Chita Rivera

Chita Rivera (born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson;[note 1] January 23, 1933), is an American actress, singer and dancer best known for originating roles in Broadway musicals including Anita in West Side Story, Velma Kelly in Chicago, and the title role in Kiss of the Spider Woman. She is a ten-time Tony Award nominee and a three-time Tony Award recipient, including one for Lifetime Achievement.[1] She is the first Latina and the first Latino American[2] to receive a Kennedy Center Honor and is a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Rivera was born in Washington, D.C., the daughter of Katherine (Anderson), a government clerk, and Pedro Julio Figueroa del Rivero,[4][5] a clarinetist and saxophonist for the United States Navy Band. Her father was Puerto Rican and her mother was of Scottish and Italian descent.[6] Rivera is one of five children.[7] Rivera was seven years old when her mother was widowed and went to work at The Pentagon.