Broadway Theaters Will Dim Lights in Honor of Chita Rivera

Broadway's theaters will dim their marquee lights on February 17 to honor the memory of two-time Tony Award-winning actress Chita Rivera. Rivera died on January 30 at the age of 91. The lights will dim for one minute at 7:45pm.

“Chita Rivera was Broadway royalty, and we will miss her with all our hearts,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League. “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.”

Rivera was nominated for 10 Tony Awards throughout her career, winning two for The Rink (1984 Best Actress in a Musical) and Kiss of the Spider Woman (1993 Best Actress in a Musical). She is also remembered as the original Anita in West Side Story, Rose in Bye Bye Birdie and Velma Kelly in Chicago. In 2018, she was presented with a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement.

The Broadway League decides who receives the light-dimming honor, continuing a tradition that began in the 1950s. In 2023, the lights were dimmed to honor Tony-winning Fiddler on the Roof lyricist Sheldon Harnick, Roundabout Theatre Company artistic director Todd Haimes and Tony-winning scenic designer Robin Wagner.