Love and dreams

In Venecia, Chita Rivera and director Arthur Laurents are working together again for the first time since West Side Story. Ms. Rivera is enjoying her run on the show, which is at the George Street Playhouse through Sunday.

By: Susan Van Dongen

Chita Rivera stars in Venecia at the George Street Playhouse in New Brunswick through Sunday.

   NEW BRUNSWICK — Fans of the classic musical West Side Story will always associate Chita Rivera with the role of Anita, the impetuous Latina and focal point of the classic production number "America." People might be surprised that this whirlwind of a star is currently shining in a very different kind of role as a blind woman who moves around the stage gingerly, if at all.
   Chita Rivera stars in the George Street Playhouse production of Venecia, a comic fable about a blind madam in the one-horse town of Jujuy, Argentina. To get into character for La Vieja, the aging brothel owner, Ms. Rivera rehearsed with her eyes closed, and through glasses which completely blinded her.
   "It’s not my instinct to depend on others to guide me," she says in phone interview from her home in Westchester County, N.Y. "Dancers are very independent. You know exactly where your balance is. I figured the only way to really get the feeling of being blind was to work without sight. That way, I was able to understand the feeling of being alone, having to feel the walls and feel the chairs to get around."

   Of course, Ms. Rivera has had masterful direction from Arthur Laurents, the first time the two have worked together since West Side Story. Venecia has enjoyed a month-long run at New Brunswick’s George Street Playhouse, which ends March 11. The one-act play by Argentine writer Jorge Accame made its American premiere last month, and the reunion of Ms. Rivera and Mr. Laurents has been celebrated and praised, even by the toughest critics.
   "We were so grateful for the reviews," Ms. Rivera says. "You don’t always know how the critics will react. But this author has written a beautiful gem. It’s small, yet complicated in its simplicity. It deals with love and dreams coming true. That’s the magic of the theater.
   "I’m having a wonderful time, I’m madly in love with the play and we like George Street. It’s the kind of place where you feel quite safe. It welcomes art and gives the opportunity to work on things you couldn’t work on if you were in the spotlight in New York."
   Ms. Rivera had very personal reasons to jump at the offer to play La Vieja, including the opportunity to work with Mr. Laurents, but the characters in Venecia had a special resonance, too.
   "I loved it because of the magic it invoked," she says. In the play, the old madam wants to make a final journey to Venice to seek her lost love, who is described as a handsome gentleman in a white suit and white hat.
   "It just reminded me of my father," Ms. Rivera says. "Another character reminded me of my brother Julio. These were parallels, things that I couldn’t ignore. Most of all, I just loved the story."
   Ms. Rivera began her professional journey with ballet training at age 11. Five years later, she moved to New York and auditioned for legendary choreographer George Balanchine, who gave her a scholarship to the American School of Ballet. Accompanying a friend to auditions for Call Me Madam, the aspiring ballerina was cast as a principal dancer, which launched her theatrical career.
   However, it was the 1957 Broadway premiere of West Side Story that brought her to stardom. Her performances in the original Broadway productions of Chicago, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Bye Bye Birdie and The Rink garnered her two Tony Awards and seven nominations.
   Although she has done some complex dramatic roles — notably in The Rose Tattoo and Father’s Day — Ms. Rivera has never played a blind person.
   Her observations and sensitivity to disabled persons helped her to shape the role of La Vieja, and also empathize with her character’s limitations.
   "Studying people just fascinates me," Ms. Rivera says. "I try to imagine what life would be like if I were in their shoes. I see people on the street and wonder how they deal with disabilities. That’s what makes these people spectacular. You see them make their way and it’s so courageous.
   "Arthur asked me to wear this special pair of dark glasses in rehearsal, and I absolutely could not see out of them. It was interesting, how my other senses became very strong. The (disability) makes the play so much better, because the others have to deal with it if they care about my character. It’s about love."
   Ms. Rivera also took inspiration from Cuban ballerina Alicia Alonzo, who was temporarily blinded but continued to dance.
   "She knew exactly how many steps she had to take," Ms. Rivera says. "She had the stage figured out mathematically."
   Ms. Rivera doesn’t mind if people automatically hum "America," when they hear her name.
   "I’ve been blessed to have this career," she says. "I didn’t know how lucky I was when these great shows were done. In fact, when West Side Story came out, we did not get great reviews. It makes me laugh now to think about it.
   "It just goes to show that you can’t be distracted or discouraged by criticism. Just keep doing what you’re doing, do the best that you can and believe in yourself."
Venecia is at the George Street Playhouse, 9 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, through March 11. Tickets cost $24-$40. For information, call (732) 246-7717. On the Web: www.georgestplayhouse.org.
For directions to the George Street Playhouse, click here.