Her father, who was born in Puerto Rico, performed the clarinet and saxophone with the U.S. Navy Band and the Harry James Orchestra. He died when Conchita was 7. Her mom, who was of Scottish, Irish and Puerto Rican descent and in addition had African American ancestors, which she found late in life, grew to become a clerk on the Pentagon and enrolled Conchita in singing, dance and piano classes. Dancing grew to become her ardour. On the recommendation of her trainer, she auditioned for George Balanchine and received a scholarship to his Faculty of American Ballet in New York Metropolis.
Residing with an uncle’s household within the Bronx, she graduated from William Howard Taft Excessive Faculty in 1951. At an open name for dancers, she received an element with a nationwide touring firm of Irving Berlin’s “Name Me Madam.” After 10 months on the street, she changed Onna White as a principal dancer in “Guys and Dolls” in New York. Over the subsequent few years, she danced in “Seventh Heaven,” “Shoestring Revue” and “Mr. Great.” Her profession moved up. She shortened her title to a catchy Chita Rivera.
In 1953, she landed a Broadway gig as a refrain dancer in “Can-Can,” the Cole Porter-Abe Burrows musical starring Gwen Verdon, who inspired Ms. Rivera to shoot for the marquee. She received an element in “Mr. Great” and had a romantic fling with its star, Sammy Davis Jr.
Ms. Rivera shot to stardom in 1957 as Anita in “West Facet Story,” the Romeo-and-Juliet story set in postwar Manhattan, the place star-crossed lovers, Maria and Tony, are caught in a lethal warfare of avenue gangs. As Anita, she sang a poignant duet with Carol Lawrence as Maria, “A Boy Like That/I Have a Love,” and a magical “Tonight,” in addition to main a rousing ensemble in “America.”
With music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, choreography by Mr. Robbins and a e-book by Arthur Laurents, the musical received ecstatic critiques and ran for 732 performances earlier than occurring tour, and it had an excellent longer run in London.
