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Rita Moreno
From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist
Rita Moreno was born in 1931 as Rosa Dolores Alverío Marcano in Humacao in Puerto Rico. At five she moved to New York with her mother. She took dance lessons, as a child voiced Spanish-language versions of American films and at thirteen was already on Broadway. She then signed a contract with MGM, where her first name was shortened to Rita.
Music and breakthrough
In the 1950s she played small parts in film musicals, including Singin' in the Rain in 1952 and The King and I in 1956. Her big breakthrough came in 1961 as Anita in the film version of West Side Story, the musical by Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheim. For it she won an Academy Award for best supporting actress, as the first Latina. She gave the song America a fiercer edge. Even so, the roles after the Oscar often remained stereotyped, which disappointed her.
Influence
Moreno also worked in theatre and television. She appeared in The Electric Company, for which she received a Grammy in 1972, and won a Tony in 1975 and Emmys in 1977 and 1978. That makes her one of the few people with an EGOT. In 2021 she returned in Spielberg's new West Side Story, as Valentina and as executive producer.
Listening
Discography
Studio albums
- 2000Rita Moreno
In School of Rock
The chapters, maps and magazine stories of School of Rock are currently available in Dutch only.
- The Dream Factory: Film Reel 4NL Reader