Chita Rivera Returns to Birdland Oct. 14

By Andrew Gans
14 Oct 2009

Chita Rivera
Chita Rivera
Photo by Laura Marie Duncan

Tony Award winner Chita Rivera, who was recently presented with the Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama, returns to Birdland Oct 14.

The famed singer-actor-dancer will play the intimate cabaret through Oct. 17. Rivera is celebrating the release of her new solo recording, "And Now I Swing" on the Yellow Sound label.

The recording offers new takes on classic theatre songs from Chicago, Sweet Charity, The Happy Time and The Visit as well as jazz standards made famous by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday and Vera Lynn.

Show times at Birdland are Oct. 14-15 at 8:30 PM, and 8:30 and 11 PM Oct. 16 and 17.

Rivera will also perform and autograph copies of her CD Oct. 19 at 7:30 PM at the Barnes & Noble on 66th Street and Broadway.

Born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in 1933, Chita Rivera is one of the theatre's most acclaimed performers. She has won Tony Awards for her performances in two Kander and Ebb musicals, The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman, and was also nominated for her work in Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Bring Back Birdie, Merlin, Jerry's Girls and her most recent outing, the Tony-winning revival of Nine. Rivera's other Broadway credits include the musical Seventh Heaven, her Broadway debut; Mr. Wonderful; the original production of West Side Story; and Bajour. She appeared in the film version of "Sweet Charity," starred in the world premiere of Kander and Ebb's The Visit, and also headlined Bernarda Alba at the Mark Taper Forum. Rivera was most recently on Broadway in Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life. She was recently seen in the Signature Theatre's production of The Visit.

Birdland is located in Manhattan at 315 West 44th Street. For more information call (212) 581-3080 or visit www.birdlandjazz.com.