Interview: Donna McKechnie Remembers Her Friend Chita Rivera and Looks Ahead to WICKED

BroadwayWorld spoke with Tony Award-winning theater legend Donna McKechnie about her decades-long friendship with the late icon Chita Rivera, and about her return to Broadway as Madame Morrible in Wicked.

In this interview, McKechnie reflects on the impact that Rivera had on the theater community and shares personal anecdotes about their time working together. From her experience as Rivera's standby in The Visit on Broadway to witnessing Rivera's remarkable talent, she provides an exclusive glimpse into Rivera's life and legacy. McKechnie also discusses what she is most looking forward to in her return to Broadway. 

I want to first say I’m so sorry about Chita, she meant so much to the rest of the world, and I can’t imagine what she meant to you. How are you doing?

You’re right, the impact that it’s had on our whole community is felt. And it’s hard when someone is that vibrant, she always lived life to the fullest. I just worked with her, we did these two things last year, and it’s hard. There is no preparation, and then when it happens, you go, ‘Well, she had a great life, and she has a great legacy,’ but it hurts. I have been thinking of all the times that we connected. She was always like a beacon to me.

There are a lot of things you can say, and everyone is generally saying the same thing, in that she showed all of us theater animals how to do it. Like in rehearsal, how to rehearse, how to do it onstage, backstage. And then how to live. That’s what’s getting to me right now. Theatrically no one could touch her in that she had all of these elements of her training, and her instinct, and her talent, singing, acting, dancing, that she could put together with her humanity, and her joy, and realize that fully on the stage. That is a true theatrical artist. Her wisdom was amazing. And this is not someone who had an easy go of it. She lived her joy, but she was not unscathed by disappointment, shows that you put your heart, and soul, and lifeblood into, and then they close. Like everybody in this business. If you’re able to continue and have a career long enough, you’re going to have those times. But she never lived there. 

I went to see her at the St. Regis when she put one of her shows together with Mark Hummel on a stage that was like 2 by 2, there was a piano, and room for a bass player, and she had a little floor raised in front of the piano. And then, when she did her tribute to West Side Story, she had no place to dance. She did a little, “I like to be in America,” she did that number, and she moved her shoulders with that kind of precision and sharpness in her hips, and she did a little mambo, but very sharp, and rhythmic. And I went, ‘Oh my god! I learned a great thing just now. She made that look like we saw the whole dance number.’ I went back afterwards and I told her, “I learned something great tonight, your show is fantastic.” And she looked at me, and it’s not that she didn’t want compliments, and she didn’t demure, really, but she took me by the arms and said, “It’s all about love.” It was just that simple statement, and I think of it often.

In 2015 you were Chita’s standby in The Visit on Broadway. What was it like working with Chita on that show?

Yes! The last time I was on stage with Chita was for the Broadwayworld 20th anniversary celebration. She was out there, she didn’t know what I was going to say [laughs]. I heard my name, I came out, and of course I said what an honor it was to be in The Visit and to be a standby for her. I had never done it in my entire life before, because I was too terrified. Some people can do that, they’re great, and I was so scared before I started, and then I thought, ‘Wait, it’s Chita, she’s never going to miss a show!’ And she didn’t. And that’s what I shared with the audience. And they loved that, and she did too.

Tonys week, before the show closed she was doing everything, she was doing eight shows a week, plus she was doing all of the interviews on TV in the morning, and her voice was tired, and it was going. I’m up in the dressing room, always watching it, having a great old time [laughs], and on a Saturday matinee they said, “Okay, get your wig on and your underwear because she’s coming off, she doesn’t have a voice, she’s afraid she’s going to lose it,” And I went, “Um, really?” I get the wig on, and the underwear, I start putting my makeup on, and she got through the show.

The Sunday matinee they came in, and I came in, and they said, “This may be it,” and I went, “Wait, this is the last show, she’s not going to miss this show.” And it wasn’t that I was being cavalier about it, but I knew in my bones! And she went on, and she did that Rex Harrison delivery, she sang, she spoke, she pronounced every word, she was so focused. I think John Kander came back and said it was his favorite show [laughs]. I don’t know if she liked that or not! But I heard that, it might be a rumor! 

The thing that made her a great theatrical artist is that all of these elements were about communicating. She wasn’t up there showing off or presenting herself, she was organically there. That’s what separates the brilliance of some people from the real artistry of another.

Wicked marks your first appearance on Broadway since The Visit. What are you most looking forward to in your return to the Broadway stage?

I’m looking forward to being in that show! I’m going to start soon. I saw the show in November when the idea was presented to me, and said, ‘I have to see this show again to see if I can do it!’ [laughs]. I saw the show and I loved it so much. It’s like a well-oiled machine in the best way of using that phrase. The talent onstage…. I saw two understudies of the leads, and I couldn’t imagine it being better. Everybody rose to the occasion, and they do it every performance. They work so well together, and it was so beautiful. I saw it originally, and it was fantastic.

When you’re really looking at it for certain things, I went, ‘Oh, I have to do that show.’ To be in that company of people, not just onstage, but the creative people who put it together, and are also maintaining the show. I think about all the shows I’ve done, and they were all certain families, the atmosphere, and the experiences we shared was the great thing of putting something together, telling this story together. And this show has been running for 20 years, and this is another little chapter. I will be rehearsing with other people who are going in for the first time. And I was very excited to hear that. As opposed to working on your own and then getting slotted in one night. So this will be nice to have a little group rehearsing the show together.

What appealed to you most when you were offered this role?

I love the writing. I love what it serves up, the message. The second time I saw it, it really hit me what a great message is being delivered. And the fun in the way they’re telling the story. And, of course, the costume is fantastic, the wig. Now, the backstory, that’s the kind of stuff I’m digging into for myself. But, it’s glorious, this very touching, very dynamic, very funny script. I’m excited to be working with other people [laughs]. I love doing my solo concert show, but, you know, this is what I came to New York to do. How could I say no?

Photo Credit: Jennifer Broski