Gerri Raphael, Pat Hammerlee, Chita Rivera, Kurt Kasznar, Robert Clary, Ricardo Montalban, Gloria DeHaven (bottom right), 1955
Chita high steps into her first Hirschfeld drawing. This forgettable musical, even with show doctoring from Jerome Robbins, failed to find an audience and lasted a mere 44 performances.
Ken Leroy, Chita Rivera, Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence, Mickey Calin, 1957
In this landmark musical, Chita introduced the classic “America” and became a star. This original drawing is in "The Hirschfeld Century" exhibition at the New York Historical Society.
Dick Gautier, Dick Van Dyke, Susan Watson, Chita Rivera, Kay Medford, Paul Lynde, 1960 Chita starred in this musical comedy centered on an Elvis-like performer who is drafted and its effect on a group of teenagers in a small town in Ohio. Hirschfeld’s handwritten caption on his drawing reads: "Teen age telephonitis — rock n’ roll idolatry — The inevitable boy and girl romance and disenchanted parents and all exploited musically in 'Bye Bye Birdie' Gower Champion choreographed and directed."
Chita Rivera, Herschel Bernardi, Mae Questel, Nancy Dussault, Herbert Edelman, And Robert Burr, 1964
Chita played the fiery Anyanka in this musical based on Joseph Mitchell stories about gypsies and their con games. It was Chita’s third hit in a row.
Beatrice Lillie In High Spirits; Chita Rivera In Bajour; Buddy Hackett In I Had A Ball; Luther Adler In Fiddler On The Roof, 1965
Among his regular cast drawings, Hirschfeld would occasionally submit themed drawings of performers on Broadway. In this work, supernatural spirits figure in four shows at the time. Chita reads the future in the dregs of a teacup in Bajour.
Chita Rivera, Jerry Orbach, And Gwen Verdon, 1975
It would be ten years before Chita returned to Broadway in the classic original production of Kander and Ebb’s Chicago. Chita played Velma Kelly and introduced "All That Jazz" at the top of the show, for which she was nominated for a Tony.
Doug Henning, Chita Rivera, 1983
Chita was regal as The Queen and supplied as much magic as Doug Henning did in this short lived musical. Long before Spider-Man’s bumpy preview period, Merlin played a month of previews before allowing critics to come to its opening.
Chita won a Tony for her performance in this Kander and Ebb musical with a book by Terrence McNally, playing Anna, the owner of a dilapidated roller skating rink on the boardwalk of a decaying seaside resort.
Hirschfeld drew this stunning portrait of Chita for the New York Times Friday theater column. For more than fourteen years Hirschfeld enlivened a space that was a mere six by three inches wide. The limitations provided a regular testing ground for distilling his line even further, resulting in memorable drawings of performers, producers, directors, and writers from on and Off-Broadway.
With Performers From Zorba, The Rink, Nine, Baby, La Cage Aux Folles, My One And Only, 1984
Greenblatt has been producing on Broadway since 1982’s Nine. His productions have won 30 Tonys. He presented Chita in The Rink and in Jerry’s Girls.
Dorothy Louden, Chita Rivera, Leslie Uggams, 1985
Chita was nominated for a Tony for her performance in this musical revue based on the songs of composer/lyricist Jerry Herman.
Heardon Lackey, Merle Louise, Chita Rivera, Brent Carver, Anthony Crivello, Kirsti Carnahan, 1993
Chita played the title role in this Kander and Ebb musical, again with a book by Terrence McNally. The production won seven Tonys, including one for Chita as Best Actrees in a Musical and Best Musical.
John Wyse, Lynn Fontanne, Alfred Lunt, 1958
The legendary Lunts played in the original Broadway adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s tragiccomedy with Lynne Fontanne in the role of Claire Zachannassian. This original drawing is in "The Hirschfeld Century" exhibition at the New York Historical Society.
Douglas Deane Tom Pedi, Stubby Kaye, Johnny Silver, Robert Alda, Sam Levene, B.S. Pully, Vivian Blaine, Pat Rooney, Sr., Isabel Bigley, 1950
Chita’s first Broadway appearance was a replacement dancer in the original production of this legendary musical. This original drawing is in "The Hirschfeld Century" exhibition at the New York Historical Society.
Lilo, Gwen Verdon, Richard Purdy, Hans Conried, Robert Penn, Phil Leeds, 1953
Chita’s second Broadway appearance as a replacement dance was in this Cole Porter musical starring Gwen Verdon.
"The Hirschfeld Century: The Art of Al Hirschfeld" is the first major retrospective of the acclaimed portraitist, who immortalized celebrities and Broadway productions with his iconic drawings for nine decades. On view at The New-York Historical Society through Oct. 12, the exhibition features over 100 original drawings from the artist's early work for Hollywood studios to his last drawings for the New York Times. Highlights include classic portraits of Charlie Chaplin, Carol Channing, Ella Fitzgerald, Jane Fonda, and Ringo Starr, as well as cast drawings from such landmark productions as Fiddler on the Roof, West Side Story and The Glass Menagerie.
The book "The Hirschfeld Century: Portrait of an Artist and His Age," published by Alfred A. Knopf and featuring biographical text by David Leopold, is currently available exclusively at The New-York Historical Society exhibition, and will be available in bookstores around the country July 7. The artist's extraordinary career is revealed in more than 360 of his iconic black-and-white and color drawings, illustrations, and photographs. Hirschfeld's influences, his techniques, and his evolution from his earliest works to his last drawings, are all chronicled.
