Chita!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

                                           On January 30 of this year, exactly one week after her 91st birthday, Chita Rivera left us.  But she leaves behind a tremendous legacy, starting with the above, because this image of Chita dancing epitomizes the greatness of "West Side Story."

                                                I was fortunate enough, darlings, to see Chita in two shows, both with Liza Minnelli.  The first was the original production of "Chicago," back in 1975.  Liza filled in for Gwen Verdon at the time, who was having throat surgery.  As I recall it, Chita danced rings around Liza, while she belted out the tunes.  It was fabulous.  Years later, they teamed up to do another Kander and Ebb musical, "The Rink," in 1984.  I remember wondering if Liza would be in it, as the night before had been the Academy Awards, and she a presenter, so would she be able to get a red eye back?  Sure enough, the curtain went up, and there was Liza, singing about her "Colored Lights."  The two were dynamic as always, but with those dance moves, it was hard to keep one's eye off Chita!

                                                Sadly, I think Chita is the last of her era.  She outlived everyone else.  But she never stopped dancing, even with a rod in a leg after an accident.  It did not stop her from performing "Kiss Of The Spider Woman."

                                                    There will never be another Chita!  Broadway had damn well dim its lights for her!

                                                      "God, she was a dancer!  A dancer dances!"