Yesterday was the Birthday of Hal Prince.

He would have been 96!

I feel this loss every day.

Midday, as I was rushing from a meeting and on my way to teach a class, my phone began to blow up – first with texts and people reaching out about Chita, then about Hinton.

Two Broadway Legends, gone within the same 24 hours.

Our Map, our Community, our World – shifting dramatically and forever!

~~~

Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero Anderson (January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024)

Started at American Ballet Theatre School.

So many Musical Theater Performers are told to start with Ballet.

Why? Because it is an essential part of being Great!

She won three Tony Awards,

two for Best Leading Actress in a Musical:

THE RINK in 1984

and

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN in 1993

I had the pleasure of working on the Casting of the latter show.

Oh, and as all of the obituaries and tributes will attest, she is perhaps most remembered for originating the role of Anita in the premiere production of WEST SIDE STORY. For that performance, she wasn’t even nominated, and the show famously lost the Best Musical Tony Award that year to THE MUSIC MAN. Three years later, when the movie version of WEST SIDE STORY was made, she was replaced in that role with Rita Moreno.

Chita had no time for resentments. She was too busy working.

Later in Life she received a third Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement, as well as the Medal of Freedom placed upon her neck by President Barack Obama.

Chita was remarkable – Funny and Fun, Legendary and the most down to earth person in the world! She was so Loving and supportive, believed unwaveringly in having a good time, often was found cutting up backstage, and if you are a member of the show business community, she was in your orbit! In the late 1980’s through the early 1990’s, she had a restaurant on Theatre Row entitled CHITA’S. You might see her commanding the stage as the biggest, brightest star on Broadway bringing audiences to their feet one evening, and seated at a table in her restaurant, focused quietly on her knitting with her glasses down her nose, looking like an unassuming sweet grandmother the next.

She was a Joy to work with!
And what a sense of humour!

I have been reading the posts of friends on Social Media over these past 24 hours, and some reference the Meet & Greets at which she would introduce herself to the company on the first day of rehearsal by announcing, “Hello. I’m Rita Moreno!” then adding, “And I have Chita Rivera’s Oscar!” Some have talked about her kindness – if you were with her at the airport and didn’t have a first class ticket, she would approach the airline counter, and announce, “Hello. I’m Chita Rivera. There seems to have been some mistake. We were all supposed to fly first class and my friend here accompanying me was accidently issued a coach ticket. Would you mind fixing that please?” Music Directors talked about being so nervous when they started rehearsing with her that they’d be shaking, and how she would just get them up from their piano bench and give them the biggest hug! Some spoke of how new choreographers would ask her to do entirely new steps to routines she’d done for years, and how she would watch their version, learn it, say, “Uh, huh. Uh, huh,” and then deliver it on a dime, and flawlessly!

I was in auditions at Chelsea Studios a few years back, and we were on our lunch break. My good friend and legendary Broadway Accompanist, Sande Campbell, was at the piano; the door to the studio was open, and a woman came rushing in from the hallway! She saw Sande and leapt in the air, calling out with glee, “SANDE!!!” and gave her the biggest warmest hug. Chita was in a short silk robe and a nylon wigcap. Sande had been the rehearsal pianist and played in the orchestra for both CHICAGO and for the television broadcast of PIPPIN, so they had worked together before. And Chita had a way of making every member of this Community feel respected and a part of it.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN was not a financial success in its initial Broadway run. It was set to close, and Chita, a great star with a Tony Award for that role agreed to do the Tour. This does not happen a lot in our industry. I cast Vanessa Williams as Chita’s replacement on Broadway, and the Box Office soared, extending the run of the show. Chita continued with her commitment to do the Tour – a class act, all the way! She talked once about how Hal Prince had this idea for a brusque curtain drop at the end of Act I. Concluding the “Gimme Love” Number, on the very last note, the curtain would fall immediately and abruptly, and the house lights would come up fast for intermission. She described her concern about that choice, and clarified by saying, “I’m a Dancer. That means I do what the Director tells me, and I trust my Director!” Then, she added quickly, “Well, I don’t know what Dancers do now, of course, because now they’re on television and they’re TV Stars!” She made a kind of worried face, then continued, “But as Dancers, we are trained to listen and to do what our Director or Choreographer tells us!” She then went on to describe how Hal had been so right about that choice and that even though she could not see it initially, she came to realize that it was the best thing for the audience and what a brilliant creative move that was!”

Humility and Class every step of the way!

Years earlier, Gwen Verdon was out of the Musical CHICAGO for nine weeks, and Liza Minnelli stepped into the role of Roxie Hart. Chita was, of course, the original Velma Kelly. The closing number of Act I was the Duet, “My Own Best Friend.” It was decided that the show would benefit from Liza belting out the Act I Finale as the kind of big brassy solo for which she was so well known. Chita graciously stepped aside so that Liza could shine.

Humility and Class every step of the way!

She originated the lead role in the Kander & Ebb Musical THE VISIT, and the show took some fifteen years to make it to Broadway. She kept saying, “Oh I hope it comes in! Because I could play her!,” then she would nod repeatedly and affirm enthusiastically, “She’s Old! I can still play her!”

And play her she did!

Fifteen years of postponements and delays on that show, but she stayed with it.

Chita had no time for resentments. She was too busy working.

Grace and Humility and Class every step of the way!

Here is CHITA’s Tony Acceptance Speech for her Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018:

~~~

Hinton Battle (November 29, 1956 – January 29, 2024)

Started at American Ballet Theatre School.

So many Musical Theater Performers are told to start with Ballet.

Why? Because it is an essential part of being Great!

