In 1984 Chita Rivera co-starred with Liza Minnelli in The Rink, a Kander and Ebb musical collaboration, with book by Terrence McNally (the same trio that created Kiss of the Spider Woman). Both leading ladies received a Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Musical — Rivera won the Tony Award, her first, for her role as Anna, mother to Angel (Minnelli).
In Chita Rivera: A Lot of Livin’ to Do, see Rivera perform “Chief Cook and Bottle Washer” at her Jazz at Lincoln Center concert and — in archival footage with her co-star Minnelli — “The Apple Doesn’t Fall (Very Far From the Tree).”
The Rink centers on the fragile relationship between Anna, the owner of a roller rink near an old amusement park, and her daughter Angel. Playwright McNally and the show’s choreographer Graciela Daniele (who has choreographed for Chita for The Visit and Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life) share insights about the casting and production.
See the original The Rink Playbill for the Broadway musical, which opened February 9, 1984.
