Rita Moreno to Bring Great American Songbook to Ridgefield Playhouse

Recipient of a 2015 Kennedy Center Honor, Rita Moreno is one of the very few (and very first) performers to have won all four major artistic awards: the Oscar, the Emmy, the Grammy and the Tony. She is also one of only 22 people who have achieved the so-called Triple Crown of Acting, with individual Academy, Emmy and Tony awards for acting; and one of only two people who have achieved both distinctions, the other being Helen Hayes. She has also won numerous other awards, including various lifetime achievement awards and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America's highest civilian honor.

Ridgefield Magazine Broadway and Cabaret Series and Ingersoll Auto of Danbury World Music Series present an evening with the legendary Rita Moreno on Saturday, February 18 at 8 p.m. Moreno will perform her favorite songs from Broadway, the Great American Songbook and more.

This special evening of music, partially underwritten by Adam Broderick Salon and Spa, includes a complimentary wine tasting in the lobby at 7:15 p.m. courtesy of The Wine Group/Benziger Family Winery.

Born in Puerto Rico, Rita Moreno's career has broken new ground for Latinos in her more than 50 year career. Moreno is best known for her work in West Side Story, where she won the Oscar for -Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Anita, becoming the first Hispanic actress to win this award. After her success Rita took on a range of rolls on stage and film working with a wide range of actors, including; Marlon Brando, Jack Nicholson, James Garner and Dennis Hopper. Her career took a new turn when she joined the cast of The Electric Company, a children's television program, where she won a Grammy award for the shows soundtrack and became known for her trademark catchphrase: "Hey, you guys!" She went on to win a Tony for her work in Broadway's "The Ritz" and followed with multiple Emmy awards for her work with the Muppets and The Rockford Files - not content to rest on her laurels she won critical acclaim on the HBO series Oz (1997-2003).

For tickets ($85), call the box office at 203-438-5795, or visit ridgefieldplayhouse.org. The Ridgefield Playhouse is a non-profit performing arts center located at 80 East Ridge, parallel to Main Street, Ridgefield, CT.

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