Chita Rivera in Kander & Ebb Tribute at Kennedy Center

[danteskippy]

OMG OMG I JUST LOOOOOOOOOVE LIZA...SHE IS SO MARVELOUS!! :) SO BEAUTIFUL!!

[AndrewRudin]

God, MInellis is a ghastly parody of her former self here. Cringe-inducing.

[PAULanthonyROMERO]

You can see Clinton saying to Hillary (at 2:55) "I've never seen her (Liza Minnelli) that fat!" and then Hillary nods in agreement.......I can't believe the editors kept that in!

[derdriui]

For what it's worth, I think Bebe Neuworth did a great job here. Most dancers can't keep up with Chia Rivera, never mind look reasonably classy doing so.

[thegaythespian]

I'm sorry, the choreography just doesn't look the same against a shimmering silver curtain. Gimme a seedy looking dark stage for this number, please

[strawberrycurrant]

Liza is so amazingly brave to do this performance for kander & ebb. This was just after her vocal surgery. She's truly a genuine soul.

[ggreenwood4]

My old friend Chita, Fred Ebb introduced us before I worked for him as his personal assistant. She is a very wonderful person. Fred introduced me to Liza, but warned me that she probably wouldn't like me... but Liza & I got along fabulously. I guess because I wasn't one of his gay friends! I was blessed by becoming Fred Ebb's Personal Assistant for many years!

[10thDoctorsCompanion]

Thanks for posting this! Watched to see what Alan did during "New York, New York" but enjoyed listening to both songs. :)

[pudgeuncle]

Neuwith is a talented chorus girl. Rivera the greatest dancer in Broadway history.

[BRIANSCOTTBAGLEY]

THANK YOU FOR POSTING THIS. I NEEDED THE INSPIRATION. CHITA AND LIZA LOVE YA.

[PattiwhackPics]

Chita kicks her ass.

[oldixe]

I suppose we will always have the yin and the yang. It is all good and lifts my spirit - that is all I care about. It is oh so easy to criticize but much better to relax and enjoy.

[phant0m0fthe0pera7]

AH! Bill Cosby!! It's like everything I love put together:

Dance

Jazz

Chita

Chicago

Kander and Ebb

AND BILL COSBY!

[Pbsmike]

Kander and Ebb..hell of a duo!

[KAIKASS2009]

Liza my star forever. Chita i love.

[Snowydog123]

Bebe Neuwirth is a teriffic performer UNTIL she has to share a stage with Chita, who is 30 years older than she is and still blows her right out of the water.

[PeekabooS1]

@Snowydog123 OMG. So true..

[bigjoetube]

Bebe is a star, Chita is a galaxy.

[Snowydog123]

@bigjoetube

What a great way to put it!!

[multiph]

@Snowydog123 unless Bebe shows some professional courtesy and let's the Lady shine

[Leafygreenmuffin]

I always loved Chita.

[amy31453]

oops, It's 1:30. I love Bebe. ;)

[amy31453]

1:32 Bebe is HOT!!

[BetteDavisMimic]

Liza = PRO.......you can make fun of her for falling off a stage or whatever....but the woman IS showbiz....she is a PRO.......She is WITHOUT a PEER.....She is LIZA......she is Hollywood Royalty......she IS song and dance.....god bless her and Kander and Ebb and Mr Fosse for making some of the most memorable moments of my life

[mtmorrispk]

@BetteDavisMimic  so wonderfully put... i soooo agree!

[ktagova]

liza is so brave... doing this just after her throat sugery... just for love.... she is great

[roccoh21]

God I just loved Fred Ebb. His work has brought me endless hours of joy and laughter. And Chita Rivera....style no one will ever be able to rival.

[MsCescobar]

Fantastic!!!!Enough said.

[KimLoveJulie]

It hurts to hear Liza like this but it´s brave to do it anyway she´s just gorgeous

[KimLoveJulie]

Bebe and Chita are great but their voices don´t fit very good

[roccoh21]

@KimLoveJulie The don't fit well ...and it's because Bebe Neuwirth always sounds like a moose call.

[powerfulpowerzz]

i love clinton's and cosby's reactions when chita comes on!

[KimLoveJulie]

Just love 1:12 !!!

[KimLoveJulie]

That was the time when Liza had vocal problems isn´t it!!!

[TomCollinsgirl]

all my favorite broadway stars. the legends and the newbie (alan is a newbie compared to the rest of them)

[fashionglindaguru]

When they show President Clinton, after Chita is announced, he is very excited and happy that she is there. You know he actually looked forward to this show, and he saw this as more than a part of his job.

[kirstyasher2]

i love that lil giggle of Liza's at 5:02 :D

[rvronsky]

In all honesty I have to say Chita Rivera is the definitive "Velma". Oh my, even at the age of my mother she makes this role so essential, so vital, and yes, so damned sexy! Viva Chita!

[kinglear]

And the way Chita dances!! She has this attitude and sexiness she exudes through her dancing. It's unique the way she moves. So much sass is a good way to put it, but often in a subtle way.

