UNLV Performing Arts Center Opens New York Stage and Beyond Series With Moreno

The UNLV Performing Arts Center opens its New York Stage & Beyond Series with Rita Moreno one of only nine performers ever to win all four of the most prestigious show business awards: the Oscar, the Emmy, the Tony, and the Grammy at 8 p.m. on Friday, October 3.

Born Rosita Dolores Alvero in Humacao, Puerto Rico on December 11, 1931, Moreno moved to New York City in 1937 along with her mother, where she began a professional career before she was a teenager. The 11-year-old Rosita got her first movie experience dubbing Spanish-language versions of American films. Less than a month before her 14th birthday on November 11, 1945, she made her Broadway debut in the play "Skydrift" at the Belasco Theatre, co-starring with Arthur Keegan and the young Eli Wallach. Although she would not appear again on Broadway for almost 20 years, Rita Moreno, as she was billed in the play, had arrived professionally. It would take her nearly as long to break through the forces of institutional racism and become the first Hispanic to win an Academy Award for her role as Anita, the Puerto Rican girlfriend of Jets' leader Bernardo in West Side Story.

Tickets to Rita Moreno are $35, $50, and $80 and can be purchased at the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 895-ARTS (2787) or by visiting pac.unlv.edu. Student rush tickets are $13 each and available one hour prior to each event, based on availability and with valid student I.D. UNLV faculty and staff discounts also are available. A $1 facilities fee, in addition to the ticket price, is charged on all Performing Arts Center tickets. The box office is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Information about all of the season's performances can be found on the Performing Arts Center website, located at pac.unlv.edu.

Founded in 1976, the Performing Arts Center at UNLV continues to be Southern Nevada's premier performing arts venue. Located on the north end of the UNLV campus, the PAC hosts a variety of performances each year in three distinct series the Charles Vanda Master Series, New York Stage & Beyond Series, and the Classical Guitar Series. UNLV and Vegas PBS are graciously sponsoring the season.

To post a comment, you must register and login.