Two Tony Awards, nine nominations, a Kennedy Center Honor and a true Broadway legend. Now Chita Rivera has won the hearts of San Francisco with her dazzling cabaret act that sizzles through her storied career with a radiant performance few entertainers can muster. Blessed with looks, legs, a little luck and lots of talent, Miss Rivera has been in the best shows and worked with the greats of our time, all neatly laid out in this tightly produced retrospective.

Backed by a talented young trio led by Michael Patrick Walker, Rivera flew out of the gate with "I Won’t Dance"/"Let Me Sing" and didn’t slow down till the lovely encore of Carol Hall’s "Circle of Friends." In between, well that was just pure magic. Her mid-set rendition of "Carousel" from Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well... generated such electricity that both fans and usually stoic reviewers rose to their feet in tumultuous applause. It was one of those "moments," one of many great moments of the evening. Included were huge numbers from Bye, Bye Birdie ("Put on a Happy Face," "How Lovely to Be a Woman" and a dazzling "A Lotta Livin' to Do"), The Rink ("Chief Cook and Bottle Washer"), Sweet Charity ("Big Spender," There's Gotta Be Something Better Than This") and of course, Chicago ("All That Jazz" and "Nowadays"). Poignant numbers like "More Than You Know," "Not Exactly Paris" and "I Don’t Remember You" showed her depth and character.

Rivera moves with the precision, style, grace and energy of a dancer, accentuating her delivery with a flicker of the eye, a quick hand gesture or roll of the shoulder. Her youthfulness is infectious, her spirit indomitable. At 75 she lives the life of a 35 year old and says “that’s the only way to live.” She does have a storybook history though and like Lena Horne’s phenomenally successful The Lady and Her Music, Chita Rivera – The Secret of Life is the perfect vehicle to display it. That you can witness this show in the intimacy of a small club and not a larger Broadway theatre makes it all the more sweet.

Chita Rivera – The Secret of Life runs Sept. 23-28, Sept. 30 – Oct 5, 8PM
The Rrazz Room.

Steve Murray
Cabaret Scenes
September 23, 2008
www.cabaretscenes.org