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Rita Moreno
Lecture Title: BREAKING THE MOLD
If you were a celebrated entertainer with a longstanding career that included an Oscar, a Tony, two Emmys and a Grammy, you might be tempted to coast into retirement—unless, of course, you're Rita Moreno. Rita first appeared on stage at the age of thirteen and worked steadily until her role as Anita in West Side Story catapulted her to worldwide fame. Fighting Latino stereotypes all along the way she managed to break the mold and set a precedent for actors to be recognized by talent, rather than ethnicity. She gained exposure to a new generation of viewers for her role in OZ, the highly acclaimed HBO series. In 2004 Rita was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and to this day she continues to work; singing, dancing and acting her way into our hearts.
Rita Moreno is one of a select group of performers to have won all four of the most prestigious show business awards, The Oscar, The Emmy, The Tony and The Grammy. The Oscar was for her performance as Anita in the 1962 motion picture, West Side Story. The two Emmys were for a 1977 variety appearance on The Muppet Show and in 1978 for a dramatic guest appearance on The Rockford Files. The Tony was for her 1973 triumph on Broadway as Googie Gomez in The Ritz. The Grammy was for her 1972 performance on The Electric Company Album for children which was based on the long-running television show of the same name.
Along the way she received dozens of other show business awards, most notably the Golden Globe Award for her role in West Side Story and in 1968 the Joseph Jefferson Award as best actress in Chicago's theatrical season for her brilliant performance as Serafina in The Rose Tattoo. In 1985 she repeated her Chicago triumph and was awarded the prestigious Sara Siddons Award for her portrayal of Olive Madison in the female version of The Odd Couple. In 1995 Ms. Moreno received a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Ms. Moreno was born Rosa Dolores Alverio in Humacao, a small town near the famous rain forest of Puerto Rico. When she was five years old she and her mother moved to New York. The following year she started dancing lessons. At age 13 she had her Broadway debut in Skydrift which starred Eli Wallach. Then, in the true tradition of Hollywood, a talent scout arranged a meeting for seventeen-year old with Louis B. Mayer and she was signed to a contract with MGM.
From that point on her career advanced steadily. She made some thirty films early in her career, too often typecast as a Mexican Spitfire or an Indian Maiden. During that period she appeared in films with Richard Widmark, Esther Williams, Mario Lanza, Susan Hayward, Tyrone Power and Gary Cooper. She appeared in the marvelous Singin' in the Rain starring Gene Kelly. She was also featured as Tuptim in the classic The King and I with Yul Brynner and Deborah Kerr, but it was only after she won an Academy Award for her outstanding performance as Anita in West Side Story that she was finally recognized as a major talent.
In 1962 she moved to London where she appeared in Hal Prince's production of She Loves Me. She then returned to New York to star in Lorraine Hansbury's The Sign In Sidney Brustein's Window. On Broadway she also appeared as the female lead opposite Robert Shaw in Gantry and with Jimmy Coco in The Last of the Red Hot Lovers, followed by a Tony Award nomination for her role in The National Health. Ms. Moreno then starred in The Ritz for which she received the Tony Award. In 1981 she once again appeared opposite Jimmy Coco in Wally's Cafe. She was most recently seen on Broadway in the female version of Neil Simon's The Odd Couple. In 1997 she starred in the London production of Sunset Boulevard. In 2004 Ms Moreno received rave reviews for her interpretation as Maria Callas in the Terrance McNally play Master Class. In 2006 she received similar acclaim for her portrayal of Amanda Wingfield in The Berkelry Repertory production of The Glass Menagerie.
Ms. Moreno has appeared in regional theatre in such diverse roles as Lola in Damn Yankees, Annie Sullivan in The Miracle Worker, Doris in The Owl and the Pussycat, Amanda Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie and Mama Rose in Gypsy.
It may be said that Rita Moreno, in portraying an Irish teacher, an Italian widow, a reformed prostitute, a lady evangelist, an English lady and a southern belle has broken the mold of Latino stereotyping.
In 1967 Ms. Moreno resumed her screen career playing opposite Marlon Brando in The Night of the Following Day, then with James Garner in Marlowe, as Alan Arkin's girlfriend in Popi and in Mike Nichol's production of Carnal Knowledge. She then starred in the film version of The Ritz and went on to do Alan Alda's The Four Seasons followed by the highly acclaimed Columbia Picture release I Like It Like That. In 1995 Ms. Moreno appeared in the Showtime film Wharf Rat and in the feature film Angus with George C. Scott. More recently she was the lead in the independent feature Carlo's Wake and in 1999 she starred in the film Blue Moon opposite Ben Gazzara. The following year she appeared in the highly acclaimed movie Pinero starring Benjamin Bratt and in 2002 she completed work in the John Sayles film, Casa de los Babys. In 2004 she had a featured role in the independent film, April Showers.
Ms. Moreno has also been the guest star on a wide variety of television productions both here and abroad. She is proud to have been a featured artist for many years on The Electric Company, the highly regarded educational television program for children. She has starred in her own TV series, the sitcom version of the film 9 to 5. She then played opposite Burt Reynolds in B.L. Stryker. In 1994 Ms Moreno returned to New York to appear as a series regular with Bill Cosby in the NBC Cosby Mystery Series. Most recently she was one of the leads in the highly acclaimed HBO series OZ. In 1995 Ms Moreno returned to the New York stage in Anne Meara's After Play and in Circle Repertory's production of Size of the World.
She continues to keep busy performing concerts across the country and as a guest artist with symphony orchestras. In 1993 she was invited to perform at President Clinton's inauguration and later that month she performed at the White House. Ms Moreno's latest endeavor has been in cabaret where she has met with great critical success. In 2002 she appeared with the San Francisco Symphony in a production of Candide.
In addition to her film, stage, television and concert careers, Ms. Moreno fills her spare time by lecturing to various organizations as well as to university audiences. She is also involved with a number of civic and charitable organizations and events. She has served on the National Endowment for the Arts and as commissioner on the President's White House Fellowships. Ms. Moreno has also served as a member of the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities.
At a White House ceremony in June 2004 Ms. Moreno was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by the President. The medal is the highest honor given to a civilian and ranks second only to The Congressional Medal of Honor as the nation's highest award. It is conferred on individuals for a lifetime of meritorious service.
Ms Moreno is married to Leonard Gordon, a retired physician. Their daughter, Fernanda, is an artist and a mother.
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