RIVERA, Chita 1933–
(Conchita del Rivero, Chita O'Hara, Conchita O'Hara)

PERSONAL

Full name, Dolores Concita Figueroa del Rivero; born January 23, 1933, in Washington, DC; daughter of Pedro Julio Figueroa (a musician) and Katherine (a government clerk) del Rivero; married Anthony Mordente (an actor), December 1, 1957 (divorced); children: Lisa (a director and choreographer). Education: Trained at the American School of Ballet, 1950–51. Avocational Interests: Cooking, bowling, horseback riding, tennis, and swimming.

Addresses: Agent— William Morris Agency, 1325 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019.

Career: Actress, singer, and dancer. Performer in nightclubs and cabarets throughout the world, including the Grand Finale, New York City, and Studio One, Los Angeles, both 1975; performer on two tours for the Oldsmobile Industrial Show. Sometimes credited as Chita O'Hara or Conchita O'Hara.

Member: American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, Actors' Equity Association, Screen Actors Guild.

Awards, Honors: Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best supporting or featured actress in a musical, 1961, for Bye Bye Birdie; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a musical, 1976, for Chicago; National Academy of Concert and Cabaret Arts Award, Best Variety Performance, 1980; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a musical, 1981, for Bring Back Birdie; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a musical, 1983, for Merlin; Antoinette Perry Award, best actress in a musical, Drama Desk Award, best actress/musical, 1984, both for The Rink; inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, 1985; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best actress in a musical, 1986, for Jerry's Girls; Drama Desk Award, outstanding actress in a musical, Antoinette Perry Award, best actress in a musical, Drama League Award, distinguished achievement in musical theater, 1993, Outer Critics Circle Award, actress in a musical, 1994, all for Kiss of the Spider Woman; Best Plays citation for Bajour; ALMA Award nomination, outstanding performance by an individual or act in a variety or comedy special, 1999, for Great Performances; John F. Kennedy Center Honors, 2002; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best featured actress in a musical, Outer Critics Circle Award nomination, outstanding actress in a musical, 2003, for Nine; Lifetime Achievement Award, TDF/Astaire Awards, 2003.

CREDITS

Stage Appearances:

(Broadway debut) Dancer, Guys and Dolls, 46th Street Theatre, New York City, 1950.

(As Conchita del Rivero) Dancer, Call Me Madam, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1952.

Dancer, Can–Can, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1953.

Ensemble, Shoestring Revue (revue), President Theatre, New York City, 1955.

Fifi, Seventh Heaven, American National Theatre and Academy Theatre, New York City, 1955.

Rita Romano, Mr. Wonderful, Broadway Theatre, New York City, 1956–1957.

Anita, West Side Story, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1957–1959.

Standby Mehitabel, Shinbone Alley, Broadway Theatre, 1957.

(London debut) Anita, West Side Story, Her Majesty's Theatre, 1958.

Rosie Grant, Bye Bye Birdie, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1960, then Her Majesty's Theatre, 1961.

Athena Constantine, Zenda, Curran Theatre, San Francisco, CA, then Pasadena Civic Auditorium, Pasadena, CA, both 1963.

Anyanka, Bajour, Shubert Theatre, 1964–1965.

Jenny, The Threepenny Opera, Mineola Theatre, Mineola, NY, 1966.

Flower Drum Song, Melody Top Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, 1966.

Zorba, Westbury Music Fair, Westbury NY, 1970.

Milliken Breakfast Show, Waldorf–Astoria Hotel, New York City, 1972.

Billie Dawn, Born Yesterday, Walnut Street Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, 1972.

Sondheim: A Musical Tribute (revue), Shubert Theatre, 1973.

Father's Day, Ivanhoe Theatre, Chicago, 1974.

Velma Kelly, Chicago, 46th Street Theatre, 1975.

Sing Happy! (revue), Avery Fisher Hall, New York City, 1978.

V.I.P. Night on Broadway (revue), Shubert Theatre, 1979.

Rose, Bring Back Birdie, Martin Beck Theatre, 1981.

Hey Look Me Over, Avery Fisher Hall, 1981.

The Queen, Merlin, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1983.

Anna, The Rink, Martin Beck Theatre, 1984.

Ensemble, Jerry's Girls (revue), St. James Theatre, New York City, 1985–1986.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Abbott! Or Night of 100 Years, 1987.

La Mome Pistache, Can–Can, Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, 1988.

Title role, Kiss of the Spider Woman, St. Lawrence Centre, Toronto, Canada, then Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1993.

Angela Lansbury—A Celebration, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1996.

Two Broadway Legends, Together at Last!, North Shore Music Theater, Beverly, MA, 1997.

Roxie Hart, Chicago, Las Vegas, NV, 2000.

Anything Goes, Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, NJ, 2000.

La vieja, Venecia, George Street Playhouse, New Brunswick, NJ, 2001.

Magdalena Monteverde, Casper: The Musical, Bendem Center, Pittsburgh, PA, 2001.

The Visit, Goodman Theatre, Chicago, IL, 2001.

Title role, The House of Bernarda Alba, Mark Taper Forum, Los Angeles, 2002.

