Eduardo Munoz/Reuters
Rita Moreno is leading a chorus of big-name tributes to Broadway icon Chita Rivera, who has died aged 91.
Rivera played Anita in the original Broadway production of West Side Story in 1957; Moreno played the character in the original 1961 film version. She also originated the roles of Velma Kelly in Chicago, and the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman (the latter two being John Kander and Fred Ebb works). Rivera won three Tony Awards, including one for Lifetime Achievement in Theatre. She was the first Hispanic woman and first Latino American to receive a Kennedy Center Honor, and in 2009 received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
In a statement, EGOT winner Moreno told The Daily Beast: “Chita Rivera is eternal. I remember seeing her for the first time in Mr. Wonderful and exclaiming, ‘Oh my god, who is that?’ When I found out that this astonishing creature was one of my people, I crowed with pride. Over the years, we were sometimes mistaken for each other which I always viewed as a badge of honor. She was the essence of Broadway. As I write this, I am raising a glass to this remarkable woman and friend. Chita, amiga, Salud!”