Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life

Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life
Theatrical poster
Music	Stephen Flaherty and others
Lyrics	Lynn Ahrens and others
Book	Terrence McNally
Productions	2005 Broadway 2006 US Tour

Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life is a musical revue based on the life of Chita Rivera, with a book by Terrence McNally and new songs by Stephen Flaherty and Lynn Ahrens as well as songs from various other composers. It earned Rivera her ninth Tony Award nomination (for Best Actress in a Musical).

Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, was first conceived by Chita Rivera in 2003, while she was appearing in the musical Nine on Broadway. As Rivera's next project, the Public Theater production of The Visit had been indefinitely canceled, Rivera approached that show's book writer, Terrence McNally with the idea of a musical based on her life. Rivera's conception which was that the musical would open with her dancing to her father's music, and progress through the varied stages of her career. McNally and Rivera officially announced in November 2003 that they were working on the show, and that a workshop production would be held in summer of 2004 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center in Florida. Marty Bell and Graciela Daniele were lined up as producer and director, respectively, of the workshop.

In 2005, Rivera debuted in And Now I Sing, a one-woman cabaret act at Feinstein's at the Regency in New York City that ran from February 22 through March 12. Though the one-woman show and its venue were intimate, the reviews were strong. Stephen Holden, in his review for The New York Times, wrote that "her program finds a comfortable mix of sass and sentiment" and noted that in several songs ("Where Am I Going?" from Sweet Charity for example), she "captures exactly the right tone of dazed determination." The act also marked the debut of some of the anecdotes and stage patter that would be more fully fleshed out by McNally for the Broadway revue. Later that year, The Denver Center for the Performing Arts announced that a one-woman show, "Chita Rivera Dances Through Life" would debut at that theater. Featuring a book by McNally and direction and choreography by Daniele. However, funding didn't materialize, and the booking was canceled.