He won three Tony Awards,

for Best Featured Actor in a Musical:

SOPHISTICATED LADIES in 1981

THE TAP DANCE KID in 1984

MISS SAIGON in 1991

Hinton burst on the scene as the Scarecrow in the original Broadway Production of THE WIZ. For that performance, he wasn’t even nominated, though the show won the 1975 Best Musical Tony Award. Three years later, when the movie version of THE WIZ was made, he was replaced in that role with Michael Jackson.

Hinton had no time for resentments. He was too busy working.

Humility and Class every step of the way!

Here is a clip of Hinton in his first Tony Award Winning Role in SOPHISTICATED LADIES:

I had the pleasure of casting Hinton as Coalhouse Walker, Jr. in the Chicago company of RAGTIME. It was a spectacular performance, and he was as Lovely a Company Member as we ever had! I had the idea to bring him in for the role when we first auditioned in LA. I was so moved, as you can see from this snippet of my Audition Notes:

As you can see above, the Producer involved did not appreciate Hinton’s talent.

So, I did one of those things that a Casting Director is not supposed to do. Six months later, when we returned to the Debbie Reynolds Studio in Los Angeles for more auditions, I brought Hinton back again. That’s what it is to Believe in someone.

Don’t ever be afraid of Believing in someone! I do it all the time, and it is one of the very best things about getting to be human! It took a bit of cajoling, direct communication, and proper preparation, but Hinton had the Willingness! And that’s why Willingness is a virtue!

Humility and Class every step of the way!

Hinton returned to our Audition Room, and this time, everyone saw what I saw the first time.

After Hinton had left the room, the produca-non-grata involved in this show whispered to me that he thought “Hinton was great today!” I whispered back, “I’ve got news for ya’! Hinton was great last time, too!” “No, No, No,” he insisted! “Last time he came in with that earing in his ear, and, and…” When we both realized that he had nothing further to support his argument, my eyes swelled open wide with realization, and I exclaimed, “Oh my God! You didn’t cast Three-Time Tony Award Winner HINTON BATTLE because he was wearing an earring and you couldn’t see past it!” “No! No!” he protested! “Oh, Yes!” I cried. “That’s it!” After that, whenever I heard this produca-non-grata boast, “I know talent!” I would respond, “You wouldn’t know talent if Hinton Battle auditioned in your Face!”

Hinton got the role and he was Wonderful! La Chanze opened the company with him, and later in the run, I got to reunite him with Stephanie Mills, who replaced her.

A few years later, we were reunited when he created The Hinton Battle Theatre Lab. As he put it to me, “When I was offered the role of the dancing candlestick in BEAUTY AND THE BEAST,” and he laughed through that enchanting dazzling smile, shaking his head, and continuing with a tone of admonition, “I said, ‘Something has got to be done!’” And so, he stepped up and he did it! We worked together casting several developmental new musicals. He had such an appreciation of talent! He believed in People too! And working together was a Joy!

He had a way of making every member of this Community feel respected and a part of it.

Grace and Humility and Class every step of the way!

The last time we spoke — I had tracked down his phone number – and he ended the conversation by saying to me, “Hey! Don’t lose the number!” and I could hear his smile on the other end of the phone. He had that in common with Chita – they were both Infinite Glorious Souls who could make you feel their smile!

~~~

Chita and Hinton.

And so now, I guess they are both Dancing in that great Rehearsal Room in the sky!
I feel pretty certain that Heaven is a Rehearsal Room, more than some grandiose stage with great lighting. At least that’s how I’ve experienced it all here!
Heaven isn’t the result. It’s the process!

And these two consummate artists knew that, and embraced it as such!

As The Course in Miracles says, “Heaven is here. There is nowhere else. Heaven is now. There is no other time.” ~M-24. r/ACIM

So now they are watching over us, and creating work with the Angels & Saints:
Chita

Hinton

Hal Prince

Frank Galati

Fred Ebb

Stephen Sondheim

Maurice and Gregory

Bob Fosse

Ann Reinking

Michael Bennett

Arnie Zane

Gwen Verdon

Brad Bradley

Greg Burge

Clifton Oliver

Dame Edna

Todd Haimes

Eugene Lee

O’Shae Sibley

Jeffrey Carlson

Tom Jones

Sheldon Harnick

Pamela Blair

It’s an endless list, isn’t it? So many that we can remember and so many that we’ve lost so recently…

So many that we’ll never get over!

So many, like Chita and Hinton, whose we Legacy has been passed down to us and whose Legacy we now represent.

They gave to us, and now it is ours to give.

As Emily Dickinson wrote,

“I’m nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?”

There are so many of us in this industry who relate to Dickinson’s classic verse a little too much.

So many of us work hard all the livelong day (and night), and we don’t have three Tony Awards or the notoriety of those we’ve lost. We question if there may be some hubris in our grieving.

Who were we to these Titans of the industry, that we should feel their loss so deeply? …so personally?

We are members of this Community – all of us!
And in this age of individualism and creative artists being encouraged, by both the far Right and the far Left to “stay in your lane,” Community maybe is not being given the same prominence it once was.

But the legacy of these Legendary Stars speaks otherwise.

Their example shines, and it shines light on us!

It tells us that we are all Welcome.

It says, “We were all supposed to fly first class and my friend here accompanying me was accidently issued a coach ticket. Would you mind fixing that please?”

It jumps up in the air with glee and shouts to the piano player, “SANDE!”

It gives a warm supportive encouraging hug when we need it most!

It says, “Thanks for Believing in me!” and “Now, go and Believe in More People!”

It says that we are all needed in this! We are all essential!

It says, “Hey! Don’t lose the number!”

~~~

Thank You, esteemed colleagues!

Thank You for your Legendary Lives so well Lived! And Well Loved!
Thank You for your Lessons and the Legacy!

May we continue to honor your Lives and Love and build our Community Forward

in your Beloved Names…

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