Ariana DeBose Honors Chita Rivera at 2024 Tonys with ‘West Facet Story’ Dance

Ariana DeBose is paying tribute to Chita Rivera.

Throughout DeBose’s internet hosting stint on the 77th Tony Awards on Sunday, June 16, the Academy Award-winning actress carried out a model of the late Rivera’s dancing within the unique Broadway musical West Facet Story.

Through the present, DeBose, 33, launched a particular phase honoring the trailblazer. “In January, we misplaced one of many theater’s brightest lights: the irreplaceable Chita Rivera,” she mentioned. Then, she launched three Tony winners to assist pay tribute: Bebe Neuwirth, Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell.

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Every talked about a special certainly one of Rivera’s iconic roles, together with Rose in Bye, Bye Birdie, Velma Kelly in Chicago and Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Lady. Completely different dancers carried out segments of the choreography from these exhibits.

“Chita redefined what it meant to be a Latina in present enterprise,” Mitchell mentioned. “She impressed generations of younger ladies. If she might do it, they may do it. She’ll all the time be with us every time artists recreate certainly one of her dances or sings certainly one of her songs.” McDonald famous that Rivera had “certainly one of Broadway’s quintessential voices.”

DeBose returned to the stage in a purple costume to carry out choreography from West Facet Story. “I actually wouldn’t be right here with out Chita blazing the path for all who comply with,” she mentioned. “Due to her, I’m. Chita, from all of us, we are going to all the time love you!” She and an ensemble of dancers carried out the enduring choreography from “America.”

Rivera, who died at age 91 on Jan. 30, originated the function of Anita in West Facet Story when it first premiered on Broadway in 1957.

DeBose later received the Oscar for Greatest Supporting Actress in 2022 for portraying the identical character in Steven Spielberg‘s 2021 filmed adaptation of the story.

Rivera reprised her function as Anita as not too long ago as March 2023, when she carried out songs from West Facet Story and all through her profession on the New Jersey Performing Arts Middle.

Her rep Merl Frimark introduced Rivera’s dying dying on Jan. 30; the Broadway legend’s daughter Lisa Mordente, mentioned on the time that her mom died in New York  “after a quick sickness.”

Rivera’s Broadway credit dated again to 1950 and included 30 roles in productions like Guys and Dolls, Can-Can, Merlin and Kiss of the Spider Lady, along with West Facet Story.

She received two Tonys over the course of her profession; president Barack Obama awarded Rivera the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009, and she or he was additionally a recipient of the celebrated Kennedy Middle Honor.

The 77th Tony Awards are airing dwell on CBS and Paramount+.