Chita Rivera On Stage in Sydney 6/22

Two-Time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera will perform songs from her legendary Broadway career with an intimate evening of music in Chita Rivera: MY BROADWAY coming to Sydney and playing the York Theatre at the Seymour Centre on the 22 June 2011 at 8pm. Accompanied by her longtime musical director Michael Croiter on percussion and guitar, Michael Patrick Walker on the piano, and Dave Ellis on the Double Bass. Ms. Rivera will perform selections from her most celebrated musicals, including numbers from West Side Story ("America"), Sweet Charity ("Where Am I Going?" and "Big Spender"), Chicago ("All That Jazz" and "Nowadays"), Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye, Bye, Birdie and The Rink, and featuring the music of Leonard Bernstein, John Kander & Fred Ebb, Charles Strouse, Stephen Sondheim and Cy Coleman among others.

Chita Rivera is an accomplished and versatile actress, singer and dancer who has won two Tony Awards as Best Leading Actress in a Musical (Kiss of the Spider Woman, The Rink) and received seven additional Tony nominations. Chita has performed her critically-acclaimed concert dates around the world in such cities as New York, London, Monte Carlo, Los Angeles, Tokyo, Toronto, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Cannes, Chicago and San Juan among many others. On October 13, 2009, Chita released a new solo studio CD entitled AND NOW I SWING (Yellow Sound label), which pays homage to her stage legacy while also displaying her passion for jazz. From classic theatre songs to jazz standards, all tracks featured on this new album have received new arrangements recorded by New York's finest musicians, reimagining some of Chita's favourite tunes. She recently starred in the Broadway and touring productions of The Dancer's Life, a dazzling new musical celebrating her spectacular career, written by Terence McNally and directed by Graciela Daniele. She recreated her starring role in The Visit, the new Kander/Ebb/McNally musical at the Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA (originally done at the Goodman Theatre, Chicago in 2001) for which she received the 2009 Helen Hayes Award for Outstanding Lead Actress. Chita received The Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Obama on August 12, 2009 and also received the coveted Kennedy Center Honor in Washington, DC in December, 2002, and was the first Hispanic ever chosen to receive this award. She also starred in the revival of the Broadway musical Nine with Antonio Banderas. She trained as a ballerina (from age 11) before receiving a scholarship to the American School of Ballet from legendary George Balanchine. Chita's first appearance (age 17) was as a principal dancer in Call Me Madam. Her electric performance as Anita in the Broadway premiere of West Side Story (1957) brought her stardom, which she repeated in London. Her career is highlighted by starring roles in Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, Jerry's Girls and (original Broadway casts) Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful. On tour: Anything Goes, Born Yesterday, The Rose Tattoo, Call Me Madam, Threepenny Opera, Sweet Charity, Kiss Me Kate, Zorba, Can-Can with The Rockettes.

WEDNESDAY 22 JUNE 2011 @ 8PM
THE YORK THEATRE, SEYMOUR THEATRE CENTRE
Cnr Cleveland Street & City Road, Chippendale, 2008
BOOKINGS (02) 9351 7940 | www.seymourcentre.com

Ticket Prices $75 PLATINUM (FIRST SEVEN ROWS CENTRE)
$65 GOLD ADULT
$60 GOLD CONCESSION
$55 SILVER ADULT
$50 SILVER CONCESSION

Photo Credit: Genevieve Rafter-Keddy