Edwin Drood Star Chita Rivera to Be Honored with 80th Birthday Benefit Gala

Some actresses try to hide their age, but Chita Rivera is going to celebrate a big birthday—her 80th—publicly and in style: The two-time Tony winner will be honored on October 7 at Chita: A Legendary Celebration, a gala evening benefitting Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS. The event will be held at a Broadway theater to be announced later, directed by Graciela Daniele. (For the record, Rivera's actual birthday is January 23.)

Rivera, who is currently starring as Princess Puffer in the Broadway revival of The Mystery of Edwin Drood, has exciting plans for her birthday year: She will embark on a new concert tour (directed by Daniele, who helmed her solo show The Dancer’s Life), publish a limited edition coffee table book and be the subject of a documentary.

A Tony winner for Kiss of the Spider Woman and The Rink, Rivera has had a stellar Broadway career spanning more than five decades, from West Side Story and Bye Bye Birdie to a starring role in regional productions of the Kander/Ebb/McNally musical The Visit. For Rivera’s reflections on six favorite roles, click here.