[GuilleCarvajal]

Chita's legacy is just like joel Grey's one ... DAMN IRREPLACEABLE! no one never'll beat them

[armandofarras]

the finale looks like a nazi salute... not that saying that liza, bebe, joel, chita, alan, fred or ebb are nazis

[jazzmantrey]

Now that's a Finale!

[stuetzie]

oh dear poor liza. but still such an amazing performer, regardless of her voice.

[oprahnoodlemantra]

love 2:40, someone whispers "that was good" to a very enthusiastic Cicely Tyson.

[GeraldR5]

Good Lord, what magic moments. Chita, Bebe, Liza...and the forever music of Kander and Ebb. I'm in total awe of the talent on that stage!!! (and in the audience)

[bbath7]

THANK YOU? Do you have the Bill Cosby and Shirley Temple segments from that year? I'd love to see them.

[Elphaboy]

it is really cool it's almost like this is what it would look like if Velma didn't kill her sister and she could perform with her... this was great!!!!

[Mario54World]

What a crappy ending... And all of you know Liza is off-key and sadly struggling through this entire song.

[netnel]

Roccoh2, honey, it always depend on what you care about the most. She's definetly got soul!

[netnel]

Liza too? Fuck me, taht's nirvana! Thank you!

[netnel]

Chita and Bebe together? I'm died and gone to heaven! Yes, I'm gay. So what?

[omorado]

Bebe. Chita. Liza. Can you ask for more??

[Chriswren9]

Yep Judy and Barbara, and it's an all out FEST!

[orvgg]

Right... and most male Broadway songwriters/producers/performe­rs are not gay at all.

[hanzkydubbs]

that has nothing to do with it. and as a person studying and working in this business, i can tell you that there might be more homosexuals in this business than others, but there are just as many, if not more heterosexuals. dont make yourself sound ignorant, thats all you are doing.

[MichaelCH2007]

For your infomation, orvgg, this is no homosexual event.

This is the Kennedy Center Honors, an event which honors artists in the performing arts.

And this is in 1998.

[1soprano20]

I love Bebe.

[jackhurst85]

its odd cos these two are different versions of velma completely yet theyre both the best while being different.

chita is more fun and looks like shes enjoying it.

bebe is more simple and seductive.

[berliita]

When did this shindig take place?

[jhutch524]

In 1998. The Kennedy Center honors are every year and are sometimes broadcast on TV.

[babbagecabb]

it's interesting

at one point, bebe and chita split, each doing the choreography they know best

[babbagecabb]

well, its therevival choreography to a certain extent

[matpish]

The revival choreography is so much better.

[babbagecabb]

this IS the revival choreography

[gabsylv]

asian-looking guy on the left--sizzling hottt!

[MoonsilverFilms]

God Bless John Kander and the spirit of Fred Ebb! They are Broadway's fine gems. What a treasure!

[DeniseNY1]

WOW! What a treat! Thank you for sharing! Can you put a date in your description of when this took place? Thanks again!

[mimiche35]

Thank you so much  AMAZING

[lma3487]

My Liza!!! Thats a surprise! I didn't expect her to be next!!! xoxo

[Piccolo13]

Both Bebe and Chita sound great alone but for some reason when they start singing together it sounds terrible! lol

[matpish]

I think Chita had something to do with that.

[roccoh2]

Chita. Bebe Neuwirth is talented in many respects but she cannot sing. Never could.

[Museleaders]

Wasn't Bebe the very first Velma Kelly????

[akm2856]

No, Chita was, in the original, poorly-received 1975 production. However, Bebe was the first Velma in the 1996 revival.

[Museleaders]

What do you mean poorly-recieved? I thought Chita got great reviews for Velma Kelly!

[akm2856]

She did, and so she should, she's brilliant, but the production itself was poorly-received. Allegedly, the audiences and critic were weirded out at the time by the overall theme of the show, and the occasional fourth-wall-dropping part of the show.

[stuetzie]

plus 'a chorus took' a clean sweep against chicago at that years tony's (75)

[roccoh21]

It is incorrect to call the 1975 production of Chicago "poorly received". You were probably too young when it opened but I saw it 7 times and read EVERY review. They were fair to mixed. And the performers got RAVE reviews.

[Dirkdebruyne]

Liza was in a particular low spot with her voice at this time...luckily it has since improved , amazingly, hope it lasts a little...

[minnesotajohn29]

I love, love, love that video. Do you have the beginning of the tribute, where Joel Grey and Alan Cumming sing Wilkommen? I'd love to see that again.

[FishBreederBoy]

I was about to type that to yes please i'd like to see them both.

[RosieChita]

Gotta love this one-how about Chita? You can hear her voice singing "New York, New York" above even Liza, not to mention how down to earth she is when she laughs with Liza and waves to Kander and Ebb? This is a classic!

[shushufontana]

FABULOUSNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahh, so amazing. Bebe and Chita in the same video<3

[valastairekelly]

Wonderful video !!! Thank you so much !!!!