rivera, looking back on an impressive history in Chita: A Memoir.  

Admirers were able to end the year by having her on their Christmas trees, as Broadway Cares created a special holiday ornament of her likeness, actually its second such figurine of the star.  And of course, we’re happy to wish her another happy birthday for her to celebrate this year on the 23rd. Here are some interesting facts about this beloved artist who has won all kinds of awards and the admiration of her fans.

In addition to her Lifetime Achievement Award, she has won two competitive Tonys for starring in shows with music by John Kander (The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman) and Mr. Kander was the Lifetime Achievement Award honoree this year for the Chita Rivera Awards. Her numerous Broadway credits include starring in a couple of other musicals with Kander melodies – the original production of Chicago and The Visit.  All four of these had lyrics by Fred Ebb. But you probably knew that, right? Now take our quiz below and see if you know these other credits. Answers on the bottom.

1– What musical provided Chita with her Broadway debut as a replacement dancer, when she was still billed by her birth name, Conchita Del Rivero?....(A)-Kiss Me Kate…. (B)-Guys and Dolls…. (C)-The King and I ….(D)-Flags and Freedom!: The Betsy Ross Musical   

2— Which of these is true about Chita and the musical Can-Can? ….(A)-It was her second Broadway musical ….(B)-She was a replacement dancer again and one of the featured performers was Gwen Verdon, with whom she’d co-star in Chicago more than 20 years later ….(C)-More than 30 years later, she’d be in Can-Can again, this time in the leading role …. (D)-All of the above

3— In the months before her breakout role in West Side Story, Chita was the standby for the star of another Broadway show. Who was it? ….(A)-Eartha Kitt in Shinbone Alley ….(B)-Ethel Merman in Happy Hunting ….(C)-Judy Holliday in Bells Are Ringing ….(D)-Orson Welles in King Lear

4— When Chita starred in Bye Bye Birdie, about singer Conrad Birdie, who had a small role, was the director-choreographer’s assistant, and was the understudy for Birdie?  ….(A)-Michael Bennett …. (B)-Tommy Tune…. (C)-Her real-life husband and West Side Story castmate Tony Mordente …. (D)-Elvis Presley

5— Which of these is true about Chita’s later connection to one of her Broadway co-stars?  ...(A)-After they co-starred in Chicago, Chita switched to Gwen Verdon’s role of Roxie in performing the show in Atlantic City and played the title role in Sweet Charity, created by Gwen ….(B)-In his second TV sit-com, “The New Dick Van Dyke Show,” Chita appeared with her former Bye Bye Birdie leading man ….(C)-In the 1960s, she did a duo nightclub act with West Side Story co-star Larry Kert  ….(D)-All of the above

6— When Chita was celebrated with the Kennedy Center Honors in 2002, who were two of the others so awarded? (Warning: Two of these choices contain only ONE of the honorees from that year.)….(A)-Paul Simon and Paul Taylor…. (B)-Elizabeth Taylor and James Taylor ….(C)-James Levine and James Earl Jones ….(D)-Casey Jones and Indiana Jones

7— In which of these shows did Chita give the most performances on Broadway? ….(A)- Bring Back Birdie (the sequel to Bye Bye Birdie) ….(B)- 1491 (about Christopher Columbus) …. (C)-Zenda ….(D)-Pippin

8— In addition to playing Anita in West Side Story, in what show did Chita play a character whose name rhymes with hers?  ….(A)-Rita in Mr. Wonderful ….(B)-Evita in Evita ….(C)-Lolita in The Visit ….(D)-Senorita Margarita in The Bar Mitzvah Murders

9— Which of these is NOT the title of a Chita Rivera solo album?  ….(A)-And Now I Sing! ….(B)-And Now I Swing …. (C)-Chita! ….(D)-Chita Rivera’s Happy Hillbilly Hootenanny Hoedown

10— What is the Chita Rivera connection to these musicals: Lady in the Dark; The Body Beautiful; Jerome Kern Goes to Hollywood; Little Women?  ….(A)-She was offered roles in all of them and turned them all down. ….(B)-They all premiered at the same Broadway theatre where she did her first show. ….(C)-In different years, they all opened on the date that is her birthday, January 23.  ….(D)-She has a cousin who was the next-door neighbor of the kindergarten teacher of the daughter of the assistant stage manager’s brother-in-law of each of these musicals.

AND NOW THE ANSWERS:        1– B ……  2–  D…… 3–A…… 4–C…… 5–D…… 6–C …… 7–A (Note: Bring Back Birdie had 4 official performances after previews, 1491 and Zenda had Chita, but never made it to Broadway; Chita was not in Pippin on Broadway, but was in a TV-movie version)…… 8–A …… 9–D …… 10– C

Happy birthday, Miss Rivera!!

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