Chita Rivera introduces us to her alter ego in new memoir

By LESLIE AMBRIZ
Associated Press

Broadway legend Chita Rivera reminisces about her career, love life and family in her new book, “Chita: A Memoir.” It’s an inside look at Rivera’s journey from a spunky girl jumping on furniture in her family’s Washington, D.C., home to a professional dancer and then a three-time Tony Award-winning performer. Among other roles, Rivera was the first Anita in “West Side Story,” the first Rosie Alvarez in “Bye Bye Birdie” and the first Velma Kelly in “Chicago.” Each chapter in her memoir feels like a personal diary entry. She also introduces the reader to her more assertive alter ago, Dolores. The book is written with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco.