Rita Moreno to Receive Music Center's Excellence in Performing Arts Award

In the inaugural year of its Summer Soirée, The Music Center pays tribute to Rita Moreno, an extraordinary woman who has fearlessly helped redefine the role of women in the performing arts. A multi-talented actress, dancer and singer, Ms. Moreno is one of only 12 performers to receive all four major American entertainment awards, winning the Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony Awards.

This past December, Ms. Moreno received a KENNEDY Center Honor for her lifetime contributions to American Culture. She was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Obama in 2010 and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004. Ms. Moreno's countless credits span more than six decades, beginning with her Broadway debut at age 13. Ms. Moreno has starred on Broadway; London's

West End; appeared in more than 40 feature films and countless television shows; has performed in numerous regional theaters, and in her one woman show, Life Without Makeup, at the Berkeley Rep.

In 2013, her first book, Rita Moreno: A Memoir, published by Celebra Books, instantly became a New York Times Bestseller. In January 2014, she received the Screen Actors Guild Life Achievement Award. In 2015, she served as the Grand Marshal of the National Puerto Rican Day Parade.

Recently, Ms. Moreno released her first-ever all Spanish language album, Una Vez Más, produced by Emilio Estefan. She is also THE VOICE of "Abuelita" in the animated series, Nina's World, on NBC-TV's Sprout Network. Ms. Moreno is currently in production on the Latino remake of Norman Lear's classic sitcom, One Day at a Time, for Sony Pictures Television and Netflix.

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Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos