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♪
>> Osgood: MUSICAL "CHICAGO"
WAS A SHOWCASE FOR CHITA RIVERA
THE SINGER AND DANCER FROM
BROADWAY'S GOLDEN AGE WHO HASN'T
MISSED A STEP ALONG THE WAY.
MO ROCCA HAS OUR SUNDAY PROFILE.
>> WHEN I WATCH CHITA RIVERA IN
REHEARSAL ON THIS DAY FOR A
BENEFIT CONCERT, YOU IMMEDIATELY
NOTICE, SHE'S STILL GOT IT.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE SHE'S 80
YEARS OLD, UNTIL YOU DO THE MATH
REALIZE SHE'S BEEN DANCING ON
TV, ON SCREEN AND MOST OF ALL ON
STAGE FOR OVER SIX DECADES.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR OWN
DANCING?
>> OH, GOSH, I DON'T KNOW.
I KNOW IT USED TO BE EXPLOSIVE
BUT GRACEFUL.
SENSUAL.
ALL THOSE WORDS ARE GOOD.
EXPLOSIVE, ALIVE.
>> SHE WAS ALREADY IN HER 40s
WHEN SHE COSTARRED WITH ANOTHER
BROADWAY STAR IN THE ORIGINAL
CAST OF BOB FOSSI'S "CHICAGO"
WHEN "CHICAGO" WAS MADE IN TO A
PICTURE RIVERA MADE A CAMEO.
>> SHE'S FINE, AS LONG AS YOU
KEEP HER HAPPY.
>> OF COURSE SHE DID.
SHE'S BROADWAY ROYALTY.
>> THE UNITED STATES HONORS
CHITA RIVERA FOR LIFETIME
ACHIEVEMENT AS ONE OF AMERICA'S
GREAT ARTISTS.
>> THAT'S A PRESIDENTIAL MEDAL
OF FREEDOM AROUND HER NECK.
AND SHE IS THE FIRST LATINO
KENNEDY CENTER HONOREE.
>> YOUR NAME AT BIRTH WAS --
CONCHITA -- THAT'S A VERY
NICE JEWISH NAME.
>> SHE GREW UP IN WASHINGTON,
D.C. THE THIRD OF FIVE CHILDREN.
HER FATHER PLAYED IN THE U.S.
NAVY BAND.
>> THIS IS MY DAD, JULIO, THAT'S
MY DAD.
ALWAYS WORE THE SUIT AND HAT.
VERY ELEGANT.
>> YOU NEVER ACTUALLY HEARD HIM
PLAY LIVE.
>> I WAS ONLY SEVEN WHEN HE
DIED.
MOTHER HAD THE CLARINET AND
SAXAPHONE UNDER THE BED.
SO I DISCOVERED IT ONE DAY, SHE
SAID THAT'S DADDY'S.
>> CHITA INHERITED THE PERFORMER
GENE FROM HER FATHER AND MADE
THE LIVING ROOM HER FIRST DANCE
STUDIO.
HER MOTHER PROMPTLY ENROLLED HER
IN BALLET SCHOOL DID YOU ASK TO
GO TO DANCE CLASS OR DID SHE
SAY, I GOT TO PUT HER IN DANCE
CLASS.
>> NO, I BROKE -- I WAS A
MONKEY.
>> AT 14 SHE WON SCHOLARSHIP TO
THE SCHOOL OF AMERICAN BALLET IN
NEW YORK.
HER INSTRUCTOR WOULD MAKE A LIFE
LONG IMPRESSION ON HER.
>> EVERY KID SHOULD HAVE ONE OF
THOSE TEACHERS IN THEIR LIVES.
>> YOU THINK SO?
>> TOTALLY.
MAKE THEM SCARED TO DEATH.
MAKE THEM WORK HARD.
MAKE THEM -- YOU FIND OUT WHAT
YOU'VE GOT.
HE REALLY MADE ME STRONG.
AND MADE ME KNOW THAT I REALLY
LOVED WHAT I DID.
>> DID YOU EVER CRY IN THE
CLASS?
>> NO.
BUT HE DID PUSH ME IN TO THE
PIANO ONCE.
>> CHITA WOULD GET RIGHT BACK
UP.
AUDIENCES WOULD SOON SEE THAT
GRIT AND FIRE IN THE ROLE THAT
MADE HER A STAR.
♪
ANITA IN BROADWAY'S "WEST SIDE
STORY" DO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT IT
WAS GOING TO BECOME?
>> NOBODY KNOWS WHAT IT'S GOING
TO BECOME, YOU KNOW THAT.
