Chita Rivera Cause of death, Chita Rivera, who won the Tony Award twice, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 91.
Her daughter, Lisa Mordente, confirmed her death to The New York Times, but the cause of her death was not provided.
Rivera’s illustrious stage career spanned seven decades and more than two-dozen shows. She originated the roles of Anita in West Side Story and Velma Kelly in Chicago.
She was nominated for the Tony Award 10 times and won twice for Best Actress in a Musical. The first win was for “The Rink” in 1984, and the second was for “Kiss of the Spider Woman” in 1993. In 2018, she was honored with the Tony’s lifetime achievement award.
Rivera was also the first Latina woman (and the first Latino American) to receive a Kennedy Center Honor in 2002, and was presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2009.
She played the lead role as Connie Richardson in Season 3 of CBS’ “The New Dick Van Dyke Show” and had a recurring part as Melody Rambo on the ABC soap “One Life to Live.” Additionally, she made guest appearances on shows like “The Outer Limits” and “Will & Grace.” She also appeared in TV movies such as “The Marcus-Nelson Murders” (1973), “Pippin: His Life and Times” (1981), “Strawberry Ice” (1982), and “Mayflower Madam” (1987).
