Broadway stars Chita Rivera and Tommy Tune to headline concert at Irvine Barclay Theatre

Jan. 18, 2018 4 PM PT

She’s coming to paint the town, and all that jazz.

After seven decades of Broadway hits, multiple theatrical awards and film credits, Chita Rivera will step out on stage with performer Tommy Tune for “Just in Time,” a celebration of song and music to be presented Jan. 27 at Irvine Barclay Theatre.

“I know what people want to hear,” Rivera says, calling from her home near Nyack, N.Y. “There are a lot of memories and it’s a joy to still be doing it.”

Rivera, known for her starring roles in “West Side Story,” “Bye Bye Birdie” and “The Rink,” among others, will join Tune, a winner of 10 Tony Awards, for a concert where they perform together and separately, telling stories and singing songs from their careers.

Rivera, 84, and Tune, 78, had known and respected each other for years but hadn’t collaborated together on a show.

One year, Rivera was in Palm Beach, Fla., and happened to see Tune across the street. She approached him and suggested they work alongside each other.

The two in fact had worked together once five years ago at a benefit concert when they performed “Bye Bye Birdie” for Broadway Cares/Equity Fight AIDS.

They decided to pair themselves in a showcase that would spotlight Broadway favorites while sharing behind-the-scenes stories.

For their evening concert, the duo will be accompanied by a trio of Broadway musicians.

“Every single number has memories,” Rivera says. “I can’t do ‘West Side Story’ without thinking of my daughter.”

In 1957, Rivera was cast in “West Side Story” as the original Anita in the Broadway retelling of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

The tale — set in New York City in the 1950s — follows a rivalry between Puerto Rican and Anglo gangs called the Sharks and the Jets, and the balcony scene is transferred to a fire-escape of a tenement building.

The role catapulted Rivera to Broadway stardom, marking the beginning of her storied dancer-actress-singer career.

She met and married dancer Tony Mordente during the original run of “West Side Story” and the London run of the show was postponed until the birth of their daughter, Lisa.

Rivera would go on to be nominated for four Tony Awards with her performances in “Bye Bye Birdie,” “Chicago,” “Bring Back Birdie” and “Merlin” before winning the first of her two Tonys for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for “The Rink.”

“I’m just a lucky girl,” Rivera says. “My life has been thrilling. I’m blessed but I’ve worked hard for it.”

Rivera was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero in Washington, D.C. to a Puerto Rican father and a mother of Scottish and Italian descent.

Her mother responded to the young Rivera’s energy by putting her in a ballet school.

A teacher from George Balanchine’s School of American Ballet visited the studio Rivera practiced at and selected her and another student to audition in New York City. Rivera was accepted into the school and given a scholarship.

She first auditioned for “Call Me Madam” and won the role at age 17.

Rivera would later land roles in other Broadway productions such as “Guys and Dolls” and “Can-Can.”

She never had to work a side job while aspiring to be a professional dancer.

“I finished high school, got hired and I’ve been working ever since,” Rivera says. “It was very exciting for me to go from one city to another and meet people. I’ve always appreciated it.”

Rivera would become the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Centers Honor award (December 2002) and she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009.

Rivera, who turns 85 on Jan. 23, said she continues to pull energy from her heart, soul and the love of her craft.

“Music should always be in everyone’s lives,” Rivera says. “I would like for audiences to get away for a couple of hours and have fun and take away hope.”