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
BESIDES, IF YOU REALLY ARE IN
IT, YOU CAN'T BE WATCHING THE
TRAFFIC, KNOW.
>> HER ROLE IN THE MOVIE VERSION
WOULD GO TO ANOTHER FAMOUS
PUERTO RICAN, RITA MORENO.
♪
IF THE TWO HAD BEEN OCCASIONALLY
CONFUSED FOR EACH OTHER OVER THE
YEARS, RIVERA LAUGHS ABOUT IT.
>> WE LIVED WITH THAT FOR SUCH A
LONG TIME.
IT'S AN HONOR, SHE'S A TALENTED,
FABULOUS ACTRESS, SINGER,
DANCER.
WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS FOREVER.
WE JUST -- ♪
>> FACT TWO PERFORMED TOGETHER
DURING THE SECOND INAUGURAL FOR
PRESIDENT OBAMA.
>> MY THEORY IS IF YOUR NAMES
DIDN'T RHYME IT WOULDN'T HAPPEN
AS OFTEN.
>> PROBABLY NOT.
BOTH PUERTO RICAN.
>> BOTH PLAYED ANITA WHICH
RHYMES WITH DEAND CHITA.
RIVERA WOULD FOLLOW NEWSPAPER
WEST SIDE STORY" STARRING
OPPOSITE *** VAN *** IN THE
SMASH MUSICAL "BYE-BYE BIRDIE"
EARNING THE FIRST OF NINE TONY
AWARD NOMINATIONS.
♪
THAT, TOO WAS MADE IN TO A
MOVIE.
HER ROLE AS THE LATINO WAS
PLAYED NATURALLY ENOUGH BY JANET
LEE.
SHE WOULD MAKE IT ON TO THE BIG
SCREEN IN 1969 FOR "SWEET
CHARITY" ALONGSIDE PAULA KELLY
AND SHIRLEY McLANE.
THAT NUMBER --
>> I LOVED IT.
ROOFTOP NUMBER.
>> IT WAS GREAT.
BETTER THAN GREAT.
IT GOES BACK TO STUPID.
EVERYTHING GETS BIGGER.
IT WAS FABULOUS.
THE ENERGY.
>> SHE WOULD NEED THAT ENERGY
AFTER 1986 CAR CRASH THAT NEARLY
ENDED HER CAREER.
HER LEFT LEG WAS SHATTERED IN 12
PLACES.
WHAT PUSHED YOU THROUGH?
>> I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO
DO.
I WOULDN'T HAVE KNOWN ANY OTHER
WAY THAN TO RECOVER, TO GET
MYSELF BACK TO WHAT I THOUGHT
WAS CHITA.
>> WHEN 18 SCREWS AND TWO PLATES
HOLDING TOGETHER HER LEG SHE GOT
BACK ON THAT STAGE.
AND WON A SECOND TONY AWARD FOR
1993 "KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN."
>> CAN'T BEAT IT.
>> AT HER HOME IN SUBURB OF
NEW YORK CITY, PHOTOS OF HER
DAUGHTER, LISA AND FORMER
HUSBAND, TONY MORDENA AMONG WHO
TEAS WHO OF LEGENDARY COSTARS.
>> THIS IS SAMMY DAVIS, JUNIOR.
>> CAN I ASK WHAT YOUR
RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM WAS LIKE?
>> WELL, WE WENT OUT WITH ONE
ANOTHER.
I MEAN, YEAH, FOR AWHILE THERE.
>> WHAT WAS THAT LIKE?
>> FABULOUS.
HE'S AS TALENTED IN THAT AREA AS
HE WAS OTHERWISE.
HE'S WARM AND LOVING AND FUN.
I MEAN JUST SO MUCH FUN.
>> YOU SAID HE WAS ON THE SHORT
SIDE BUT THAT DOESN'T MATTER.
>> NO.
WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT?
>> DO YOU EVER THINK WHAT YOUR
FATHER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF
YOU?
>> NOBODY EVER ASKED ME THAT.
DADDY WAS VERY STRICT.
I DON'T KNOW IF HE WOULD HAVE
LET ME GO OFF AT 14 OR 15 AND TO
GO ANOTHER CITY.
WHERE HE COULDN'T SEE ME.
I DON'T THINK I PROBABLY WOULD
HAVE HAD THIS CAREER.
♪
>> NEXT MOUCHE THAT WILL RETURN
81.
TO CELEBRATE, SHE GOING BACK ON
THE ROAD WITH HER NEW ONE-WOMAN
SHOW.