CHITA RIVERA: MY BROADWAY Comes To Bristol Riverside Theater 9/23-25

Bristol Riverside Theatre presents two-Time Tony Award winner Chita Rivera performing songs from her legendary Broadway career in Chita Rivera: MY BROADWAY on September 23-25. Accompanied by her longtime musical trio, led by musical director Michael Croiter, 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.

Performances are Friday, September 23 at 8:00 PM; Saturday, September 24 at 2:00 and 8:00 PM, and Sunday, September 25 at 3:00 PM. Tickets start at $50 and are available by calling the BRT Box Office at 215-785-0100 or visiting brtstage.org. Bristol Riverside Theatre is located at 120 Radcliffe Street in Bristol, PA.

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 theater 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 favorite 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, and 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 the original Broadway casts of Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Seventh Heaven and Mr. Wonderful.

The BRT's 25th Anniversary will feature other special performances by Steve Solomon in My Mother's Italian, My Father's Jewish and I'm in Therapy (November 2-6), Pam Peterson (November 11-13), Pinkalicious, The Musical (February 25-26), Defending the Caveman (February 29-March 4), and Ben Vereen (April 20-22).

Subscriptions for the 2011-2012 Mainstage Season featuring Barrymore, Gypsy with Tovah Feldshuh, the world premiere of A Raw Space, Steel Magnolias and the hit musical Rent, are also available starting at only $104 by visiting brtstage.org or calling the BRT Box Office at 215-785-0100.

Since 1986, BRT has brought consistently acclaimed professional theatre to Bucks County and maintained a long-term commitment to finding and developing new plays. The theatre is the recipient of over 60 Barrymore Award nominations for Excellence in Theatre, given annually by the Theatre Alliance of Greater Philadelphia. In addition to its mainstage productions, the theatre serves as a cultural hub for the community, with such programs as children's theatre, community concerts and exhibitions of local visual arts. Currently under the direction of Artistic Director Keith Baker, Founding Director Susan D. Atkinson, and Managing Director, Amy Kaissar, BRT is concluding its 24th season. For information, visit www.brtstage.org.