Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Chita Riverais an American actress, dancer, and singer best known for her roles in musical theatre. She is the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009...
NationalityPuerto Rican
ProfessionStage Actress
Date of Birth23 January 1933
lucky bad-experiences has-beens
I have been very lucky, I have only had one bad experience.
easter new-york people
We were taking collections for people with AIDS in New York around Easter.
winning winner minutes
After about 15 minutes, you feel that you're winning them over.
shopping found hairdresser
My hairdresser and I found ourselves shopping at Bloomingdale's with nothing to do for days.
painful looking-back
Looking back doesn't have to be painful.
fun who-i-am years
For some of us, the Gypsy years can go on forever ... That isn't such a bad thing. When all is said and done, they're a lot of fun. The truth is, I liked being a Gypsy. It's who I was. And it's still a lot of who I am. Gypsy, it's a good word.
believe important culture
I do believe that separation can be a bit damaging at times. To be happy about yourself and your culture and all of that is necessary and fulfilling, but the whole tapestry is what's important.
dance mother president
Mother loved dance so much that she thought (ballerina) Margot Fonteyn should be the president.
memories single-mom film
Many of the shows I danced in don't exist on film, but they do exist in the memories of those who were in the theater for that single moment in time. And nothing can replace that.
communication theatre
It's communication - that's what theatre is all about.
thinking groups grew
My neighborhood was a great neighborhood; it was filled with all sorts of ethnic groups and things. So I grew up thinking I was a human being.
theatre immediate-gratification gratification
Theatre is immediate gratification
believe heart soul
I am young in my energy because I really still believe that we can share who we are, and we can wipe off on each other. I see this huge tapestry when we're born, and this red blob that's your soul or your heart.
light theatre speak
You take a plug and put it in a socket, and that's what the theatre is-it lights up right away. You speak, and they respond immediately.