6th Grade Culture Project

Rita Moreno:  Performer (b.1931) Born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Rosa Dolores Alverio emigrated to New York City with her mother at age five.  She acted on Broadway before MGM studio executives recruited her at age 14.  They changed her stage name to Rita.  She loved to sing, dance, and act.  She performed in the musicals “Singin’ in the Rain” and “The King and I”.  After acting in several films, Rita landed the feisty role of Anita in “West Side Story” (1961) and won an Oscar and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress.  Later she worked with the PBS children’s series “The Electric Company” and won a Grammy for her work on the soundtrack.  After winning Emmy awards for guest appearances on “The Muppet Show” and “The Rockford Files”, Rita won a Tony for the Broadway play “The Ritz” before returning to television.  She acted in several sitcoms and television movies before reading the title in “Where on Earth Is Carmen Sandiego?”  Anita is one of the only two people to ever win an Oscar, a Tony, an Emmy, and a Grammy!Marsh, Carole, The Best Book of Hispanic Biographies.,Galopade Interational:  2003 p.15.     

Helpful sites:

http://www.puertorico-herald.org/issues/vol4n32/ProfileMoreno-en.shtml

http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0759658.html