In his New York Times review, Brooks Atkinson called the show "an incandescent piece of work that finds odd bits of beauty amid the rubbish of the streets." The production went on to play 732 performances and received six Tony Award nominations, including one for Best Musical, though that award went to Meredith Willson's The Music Man.
West Side Story has enjoyed several revivals, most recently in 2009 with Karen Olivo in the role originated by Rivera.
Read a Playbill from the original West Side Story here.
(Note: This Playbill is from one year into the run, when Muriel Bentley had taken over the role of Anita.)
Brooks Atkinson gave the show a lukewarm review, but said Rivera was "a flammable singer and gyroscopic dancer." The production ran for 607 performances and earned Rivera her first Tony Award nomination for Featured Actress in a Musical. The show also took home the 1961 Tony for Best Musical.
Bye Bye Birdie was revived on Broadway in 2009, with Gina Gershon as Rose and John Stamos as Albert.
Read the original Bye Bye Birdie Playbill here.
The production opened June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre, where it ran for 936 performances. In his New York Times review, Clive Barnes wrote: "We are given three superlative, knock-em-in-the-aisles performances by three stars who glitter like gold dust all evening: Gwen Verdon, Chita Rivera and Jerry Orbach." Rivera earned her second Tony Award nomination for her performance.
The long-running revival of Chicago currently stars Bianca Marroquin as Roxie Hart and Amra-Faye Wright as Velma Kelly.
Read the original Chicago Playbill here.
Frank Rich of the New York Times praised Rivera's powerhouse performance: "Her voice is firm and sparky; her crinkly smile, often forced in recent years, is spontaneous; her taut dancer's body is in perfect concord with the music's beat." Rivera was awarded the 1984 Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for her portrayal of Anna, beating out her co-star Minnelli.
Read the Playbill for The Rink here.
In his New York Times review, Frank Rich noted that Rivera possessed "an aura of utter confidence that is the essence of a Broadway dancer's brassy spirit." The show was crowned Best Musical at the 1993 Tonys, and Rivera won her second Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical.
Read the Kiss of the Spider Woman Playbill here.
Rivera most recently appeared on Broadway in the Tony-nominated revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Click here to read more about her theatrical history in the Vault.