Chita Rivera will headline Garden Theatre’s annual gala
Broadway icon Chita Rivera will headline the Garden Theatre’s annual Encore celebration this March.
The Winter Garden theater will announce Rivera’s appearance today, and tickets will go on sale at noon Dec. 6. The legendary performer — whose credits include star turns in “West Side Story,” “Chicago” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” — is a two-time Tony winner and recipient of the Kennedy Center Honor and the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
“We are honored to have someone of Ms. Rivera’s caliber perform at the Garden — I think it really speaks to the organization’s growing reputation,” said Nao Tsurumaki in the announcement. “Ms. Rivera, truly a national treasure, is the perfect guest to elevate this unique cultural experience for the Winter Garden community.”
Rivera, 85, will sing her signature songs — expect “All That Jazz” — and share backstage stories from her remarkable career at Encore, the theater’s signature fundraiser. Central Floridians got a glimpse of her legendary talent in 2016 when she appeared as a headliner in “From Broadway With Love,” a benefit in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub massacre that was staged at Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts.
In an interview then, she talked at length about how a little love would go a long way toward making the world a happier place.
“If we stop being so selfish and start looking at each other with interest and care, things would be so much better,” she told me. “It’s not as hard as we’re making it.”
As a child, Rivera studied ballet. But her performance as Anita in the original Broadway cast of “West Side Story” made her a musical-theater star. Among other shows in which she starred: “Bye Bye Birdie,” “The Rink,” “Sweet Charity” and “Kiss Me Kate.”
Overall, she has received 10 Tony nominations — her wins came almost a decade apart, for “The Rink” and “Kiss of the Spider Woman” — and in 2018 she was given a Tony Lifetime Achievement Award.
Rivera’s performance follows that of Broadway’s legendary Joel Grey, who headlined the 2017 Encore.
Along with the show, Encore features food and drink, including celebratory champagne. Tickets for the event, at 7:30 p.m. March 9, range from $125 to $325. A limited number of VIP tickets, which start at $200, include admission to a post-show party with Rivera.
Tickets may be purchased at the theater, 160 W. Plant St., Winter Garden; online at gardentheatre.org; or by calling 407-877-4736, Ext. 0.