Kander & Ebb's The Visit, Starring Chita Rivera, Will Open on Broadway in Spring 2015

Chita Rivera is returning to Broadway in John Kander and Fred Ebb’s The Visit. The Tony winner starred in the John Doyle-helmed production of the musical at the Williamstown Theatre Festival in Massachusetts this summer. According to the New York Post, the tuner will open at a Shubert theater this spring and the production will be Rivera’s last appearance on the Great White Way.

The Visit is based on the classic Friedrich Dürrenmatt play (adapted by Maurice Valency) and features a book by Terrence McNally, with music by Kander and lyrics by Ebb. Claire Zachanassian is an often-widowed millionairess who pays a visit to her hardship-stricken birthplace. The locals hope she’ll bring them a new lease on life, but little do they know her offer to revitalize the town comes at a dreadful price.

The musical premiered in 2001 at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and later played The Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. Rivera starred in both productions as Claire, a role originally written for Angela Lansbury, who withdrew from the project in its early stages after her husband fell ill.

Rivera was most recently seen on Broadway as The Princess Puffer in the revival of Rupert Holmes’ The Mystery of Edwin Drood. She earned Tony Awards for two other Kander, Ebb and McNally musicals: The Rink and Kiss of the Spider Woman. Rivera also received nominations for Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life, Nine, Jerry's Girls, Merlin, Bring Back Birdie, Chicago and Bye Bye Birdie.

In addition to Rivera, the cast of the WTF production included Roger Rees, Judy Kuhn, David Garrison, Jason Danieley, Matthew Deming, Diana DiMarzio, Melanie Field, Rick Holmes, Tom Nelis, Christopher Newcomer, Aaron Ramey and Timothy Shew.