The Tony Award-winning Broadway actress, singer, and dancer Chita Rivera passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91.
“It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved Broadway icon Chita Rivera. My dear friend of over 40 years was 91,” her rep Merle Frimark said in a statement on Tuesday, per People.
Lisa Mordente, Rivera’s daughter, said in a statement that her mother passed away in New York “after a brief illness.”
“She is also survived by her siblings Julio, Armando and Lola del Rivero, (her older sister Carmen predeceased her), along with her many nieces, nephews and friends,” the statement added.
A memorial event for Rivera will “be announced in due course,” according to the family, but his funeral will “be private.”
Any donations in her honour should be donated to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS, per their request.
When Rivera played Anita in West Side Story in 1957, her career took off.
She then played the character in the Broadway versions of Bajour and Bye Bye Birdie, which earned her her first Tony nomination.
In addition, she acted in the stage performances of Kiss Me Kate, Born Yesterday, Threepenny Opera, and The Rose Tattoo.
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