Broadway Legend Chita Rivera Dead at 91

Somewhere, there's a new place for Chita Rivera.

The Broadway legend—who originated the role of Anita in West Side Story—died on Jan. 30. She was 91.

"It is with great sadness that Lisa Mordente, the daughter of Chita Rivera announces the death of her beloved mother," read a statement shared with E! News through Rivera's rep Merle Frimark, "who died peacefully after a brief illness."

No other details surrounding Rivera's death have been revealed. However, the statement notes the funeral will be private and that details surrounding a memorial service will be shared in due course.

A personal statement from Frimark, shared in addition to Mordente's statement, noted, "It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved Broadway icon Chita Rivera. My dear friend of over 40 years."

Rivera was one of Broadway's most celebrated performers, with a career that spanned over seven decades on the stage. Throughout her tenure, she was nominated for 10 Tony awards, winning twice for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for The Rink in 1984 and Kiss of the Spider Woman in 1993. 

The multi-hyphenate was also a Kennedy Center Honors recipient in 2002, received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tony Awards in 2018 and was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 from then-President Barack Obama. 

In addition to West Side Story's Anita, Rivera also originated the titular role in Kiss of the Spider Woman and the role of Velma Kelly in Chicago.

Last year, Rivera spoke to one of the key elements to maintaining such a successful and expansive career, especially in an industry like theater which demands much from its actors night after night. 

"You have to like and care about what you're doing," she told the Harvard Business Review in an interview for its July-August 2023 issue. "If you find yourself bored, that's not the play's fault. It's your fault."

She continued, "When I'm onstage, everybody in the audience may be applauding, but if one person is sitting on their hands, that's who will catch my eye, and I'll feel I've got to win them over. In that moment the performance is your life. It's your breath. It's important."

Rivera is predeceased by her sister Carmen and, in addition to her daughter, is survived by her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero, along with many nieces, nephews and friends.

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