Dan Cirucci: Broadway Will Dim Lights For Legendary Star!

Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Broadway Will Dim Lights For Legendary Star!

The Broadway community honors the memory of Chita Rivera, the two-time Tony Award®-winning actress, and recipient of the 2018 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, whose career spanned seven decades on Broadway. Ms. Rivera passed away on January 30, 2024, at the age of 91. On February 17, 2024, the Committee of Theatre Owners will dim the lights of Broadway theatres in New York for one minute at exactly 7:45pm, in her honor.

“Chita Rivera was Broadway royalty, and we will miss her with all our hearts. For nearly seven decades she enthralled generations of audiences with her spellbinding performances and iconic roles. The triple threat actor, singer, and dancer leaves behind an incredible legacy of work for which she was honored with a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League.

Ms. Rivera’s Broadway career began in 1950 performing in Guys and Dolls and by 1957 she was starring as the original “Anita” in West Side Story. Revered for the remarkable roles she created on the stage, she would star as “Rose” in Bye Bye Birdie, “Velma Kelly” in Chicago, and “Aurora” in Kiss of the Spiderwoman.

She was nominated for 10 Tony Awards, winning two for The Rink (1984 Best Actress in a Musical) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993 Best Actress in a Musical), and was the recipient of the 2018 Special Award for Lifetime Achievement.

On Broadway Ms. Rivera’s credits included: The Visit (2015); The Mystery of Edwin Drood (2012 Revival); Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (2005); Nine (2003 Revival); Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993); Jerry's Girls (1985); The Rink (1984); Merlin (1983); Bring Back Birdie (1981); Chicago (1975); Bajour (1964); Bye Bye Birdie (1960); West Side Story (1957); Shinbone Alley (1957); Mr. Wonderful (1956); Seventh Heaven (1955); Can-Can (1953); and Guys and Dolls (1950).

On Tour Ms. Rivera’s credits included: Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life (2006); Chicago (1997); Kiss of the Spider Woman (1994); Can-Can (1988); Chicago (1977); Zorba (1969); Sweet Charity (1967); and Call Me Madam (1952).

Ms. Rivera’s Broadway biography can be found on the Internet Broadway Database.

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About Dan Cirucci

He's been cited by the late Rush Limbaugh, quoted in the New York Times, featured at Real Clear Politics and Lucianne.com and interviewed across all media.

He's Dan Cirucci, the founder and editor-in chief of the Dan Cirucci Blog, a Save Jersey blog columnist, frequent guest on the Matt Rooney radio show and one of the most widely honored public relations professionals in his field. He's also been a public relations consultant to numerous organizations and individuals and hosted The Advocates on RVN-TV.

Inducted into the Philadelphia Public Relations Hall of Fame, for many years he served as a Lecturer in Corporate Communication at Penn State University. A former President of the Philadelphia Public Relations Association (PPRA) he has lectured at Rowan University, Temple University, The College of New Jersey and Arcadia University. He has conducted workshops on public relations for thousands of participants throughout the nation and has taught countless others the art of public speaking. He has also advised numerous lawyers, judges, public officials and political candidates.

Cirucci is a prolific writer and his op-ed pieces have appeared in the Philadelphia Daily News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Courier-Post, Broad and Liberty and other print and online platforms.

A native of Camden NJ, Cirucci is a former President of the Philadelphia chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators. Cirucci served as Associate Executive Director of the Philadelphia Bar Association for nearly 30 years. He served as Chair of Penn State University's Professional Advisory Board for the Corporate Communication major at Penn State Abington and on the Pennsylvania Bar Association's Judicial Selection Commission.

He received his MA degree from Rowan University and his BA from Villanova University. He has been named a Distinguished Alumnus of Rowan's public relations program and received the E. A. "Wally" Richter Leadership Award, the highest honor from the National Association of Bar Executives' Communications Section. He has also been honored by numerous other local, state and national groups.

In his hometown of Camden, Cirucci taught fifth grade at the Ulysses Wiggins Elementary School named for the founder of the Camden NAACP. There he was one of the first teachers in the country to teach African-American history to inner city students. He later served as editor of a local weekly newspaper, as Assistant to the Township Manager of Cherry Hill Township and as Associate Director of Communications at the New Jersey State Bar Association.

Cirucci's passions include all things Italian, politics, the popular culture, books and authors, art, communication, music, theatre, movies, dining and travel.

He and his wife Carole have two grown children and seven grandchildren.

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