Liliane La Fleur, Nine, Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York City, 2003.

Major Tours:

(As Conchita del Rivero) Principal dancer, Call Me Madam, U.S. cities, 1952.

Rosie Grant, Bye Bye Birdie, U.S. cities, 1962.

Title role, Sweet Charity, U.S. and Canadian cities, 1967–1968.

Leader, Zorba, U.S. cities, 1969.

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, U.S. cities, 1972.

Lilli Vanessi/Katherine, Kiss Me Kate, U.S. cities, 1974.

Velma Kelly, Chicago, U.S. cities, 1977–1978.

Film Appearances:

Nickie, Sweet Charity (also known as Sweet Charity: The Adventures of a Girl Who Wanted to Be Loved ), Universal, 1969.

Guest at Heartland, Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (also known as Banda de los corazones ), Universal, 1978.

Herself, He Makes Me Feel Like Dancin', 1983.

Nickie, Chicago, Miramax, 2002.

Herself, Broadway: The Golden Age, by the Legends Who Were There (also known as Broadway: The Golden Age ), 2003.

Television Appearances; Series:

Connie Richardson, The New Dick Van Dyke Show, CBS, 1973–1974.

Television Appearances; Movies:

Josie Hopper, The Marcus–Nelson Murders (also known as Kojak and the Marcus–Nelson Murders and Kojak: The Marcus–Nelson Murders ), CBS, 1973.

Risa Dickstein, The Mayflower Madam, CBS, 1987.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The Maurice Chevalier Show, NBC, 1956.

The General Motors 50th Anniversary Show, NBC, 1957.

Tiptoe through TV, CBS, 1960.

Variety: The World of Show Biz, CBS, 1960.

Arthur Godfrey and the Sounds of New York, CBS, 1963.

The George Burns Special, CBS, 1976.

The Stars and Stripes Show, NBC, 1976.

Gingerbread lady, "Hansel and Gretel," Once Upon a Brothers Grimm, CBS, 1977.

Honoree, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, 1979.

Fastrada, Pippin: His Life and Times, 1981.

Broadway Plays Washington: Kennedy Center Tonight (also known as Broadway Plays Washington ), PBS, 1982.

Night of 100 Stars II, NBC, 1982.

The 38th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1984.

The Night of 100 Stars II, ABC, 1985.

The 39th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1985.

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, NBC, 1985.

The 40th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1986.

The Golden Eagle Awards, syndicated, 1987.

Broadway Sings: The Music of Jule Styne, PBS, 1987.

Celebrating Gershwin, PBS, 1987.

The 41st Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1987.

The 42nd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1988.

Sammy Davis, Jr.'s 60th Birthday Celebration, ABC, 1990.

America's Dance Honors, ABC, 1990.

Night of 100 Stars III, NBC, 1990.

The 47th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1993.

Herself, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 1994.

(In archive footage) Herself, The Music of Kander and Ebb: Razzle Dazzle, PBS, 1997.

Broadway '97: Launching the Tonys, PBS, 1997.

A Walk Down 42nd Street with David Hartman, PBS, 1998.

Herself, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center Opening, PBS, 1998.

Herself, The Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts (also known as The Kennedy Center Honors ), CBS, 1998.

Bob Fosse: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 1999.

The 53rd Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1999.

Shirley Maclaine: This Time Around, Arts and Entertainment, 2000.

Dick Van Dyke: Put on a Happy Face, Arts and Entertainment, 2000.

Herself, My Favorite Broadway: The Love Songs, PBS, 2001.

Herself, Liza Minelli: The E! True Hollywood Story, E! Entertainment Television, 2002.

The 25th Anniversary Kennedy Center Honors: A Celebration of the Performing Arts, CBS, 2002.

Herself, The 57th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 2003.

Herself, Broadway's Lost Treasures, PBS, 2003.

Also appeared on Great Performances.

Television Appearances; Episodic:

The Imogene Coca Show, NBC, 1954.

"The Maurice Chevalier Special," Max Liebman Presents, NBC, 1956.

The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS, 1960, 1962.

Mrs. Dame, "The Bellero Shield," The Outer Limits, ABC, 1964.

Herself, The Judy Garland Show, 1964.

Guest, The Hollywood Palace, 1965, 1966, 1968.

Herself, The Carol Burnett Show, 1969, 1971.

Guest, That's Life, 1969.

Josie Hopper, "The Marcus Nelson Murders," Kojak, 1973.

Herself, "Sammy Davis, Jr.: Mr. Entertainment," Biography, Arts and Entertainment, 1999.

Also appeared in The Garry Moore Show, CBS; The Arthur Godfrey Show, CBS; The Sid Caesar Show, NBC; The Dinah Shore Show, NBC; London Palladium Show, British television; The Electric Company; as voice of insect, Happily Ever After: Fairy Tales for Every Child, HBO.

RECORDINGS

Albums:

Appeared on a number of original Broadway cast recordings, including Bye Bye Birdie.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Dictionary of Hispanic Biography, Gale Research, 1996.

Periodicals:

Playbill, July 31, 2003, p. 8.

The Washington Post, December 8, 2002, pp. G1–G10.