Chita’s second Broadway appearance as a replacement dance was in this Cole Porter musical starring Gwen Verdon.
Chita’s first Broadway appearance was a replacement dancer in the original production of this legendary musical. This original drawing is in "The Hirschfeld Century" exhibition at the New York Historical Society.
The legendary Lunts played in the original Broadway adaptation of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s tragiccomedy with Lynne Fontanne in the role of Claire Zachannassian. This original drawing is in "The Hirschfeld Century" exhibition at the New York Historical Society.
Chita played the title role in this Kander and Ebb musical, again with a book by Terrence McNally. The production won seven Tonys, including one for Chita as Best Actrees in a Musical and Best Musical.
Chita was nominated for a Tony for her performance in this musical revue based on the songs of composer/lyricist Jerry Herman.
Greenblatt has been producing on Broadway since 1982’s Nine. His productions have won 30 Tonys. He presented Chita in The Rink and in Jerry’s Girls.
Chita won a Tony for her performance in this Kander and Ebb musical with a book by Terrence McNally, playing Anna, the owner of a dilapidated roller skating rink on the boardwalk of a decaying seaside resort.
Chita was regal as The Queen and supplied as much magic as Doug Henning did in this short lived musical. Long before Spider-Man’s bumpy preview period, Merlin played a month of previews before allowing critics to come to its opening.
It would be ten years before Chita returned to Broadway in the classic original production of Kander and Ebb’s Chicago. Chita played Velma Kelly and introduced "All That Jazz" at the top of the show, for which she was nominated for a Tony.
Among his regular cast drawings, Hirschfeld would occasionally submit themed drawings of performers on Broadway. In this work, supernatural spirits figure in four shows at the time. Chita reads the future in the dregs of a teacup in Bajour.
Chita played the fiery Anyanka in this musical based on Joseph Mitchell stories about gypsies and their con games. It was Chita’s third hit in a row.
In this landmark musical, Chita introduced the classic “America” and became a star. This original drawing is in "The Hirschfeld Century" exhibition at the New York Historical Society.
Karen Steinberg
Martha Swope/©NYPL for the Performing Arts
Monica Simoes
Chita high steps into her first Hirschfeld drawing. This forgettable musical, even with show doctoring from Jerome Robbins, failed to find an audience and lasted a mere 44 performances.
Merle Frimark
Joseph Marzullo/WENN
Martha Swope
Ritchard Druther, Michael Duling
Jeffrey R. Staab/CBS
Krissie Fullerton
Rob Rich © 2010
David Andrako
Maryann Lopinto
Timmy Blupe
Hirschfeld drew this stunning portrait of Chita for the New York Times Friday theater column. For more than fourteen years Hirschfeld enlivened a space that was a mere six by three inches wide. The limitations provided a regular testing ground for distilling his line even further, resulting in memorable drawings of performers, producers, directors, and writers from on and Off-Broadway.
Al Hirschfeld
John Riddle and Michelle Veintimilla
T. Charles Erickson
Laura Marie Duncan
Aubrey Reuben
Ken Howard