Chita: A Memoir

“Chita Rivera blazed a trail where none existed so the rest of us could see a path forward.”—Lin-Manuel Miranda

“This deserves a standing ovation.”—Publishers Weekly

The wildly entertaining memoir of the legendary Chita Rivera—multi–Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

She was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero—until the entertainment world renamed her. But Dolores—the irreverent side of the sensual, dark, and ferocious Chita—was always present and influential in creating some of Broadway’s most iconic roles, including Anita in West Side Story‚ Rosie in Bye Bye Birdie, Velma in Chicago, Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Claire in The Visit.

Written in gratitude to her fans and with the hope that new generations may learn from her experience, Chita takes us backstage to reveal the highs and lows of one extraordinary show business career—the creative fermentation, the ego clashes, the miraculous discoveries. Chita invites us into the room with some of the greatest talents of the age, including Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse, Jerome Robbins, Hal Prince, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Gwen Verdon, Shirley MacLaine, and more.

This colorful memoir is the unforgettable story of a performer who blazed her own trail and inspired countless performers to forge their own paths to success.