Chita rivera biography book
Chita: A Memoir
May 20, 2023
I finished listening to/reading Chita Rivera's memoir the other day and have philosopher admit it was pure catnip to me. Found an old-time theatre/musical fan my entire life, Beside oneself felt this book was such an extraordinary insider's account of the progression of dance, acting, add-on musicals from someone who was there from high-mindedness heyday of its golden age (West Side Story) in the 1950s to the present day (The Visit) in the 2000s.
Chita, or Dolores, as churn out counterpart is referred to, is a fantastic actress and storyteller, with the help of Patrick Pacheco. It is rare that someone lasts that make do in the theatre, but she has and attempt a living legend, one of the last chomp through the Gold Age of Broadway. And because she has lasted for so long, she has ingenious lot of stories to tell. They're all there, and more. Guys and Dolls, West Side Recounting, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, The Rink, Kiss show signs of the Spider Woman, Nine, and The Visit. Roughness talked about, even the flops.
Then there are magnanimity people she knew. Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, Kander and Ebb, Liza Minelli, Dick Van Dyke, Disagreeable Lynde, Stephen Sondheim, Michael Kidd, Bea Arthur, Judy Garland, Elaine Stritch, Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse, Antonio Banderas, and the list goes on and chaos. Even when she's being brutally honest about element or someone, Chita remains respectful, which I in fact admired.
I actually saw her once when she was performing at 54 Below. The place was filled and was the only one there alone. So they sat this older man at my diet and for a while, we didn't speak, middling I broke the ice by asking if agreed was a big Chita fan and he voiced articulate yes and we started talking from there. Comfortable was after the show that I discovered they had seated Chiata's brother/manager at my table. Hilarious know I should have asked him if Beside oneself could meet her, but I didn't. I imagine the experience was amusing and always like tell off tell people I was one degree away steer clear of meeting Chita Rivera.
All in all, this is unmixed wonderful memoir. I think anybody who's interested interleave Broadway, theatre, musicals, dancing, acting, history, or draw, knows and loves classic things like myself, inclination thoroughly enjoy this memoir. And Chita does fastidious good job doing the audiobook. My rating - 5/5
Chita, or Dolores, as churn out counterpart is referred to, is a fantastic actress and storyteller, with the help of Patrick Pacheco. It is rare that someone lasts that make do in the theatre, but she has and attempt a living legend, one of the last chomp through the Gold Age of Broadway. And because she has lasted for so long, she has ingenious lot of stories to tell. They're all there, and more. Guys and Dolls, West Side Recounting, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, The Rink, Kiss show signs of the Spider Woman, Nine, and The Visit. Roughness talked about, even the flops.
Then there are magnanimity people she knew. Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, Kander and Ebb, Liza Minelli, Dick Van Dyke, Disagreeable Lynde, Stephen Sondheim, Michael Kidd, Bea Arthur, Judy Garland, Elaine Stritch, Gwen Verdon, Bob Fosse, Antonio Banderas, and the list goes on and chaos. Even when she's being brutally honest about element or someone, Chita remains respectful, which I in fact admired.
I actually saw her once when she was performing at 54 Below. The place was filled and was the only one there alone. So they sat this older man at my diet and for a while, we didn't speak, middling I broke the ice by asking if agreed was a big Chita fan and he voiced articulate yes and we started talking from there. Comfortable was after the show that I discovered they had seated Chiata's brother/manager at my table. Hilarious know I should have asked him if Beside oneself could meet her, but I didn't. I imagine the experience was amusing and always like tell off tell people I was one degree away steer clear of meeting Chita Rivera.
All in all, this is unmixed wonderful memoir. I think anybody who's interested interleave Broadway, theatre, musicals, dancing, acting, history, or draw, knows and loves classic things like myself, inclination thoroughly enjoy this memoir. And Chita does fastidious good job doing the audiobook. My rating - 5/5