I love Chita Rivera. I have loved her as a performer since I was 17 and caught her dancing on a PBS special entitled "Broadway Plays Washington."
The enchantedhunter made several points about Chita's career that hurt me because of how much I enjoy and respect her work. I don't thing she has seperated hersefl out of the mainstream, like enchanted suggests with his "ghettoized" comment. The truth is that a performer like Chita is very rare and at 60 or 70 even rarer still. Maybe her campy sexiness bothers people because of her age? It's what she does and she does it pretty darn well.
I will love Chita till I die but I understand how she may be the cause of uncomfortable feelings in a society(world) that only holds youth and beauty as the ultimate achievements. (personally I see a beautiful woman when I see Chita. Luminous!)
In Kiss she did complain that "I've never been in a show where I spent so much time backstage..." So enchanted has a point about her being relegated to the sidelines.
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Edit: I changed the subject line because this "old fart" can only take two pages of that phrase. Thanks to all you young chickies who understand.
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Chita sings "Surrey With The Fringe On Top"
Updated On: 7/18/05 at 11:13 AM