The Broadway community and the Committee of Theatre Owners honors the memory of three-time Tony-winning actor Chita Rivera—who passed away January 30 at the age of 91—by dimming the lights of all Broadway theatres February 17 at 7:45 PM ET for one minute.
Rivera's seven-decade career includes creating a long list of iconic musical theatre roles, including Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma Kelly in Chicago, Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Claire in The Visit, among others. Puerto Rican, Scottish, Irish, and African-American, Rivera was also a barrier-breaking trailblazer who stood out as a Latine dancer and actor in an age when the vast majority of her colleagues were white.
Rivera won Tony Awards for her performances in The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award in 2018. She also won two Drama Desks, the Drama League's Distinguished Performance Award, and a 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Read Rivera's full Playbill obituary here.
The Broadway League is the national trade association for the Broadway industry representing more than 700 members from nearly 200 national and international markets, including theatre owners and operators, producers, presenters, and general managers as well as suppliers of goods and services to the commercial theatre industry.
