President Obama Presents Rivera with Medal of Freedom Aug. 12 | Playbill

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News President Obama Presents Rivera with Medal of Freedom Aug. 12 Tony Award-winning actress Chita Rivera and Oscar winner Sidney Poitier are among those who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom Aug. 12 at the White House.
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Chita Rivera Photo by Aubrey Reuben

Rivera, a two-time Tony Award winner and 2002 Kennedy Center honoree, is among 16 recipients of the 2009 Medal of Freedom, including Oscar winner and fellow Kennedy Center honoree Poitier, who are being celebrated for their contributions to cultural endeavors, as well as U.S. national interests, world peace and various public and private endeavors. The honor is the highest civilian award in the United States.

"When my mother was a child, she rolled Easter eggs on the lawn of the White House. And now, to receive The Medal of Freedom from our President, is truly a dream. I am deeply honored to receive this award and to be in such distinguished company. I only wish my parents were here to share it with…but they are!," Rivera said in a statement.

"These outstanding men and women represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds," President Obama said in a statement. "Their tremendous accomplishments span fields from science to sports, from fine arts to foreign affairs. Yet they share one overarching trait: Each has been an agent of change. Each saw an imperfect world and set about improving it, often overcoming great obstacles along the way. Their relentless devotion to breaking down barriers and lifting up their fellow citizens sets a standard to which we all should strive. It is my great honor to award them the Medal of Freedom."

Rivera earned Tony Awards for her work in the Kander and Ebb-Terrence McNally musicals The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman. She originated the role of Anita in the 1957 premiere of West Side Story and has appeared in the Broadway productions of Chicago, Bye Bye Birdie, Jerry's Girls, Merlin, Bajour, Can-Can and Nine, as well as her autobiographical show The Dancer's Life. Rivera originated the role of Claire Zachanassian in the Kander-Ebb-McNally musical The Visit at the Signature Theatre in 2008.

Also honored with the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom are Nancy Goodman Brinker, Pedro Jose Greer, Jr, Stephen Hawking Jack Kemp, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, Billie Jean King, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Joe Medicine Crow-High Bird, Harvey Milk, Sandra Day O'Connor, Mary Robinson, Janet Davison Rowley, MD, Desmond Tutu and Muhammad Yunus. At 3 PM via streaming video, theatre folk can watch President Obama present Rivera with America's highest civilian honor by logging on to www.whitehouse.gov/live.

 
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