The long-awaited and wildly entertaining memoir of the star of stage and screen, the legendary Chita Rivera—three-time Tony Award–winner, Kennedy Centers honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

She was born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero—until the entertainment world renamed her. But Dolores—the irreverent side of the sensual, dark and ferocious Chita—was always present center stage, and was influential in creating some of Broadway most iconic and acclaimed roles, including Anita in West Side Story‚ the part that made her a star—Rosie in Bye Bye, Birdie, Velma in Chicago, and Aurora in Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Chita Rivera is universally regarded as one of Broadway’s most accomplished and versatile performers. She was the first Hispanic woman and the first Latino American to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honors award and also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. She is a ten-time Tony nominee and three-time Tony winner, including two Tonys for Best Leading Actress in a Musical and a Lifetime Achievement Award. She appeared on Broadway in her own show, Chita Rivera: The Dancer’s Life, and among her many celebrated stage credits are West Side Story, Bye Bye Birdie, Chicago, The Rink, Nine, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and Zorba. She also played Nickie in the film version of Sweet Charity, alongside Shirley MacLaine. Chita Rivera lives in New York City.

Patrick Pacheco is an Emmy Award-winning television commentator and arts journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, the Wall Street Journal, and other publications. Formerly with Ny1 On Stage, he now hosts the interview program Theater, All the Moving Parts on CUNY-TV. He has written for film, television, and the stage both in the United States and abroad, and is the author and editor of the bestselling American Theater Wing, An Oral History: 100 Years, 100 Voices, 100 Million Miracles. He lives in New York City.