Ann Reinking&Chita Rivera-Very underrated

[Kristie-K]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 12:57am

Sure the wonderful Miss Reinking and Miss Rivera are Goddesses on Broadway, but the fabulous dancing skills are not shown enough on the silver screen....A few movies like Sweet Charity and All that Jazz...but that is not enough....Why do you all think Hollywood ignored these fabulous talents....I know that Chita was up for the part of Anita in West Side Story, but things did not work out......Miss Ann, who has the legs of life can be compared to any great dancer from the Golden Era of Hollywood.

[Broadwaylady]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 8:47am

I am waiting for the reply of AnnReinkingfan.

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 9:00am

WOOHOO!!!

A woman after my own heart! I completely agree!!

"All That Jazz" was just a teasing taste of what we might have been able to expect from Ann on the silver screen and it's really such a shame that they didn't take her legs and RUN with them - so to speak. Since I am a huge fan of Ms. Reinking's, I still love the silly "Micki and Maude", and "Movie, Movie" roles (as cheesy as they are), but would have loved (would STILL love) to see Ann more in dancing roles. Who knows? With the success of "Chicago", maybe Ann would agree to a cameo in a future flick?

Sigh...

A girl can only dream...

( :

[QueenS]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 9:01am

Ann was in one of the funniest films of the 80's. It's called "Micki and Maude" and also stars Dudley Moore and Amy Irving. I believe that it is the last film that she made.

If you've never seen it, I would recommend a rental. I used to watch it over and over, laughing continuously. Who knows, of course, how it has held up.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 9:10am

I think there just weren't enough movies to consider them for. The dancing Hollywood musical was dead in the 70's and 80's and didn't afford them a chance to strut their stuff. Ann was lucky enough to get Annie in 1982, but there just weren't that many opportunities to dance on screen.

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 11:49am

At least the divine Ms. Reinking had a decent shot at film stardom.......

All that Jazz
Annie
Micki and Maude

she had more chances to become a film star than most of us ever dream possible. For some reason a successful, consistent film career for Ann Reinking wasn't in the cards, at least not yet.

Chita Rivera, was a tad too old to portray Anita on film (and I believe she actually looked older than she was at the time)in West Side Story.......and the film version of Sweet Charity was a box office and mostly critical bomb........

Chita is another in a line of theater legends who may likely leave life without making a great impact in film. Sure she will have always be available in the CHICAGO cameo:)

At least Carol Channing had her oscar nominated performance in THOROUGLY MODERN MILLIE and of course Bert Lahr achieved immortality from THE WIZARD OF OZ.

For some reason, it seems so many theater immortals are not availble on film in anything approaching the greatness they achieved onstage. Even the fabulous Gwen Verdon does not really light up the screen in the film version of DAMN YANKEES.

We have some film performances from Ethel Merman, but not anything indicating why she was so important in the theater world and no film version of any of her most memorable performances. The same is true of Mary Martin. Also, Julie Harris.

That is not to say that Broadway stars can't be film stars obviously....Streisand, Yul Brenner, Preston........

I wish we had more work on film from Chita Rivera...we can hope for the future.......

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 11:52am

Kristi,,,,but I wanted to add...

underrated?????

Ann Reinking is a full fledged Broadway star and theater and film choreographer........with awards and respect

Chita Rivera.......is clearly a living legend, recipient of Two Tony awards and a Kennedy Center Honoree.....

I don't think ya meant underrated really....I think you were just wondering why they weren't bigger film stars:)

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 12:03pm

You know what I find interesting? The fact that many of us (myself included at times) freak out if a movie/tv personality takes on a big Broadway role are the same people that bemoan the fact that our favorite Broadway stars have not had film careers.

Theatre and film are so incredibly different. Both have different disciplines attached and not everyone that is good in one will be good in the other.

I think Chita and Ann are terrific. But I also think that they don't particularly translate well on film.

[Kristie-K]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 12:20pm

I mean both of these stars are very underrated in Hollywood..I heard a story that Chita had the role of Anita in West Side Story, but was doing Theatre at the time...She didn't want to leave the show, so Rita Monero got the part...I just wonder how her career would of changed if she have done the movie...and of course being spanish in Hollywood(another story)...How dare Hollywood give Janet Leigh the role in Bye Bye Birdie...Chita should of gotten it.....Alot of young people don't even know who these stars are.....My point is that these two stars should have names like Judy Garland or Ginger Rodgers....I just love Chita and Ann sooooooo much.....and have not ever seen them live...SAD...SAD... for me....

