A Career Still Going at Full Speed

Rita Moreno, a tiny figure in black with a presence that fills the room, sits patiently during a photo shoot in her Westside home. Taking direction with the grace of a pro, she tilts her head a bit to one side and flashes the dark eyes that have seduced a million lenses.

One of the few performers ever to have won a Tony, Oscar, Emmy and a Grammy, Moreno is a Hollywood legend just back from playing a Hollywood legend--for the last two months, she’s been appearing as Norma Desmond in the London production of “Sunset Boulevard.”

And though the part is a demanding one, it was a welcome challenge. “It was absolutely fabulous,” says Moreno, who is talking to the producers about resuming the role of Norma beginning this spring. “I loved every minute of it. It’s a great role, and the great roles don’t come too frequently, and certainly not at my age.”

Particularly when you’re one of the few Latino artists to have found success decades ago in an industry still riddled with prejudice today. “Now, not only being Hispanic but older really compounds the problems,” Moreno says. “Yes, I’ve had to spend a good deal of my life putting up with the whole business of the stereotype.”

Yet the actress, who will turn 65 in December, has never been one to let long odds slow her down. When the roles haven’t come, she has kept busy with other projects--including her one-woman show, which she’ll perform at Cal State L.A.’s Luckman Fine Arts Complex on Saturday.

The performance--which includes singing, dancing and Moreno’s tales of growing up Puerto Rican in New York--is born of the actress’ undying affection for the boards.

“I love to perform live,” says Moreno, chatting over a cup of tea in the kitchen of the art-filled home she shares with her husband of 31 years, Dr. Leonard Gordon. “I like audiences and I trust them. I trust that people, provided the number is performed well, will listen and appreciate and they do.”

Born Rose Dolores Alverin in Humacaco, Puerto Rico, Moreno was only 5 years old when she and her recently divorced mother moved to New York. They struggled to learn English while getting by on the piecemeal wages her mother earned in a factory.

Moreno began taking dancing lessons as a child and made her Broadway debut at age 13 in a drama called “Skydrift,” starring Eli Wallach. She was signed to an MGM contract at age 17 and went on to perform in more than 30 films, including such classics as “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The King and I.”

Moreno won her supporting actress Oscar for her turn as Anita in “West Side Story” in 1962. Her Tony was for her leading role in the 1975 musical “The Ritz”; in 1972 she won a Grammy for a children’s album; and her two Emmys were awarded for a 1977 appearance on “The Muppets” and a 1978 guest spot on “The Rockford Files.”

In the 1980s and ‘90s, Moreno has continued to appear in film and TV roles in addition to live performances. But the chance to play a Norma Desmond was a rare treat.

“It’s a very dynamic role,” Moreno says. “It has huge peaks and valleys, and that’s sort of my specialty. I can go from zero to 100 with the flick of an eyelash, and a lot of actors can’t do that. It’s probably my Hispanic temperament.”

That temperament and persona --is also the stock in trade of her solo show.

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She first began performing the piece about 13 years ago, in part to exercise her increasingly rare triple-threat talents. “I decided that when I wasn’t doing acting stuff, I should be doing something else,” Moreno says.

The performance, which Moreno wrote herself, is largely set, although there is some room for improvisation. She also adds and subtracts musical numbers from time to time.

It was, in fact, the presence of some Spanish music in the act that first prompted her to include autobiographical material. “Out of that came a need to tell people where I’m from and what I am as a result of where I’m from,” Moreno says.

“I tell stories about my Puerto Rican background which are funny,” she continues. “I tell a few humorous stories about my mom learning English and how she mispronounced the words. Sometimes I think I should take it out of the act, but I can’t: It’s too delicious.”

Yet her show is as much song and dance as it is storytelling. Moreno includes jazz songs, smoky ballads and Broadway show tunes in her performance.

The selection is both eclectic and idiosyncratic. “I think performers tend to underestimate audiences,” Moreno says of her program. “They sing down to them. You don’t have to do that. I just decided to sing what I love to sing, and they’ll come along or not.”

Ultimately, it’s a very personal show. “I have a friend who calls the act ‘glamour with fuzzy slippers,’ ” Moreno says. “I said to her, ‘Well, I hope they’re ostrich feathers, as opposed to polyester fuzzy.’ ”

Fuzzy or not, the show helps the actress keep her performing muscles in shape. It also makes it easier to turn down the stereotypical roles that still come her way today.

“I just got a script the other day from ‘Friends,’ ” Moreno says. “It’s this abuelita--this little old Spanish grandmother--and I said, ‘Are you serious?’

“I’m delighted to play a Latina, provided it’s a good part and not the usual cliche stuff.”

* Rita Moreno, Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State L.A., 5151 State University Drive. Saturday, 8 p.m. $35-$40. (213) 480-3232.