Chita visits the revival of West Side Story, but is still thinking about The Visit

Sandra Guzman talked to Chita Rivera, the original Anita of West Side Story in yesterday's New York Post. The take-away from the online version: "There's an amazing musical, "The Visit," we did last summer and I'm working on getting it up in New York."

Chita Rivera: "The Secret of Life"

In a short and sassy, sexy, bright red dress layered with ruffles and sparkles, Chita Rivera wowed us. She announced that she wouldn't dance - clarifying, "I didn't say I can't dance, I WON'T dance." Yet, in red satin heels, trimmed with sparkles, she couldn't keep still. She was all over that tiny stage at Feinstein's at the Regency. It was an abbreviated and even better version of Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life. She included numbers from all of her years on Broadway, including bits from Bye Bye Birdie, Seventh Heaven, West Side Story, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Chicago, plus a gorgeous rendition of Carousel from Jacques Brell is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, another show she did. She did Love and Love Alone from The Visit and said again that they are still trying - and praying - to bring it to Broadway next year. Other songs included I Don't Remember You from Kander & Ebb's The Happy Time, Richard Rodney Bennett's Not Exactly Paris, and James Taylor's The Secret of Life, which is also the title of her show. There's no doubt that Chita knows the secret of her own life and she's willing to share it with you. I know I feel nothing but joy when I'm watching her perform and it carries me and reminds me to step it up. She also lives her life like she's still 35, even at age 73. As she said, "Can you believe that West Side Story is fifty years old? I don't believe it. Honestly, nobody told me. I still think I'm 35."





Photo by Rachel Papo for The New York Times

Get ready for The Visit to visit Broadway

Since we saw The Visit in May at the Signature in Arlington, VA, we've been anticipating an official announcement that it would move to Broadway for an extended visit. Well, there's still no official announcement, but Joan E. Vadeboncoeur of Syracuse.com says it is in today's article,
Three cheers for Chita!. The lead sentence: "Chita Rivera is heading back to Broadway, her home away from home." She further states, "Rivera is once again looking forward to the lights of Broadway." Of course, Joan does point out, "No opening date or theater has been set before the show makes its transfer from the small Signature Theatre in Arlington, Va., to Broadway." But, if Joan of Syracuse.com says The Visit is coming to Broadway then let it be so. I know I'm ready.

The Visit

The Visit is based on Friedrich Dürrenmatt's 1956 play of the same title. It premiered on Broadway in 1958 and starred Lynn Fontanne as Claire Zachanassian and Alfred Lunt as Anton Schill. It was produced as film in 1964 and starred Ingrid Bergman as Claire and Anthony Quinn as Anton. It has been revived twice on Broadway, in 1973 and again in 1992. I have seen the film and found it creepy yet heartbreaking and fascinating. Sometime before 2000, producer Barry Brown pitched the idea for a musical of the play to lyricist Fred Ebb, composer John Kander and bookwriter Terrence McNally to be written for Angela Lansbury. This was a sure recipe for success. The project progressed and Angela even recorded a demo. It was headed straight for Broadway when, sadly, Angela withdrew to care fulltime for her dying husband. Enter Chita Rivera. In 2001, director Frank Galati and choreographer Ann Reinking joined the team and Barry Brown produced the effort for the Goodman in Chicago. John McMartin starred as Anton. The show only garnered mixed reviews and despite talk for a move to the Public in New York, still with Chita but replacing John with Frank Langella, it wasn't able to get the backing it needed.

Now seven years later, magic has happened. A few new songs were added (before Fred Ebb's death in 2004), some staging and choreography was reworked. Terrence McNally revised his book. This time it's at the not-for profit Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. Chita is still with the show as Claire, but the rest of the cast is different, notably replacing Anton with two-time Tony winner George Hearn. The effort is a result of a truly brilliant story told through song. It captures the dark humor of the original play. I knew what would happen because of the film, but I was still on the edge of my seat via this heartwrenching telling. Reinking's choreography is subtle, at times gorgeous, at times hysterically funny. The music is haunting and tells the story with clever lyrics. Chita wore the part of Claire, the world's richest woman, like a queen, gracefully sweeping along the stage at a pace that made everybody stare in awe. She's a celebrated dancer and it shows in her presence, but she only gets one number to show off her moves. It's in her subtle looks that at times convey hurt and anger or disdain that makes this her best venture as a singing dramatic actress. George Hearn's Anton was humble and hopeful, yet fearful, rarely remorseful of the crime that he was accused of in his youth. Finally, he accepts his punishment for justice and love. His voice is astounding and it was as if he was born to sing these Kander and Ebb tunes. The most hauntingly beautiful song of the evening, You, You, You was sung as almost as twin soliloquies with a pas de deux featuring dancers a younger Claire and Anton. It was both visually and audibly breathtaking with the very distinct voices of Chita and George. The bonus of the evening was Mark Jacoby as the town's self-important mayor and Jeremy Webb as the guilt-ridden and reluctant schoolmaster. At times, the supporting cast seems campy, in both song, dance and costume, but it merely lends to the ridiculous and sad revenge that Claire seeks against Anton.

Overall, this love story is cerebral, intimate, sad, shocking, funny, heartbreaking and above all, beautiful. It's the perfect adult musical and nobody does dark comedy better than Kander and Ebb. The stage at the Signature was in the round so my first thought for a Broadway transfer would be the Circle in the Square, but somehow I can't imagine that Chita's presence wouldn't overwhelm that space. I know it will work in any theatre, but my choice would be the Lyceum. The Visit officially opened last night and runs through June 22, 2008. Although most reviews have yet to be inked, if Variety's rave is any indication, this is a regional hit with a Broadway transfer just around the corner.

More True Love: The Visit at the Signature Theatre

One of the greatest blessings of moving to New York and pursuing my passion for entertainment was meeting dear Wanda and Cordellia. They are my personal Vera and Mame and teach me to live, live, live every minute. How lucky I am to know them and lucky that they host me in my pursuit. The added blessing in pursuing entertainment and writing about it has been to meet some really incredible like-minded friends, who seek fun and adventure as I do. Two of those people are Steve and Doug. Steve writes the eloquent, informative and ever entertaining Steve on Broadway (sob). Thank God that wherever Steve goes, Doug goes, together. This time we were all together in the pursuit of entertainment - the first time in the theatre together at The Signature, which completely coincidental, serendipitous and wonderful. I knew Wanda, Cordelia, Steve and Doug would hit it off - I'm never wrong about these things - and the result was just about the most fun ever had in a theatre, before, during and definitely after. We visited with George, Chita, Mark, Jeremy, Eric Schaeffer and Matthew Gardiner. We took a million pictures and laughed through the night. At one point, I told George, "George, I can't believe I'm standing here next to you." I actually should amend that to, "George, Wanda, Cordelia, Steve and Doug, I can't believe I'm standing here next to you."

Plans are set!

Plans are set for another road trip to DC for Memorial Day Weekend! We're going to try the Bolt Bus this time. There's more leg room, electrical outlets at each seat, and even wifi on board. So, not only will I be able to plug things in but if I get a lap top in the next month then I'll be able to do all kinds of things of the internets while I'm on the bus.

On Saturday night, it's our first time to see the Washington National Opera at the Kennedy Center. We'll be seeing Elektra. Oh, intense! On Sunday, it's Chita Rivera and George Hearn in The Visit at The Signature! George Hearn! Chita Rivera! And, my darling SOB will in the house that night too. Providence! And what a bonus.

So hey, you, you, and you, you all know who you are, light the candles, get the ice out and roll the rug up, we'll be there before you know it.