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 12:35pm

I have said this before, but I really wish they had used these people more in the film CHICAGO. It would have been a great thing to have Anne, Chita, and Bebe or even Ertha in the cell block tango if nowhere else. I also thought they should have had Jerry Orbach as the prosecution attorney.

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 12:39pm

Yes, Chita had a chance to do either Bye Bye Birdie, creating the role of Rose Grant, or do the movie of west side story the movie, i'm glad she chose birdie!

[TEACHEROFTHEATER]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 12:58pm

Robactorguy, in my family, as you know, they always say that when in doubt.......go for Birdie.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 6:24pm

Speaking of Chita, one of the first shows I ever saw was "Bajour" . It was quite enjoyable even thinking back over 30 30 years later. I recently saw 9 . She came out afterwards & when I asked her to sign a program it was my Bajour program . Her face lit up with a bright smile & she said something about the Playbill being old & weathered like her. Believe me, for her age, she looked great & was definitely not old & weathered . Have yet to have the pleasure of meeting Ann R

Updated On: 8/19/03 at 06:24 PM

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 8/19/03 at 9:15pm

I completely agree, SueleenGay!!!

I'm glad to hear that someone else thinks that! ( :

[orion59]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 8:50am

I think part of it has to do with the fact that Ann is too young to have been in any of the big dance musicals of the Hollywood golden age. Chita, even if she is old enough, would never have been cast beciuase back then, no matter how talented you were, nobody wanted to go to a movie taht would have starred a woman named Chita Rivera....unless she claimed tpo be from some South American resort area and danced witha fruit bowl on her head. The American public had no interest in seeing Puerto Ricans in movies

[robbiej]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 10:21am

Except for, of course, the woman who took over the role of Anita for the film and won an Academy Awards, Rita Moreno.

[Kristie-K]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 11:43am

Oh Orion 59, that is so funny, (fruit bowl) I'm still laughing, and you are right, That is why people like Martin Sheen, Vicki Carr, and Anthony Quinn changed their names, But Chita didn't...Now what does that say about her...Being half latina myself I never had very many roles models, except Chita, Rita, and CHARRO......As much as so many people dilike J Lo, I think it is fabulous that a Latina is a Star....and an older actress named Lupe Olivares, from Real Women Has Curves is getting alot of work.....LATINA WOMEN ROCK....

[MasterLcZ]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 12:10pm

My favorite Latina film stars: the dreamy Dolores del Rio and Maria Felix.

A serious question here - does anyone else think Ann has had one nose job too many? The last time I saw her (on the Tonys I think) I noticed that her nose all of the sudden looked far to small for her face. She does NOT look the same as in the black-and-white photo posted here a few entries before.

[orion59]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 2:56pm

True, Robbiej, but by the time Rita starred in WSS things had changed a little. In the older, big dance musical, Latinos were non existent except for those from South America or Cuba. For some reason, SA and Cuba were not seen in the same light as Purto Rico or Mexico. Although, like I said, I don't think Chita is quite old enough to have been in those movies anyway.

Speaking of Rita, does anyone know if Belita Moreno form the tv show George Lopez is her sister?

[AReinkingfan]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 3:31pm

Ann's nose???? WHAT????

[orion59]

Posted: 8/20/03 at 4:09pm

I didn't realize she had a nose job. It looks the same now as it does in younger picts of her. She looks like she did have a bit of tightening done here and there on the face.....but then who doesn't these days?

[sabrelady]

Posted: 8/21/03 at 11:48am

1stly perhaps THEY chose not to persue film as much. Bebe Neuwirth was just on saying she prefered stage to film. And the limited # of roles for latinas/os in general is to be resented. Ann is also pretty tall a lot of leading men are only 5 nine or so & can be resentful toward possible co-stars that tower over them!

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/21/03 at 2:05pm

I met Chita when she came outta THE HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA, and my friend and I were the only ones waiting for her. She signed our BYE BYE BIRDIE and THE RINK cds, she was absolutely charming.
HOUSE OF BERNARDA ALBA

[Kristie-K]

Posted: 8/21/03 at 2:17pm

Fabulous pictures of Miss Chita....How would you rate her performance...A friend of mine saw her and said it was very depressing.......

[flagler]

Posted: 8/30/03 at 3:03am

I never though Chita was interested in movies, she never seemed to push for a film career, why do we assume they want to be in front of the camera. It must be hard for someone like Chita who loves to dance big to have to stop and start all the time and do re-takes for film I would prefer broadway to film any day.

In saying that, I am sorry there isn't more footage of Chita dancing, I loved Gwen and Chita in Chicago I wish they had filmed it but that was never done back then.