Tony and Emmy winner Bebe Neuwirth chatted about being influenced by iconic artists Chita Rivera and Ben Vereen.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt once said: “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” This quote applies to Bebe Neuwirth.
Neuwirth on being a part of the 2025 Chita Rivera Awards’ nominees reception event
On being a part of the 2025 Chita Awards nominees reception at Bond 45 in New York City, Neuwirth remarked, “I am very happy to be reading out the names of some very, very talented dancers and dancemakers. That’s what it’s all about for me so I am really happy to do this.”
The mission of the Chita Rivera Awards is to promote and recognize dance and choreographic excellence on Broadway, Off-Broadway, as well as in movies.
The Chita Rivera Awards nurture an ongoing sense of community by honoring the past, celebrating the present, and investing in the future generations.
Neuwirth on the Chita Rivera tribute segment at the 2024 Tony Awards
Neuwirth recalled being a part of the Chita Rivera tribute at last year’s Tony Awards, along with Audra McDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell, all of which honored Rivera, who passed away on January 30, 2024, at the age of 91.
“That tribute was nice,” Neuwirth said. “I wish it was longer because Chita deserved a much longer segment.”
Tony nomination for ‘Cabaret’
Last year, Neuwirth was nominated for a Tony Award for “Best Featured Actress in a Musical” for her acting work as Fraulein Schneider in the musical “Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club,” and she won the Drama Desk Award for “Outstanding Featured Performance in a Musical.”
Neuwirth recently completed her “Cabaret” run at the historic August Wilson Theatre.
Bebe Neuwirth on Ben Vereen
Neuwirth also spoke about the influence of Ben Vereen as a multifaceted entertainer.
“When I was 13 years old, I saw ‘Pippin’ on Broadway, and the dancers blew me away,” Neuwirth said. “That was the dancing I knew I wanted to do because I had it in my body. Ben Vereen — in that show — blew my mind especially knowing that dance can be like that.”
Joe Lanteri on Bebe Neuwirth
Joe Lanteri, the executive director and founder of the NYC Dance Alliance, subsequently introduced “the one and only” Bebe Neuwirth as a “multi-talented and multi-award-winning actress, singer, and dancer” who has “won two Primetime Emmy Awards, two Drama Desk Awards, and two Tony Awards.”
Neuwirth’s message for the nominated dancers, choreographers, and ensemble members
“Hello, dancers,” Neuwirth said, greeting the nominated choreographers, dancers, and musical ensembles.
“I don’t think I would have had a career if it weren’t for Chita Rivera because she created some of the most iconic, phenomenally rich dance roles that musical theatre has seen, and I got to play a whole bunch of them. So, I owe standing here to Chita and I loved her very much,” Neuwirth expressed.
