My Day with Chita Rivera

[jumperkid]

Everyone who voted "Yes" yesterday gets a gold star! Everyone else should go here to get a little culture.  Now, why did I ask?

I was called in sort of last minute to fill in for the wig assistant for the closing week of "The Happy Time" at Signature Theatre.  Signature has two theater spaces and in the other space is "The Visit" starring, you guessed it, Chita Rivera.  Now, Chita is one of those glorious old-school Divas with a capitol D.  You Do Not Approach Chita. Chita Approaches You. So I knew she was around, but I hadn't actually seen her. On Saturday there was a pretty big thunderstorm and we lost power for bit in the afternoon (right as they were calling places for the matinee, of course). So we hold for the power to come back on. Then we hold to make sure it stays on and then hold just a little bit more so that the sound and light guys can get everything rebooted.  In the midst of all this holding, into the wardrobe room waltzed Chita. "I have wrinkles in the back of my skirt!" she announced. "While we're waiting, can we get them out?" Wardrobe Girl #1 assured her that yes, we can. But she'll need to take the skirt off since steam is, you know, hot. Without blinking an eye Chita took off her skirt. All of us in the wardrobe room paused for a moment because Chita Rivera had NO PANTS ON. Then Wardrobe Girl #2 managed to pull herself together enough to offer Chita a towel to put around her waist. As we watched Wardrobe Girl #1 steam out the skirt Chita said, "I can't imagine how I managed to wrinkle the skirt. I never sit in costume. When I was younger, we were never allowed to sit or eat in costume. We were given boards to lean against instead."  I took a moment here to think, "God bless you, Chita Rivera!" while also longing for the good old days when actors were properly trained and we were allowed to treat them like crap. None of us quite knew exactly how to respond to that other than to nod thoughtfully. Then the skirt was mysterious-wrinkle free once again. Chita tossed the towel, put back on her skirt and waltzed out. We all sort of looked at each other and went "NO PANTS!"  Then they called places and we finally got to start the shows.

Comments

[misscake]

You should re-title this "My day with Chita Rivera's vajayjay"!

*pastes star on forehead*

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

AHAHAHAHAHA!

Omg though, I don't think I can do that! My journal would blush!

[evil-erato.livejournal.com]

*snerk* I totally agree! :D

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

I'm just tickled by the fact that her personal website play Smack My Bitch Up as an intro.

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

Are you serious? I haven't looked at that yet, but I will definitely have to go check that out.

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

Ack! No I stand corrected.
That's Firestarter!

Wrong Prodigy.!

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

Curse you, BIIIIIIING! *shakes fist* How dare you mix your Prodigy!!

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

I FAIL AT LIFE!

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

It's okay. I forgive you. I'm just going to pretend that you weren't mixed up. Because I can.

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

My version of events is much funnier.

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

You can console yourself with the fact that in an alternate universe somewhere your version is true!

[bookwench31.livejournal.com]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That is all kinds of awesome. Now I'm going to have to go look.

[ms-ntropy.livejournal.com]

See above:
I'm mixing my Prodigy.

[athenienne.livejournal.com]

That's the no-fail way to spot a dancer. They just DO NOT CARE about nudity. Something about their bodies being their instruments or something. I don't know. GOD I love that woman.

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

I think that wins the "Best Use of Icon" award. And yeah, dancers are even less modest than actors with the nudity thing, which you wouldn't think would be possible.

[sparklegirl79.livejournal.com]

She's totally my favorite for the day.

And yes. Oh, for the days of actors being properly trained. *sigh*

Now you have a fantastic story to tell

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

Alas. Those were the good old days indeed.

[genarti]

HEEE.

[princesskati.livejournal.com]

I'm supremely jealous... That is the best thing ever!

If Christine had known about the boards I'm pretty sure we wouldn't have been able to sit either.

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

...I'd be happy to tell her. It's not like the people there would know it was me who told. Heh.

[madd-hatter1.livejournal.com]

She never kicked you on camera. Damn that Diva!

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

Well, to be fair, I didn't ask. I was only there for a week so I didn't have time to soften her up.

[madd-hatter1.livejournal.com]

How much softer did she need to be she got bare butt naked for you? JK Love ya *smiles*

[valancy-s.livejournal.com]

I didn't answer your poll because I refused to say "no" when I KNEW I knew who she was, but couldn't quite think of it at the moment ;) Then I saw the words "old-school diva" I went "Oh, right, West Side Story!"

NO PANTS. This is a great tale.

[jumperkid.livejournal.com]

Heeeee. I've been asking people at work to see if they knew who she was. One lady said, "Do you mean that South American guerrilla?" And I said, "...Che Guevara?" She said, "Right! Then I don't know who that is." *facepalm*