Chita Rivera to have a special Tony night

I found out last year that if you can’t make it to the actual Tony Awards in New York, the next best place to be is at The Actors Fund gala in Los Angeles. It is a top-notch event at Skirball Center where guests have a terrific dinner and watch the show live. It also honors a Broadway legend each year. It has just been announced that the 2009 honoree is the sensational Chita Rivera!

Chita is a two-time Tony winner and Kennedy Center honoree who achieved stardom more than 50 years ago as Anita in the Broadway premiere of West Side Story. She followed that up with the starring role in Bye Bye Birdie. She went on to star in such shows as Chicago, The Rink, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, Nine and most recently, Chita Rivera: A Dancer’s Life.

The gala, to be hosted by Dick Van Dyke,  also features the only live feed in Los Angeles. Previous recipients have included Julie Harris, Gwen Verdon, Charles Durning, Rita Moreno, James Earl Jones, Tyne Daly, Lauren Bacall, Stockard Channing, Carol Channing, Liza Minnelli, Jerry Herman and Tommy Tune.

The Tonys are June 9 and the crowd at Skirball is a knowledgable one. Last year, they knew to go absolutely nuts when Patti LuPone won the best actress in a musical Tony for Gypsy. It was an electric moment during what was a very special night.