Famous Families
Late Broadway Icon Chita Rivera Inspired Her Only Child to Perform: Meet Daughter Lisa Mordente
Broadway legend Chita Rivera was best known for her incredible performances in productions like West Side Story and Bye Bye Birdie before her death. While she earned numerous Tony Awards and the Kennedy Center Honors, one of the things she took pride in the most was being a mom. The entertainer welcomed daughter Lisa Mordente in 1958.
Who Was Chita Rivera’s Daughter Lisa Mordente?
Chita married fellow West Side Story performer Tony Mordente in 1957. Their only child together, Lisa, was born the following year in New York. The pair divorced in 1966. Like her famous parents, Lisa found her footing as an actress at a young age in the late ‘70s. She starred as Lisa Valdez in the ABC sitcom Viva Valdez in 1976. The dancer also appeared in the Starsky and Hutch television series and landed a recurring role on Doc that same year.
The theater was where she found her true calling. She appeared as Crystal Mason in the 1978 Broadway musical Platinum. The talented performer earned a Tony nomination for her performance in 1981’s Marlowe. Lisa worked as a choreographer in 1992’s Sister Act and Liza Minnelli’s music video for “The Day After That.” In 1996, she recorded the song “Crazy Love” with Hollywood funnyman Adam Sandler.
With a list of incredible accolades of her own, Lisa has always kept the advice her mother has given her in mind.
“She taught me the difference between showbiz life and real life and [how] never the twain shall meet,” the singer told The Washington Times in December 2002. “We had dinner at 4 p.m. every day at the table with placemats and no TV. There was Mom, and there was the lady I would sit in the orchestra pit and watch onstage. I never got the two mixed up.”
Chita’s death was announced on January 30, 2024, at age 91.
“It is with immense personal sorrow that I announce the death of the beloved Broadway icon Chita Rivera. My dear friend of over 40 years was 91,” her friend Merle Frimark said in a statement, per People.
Has Lisa Ever Been Married?
After Lisa’s parents found love with each other on Broadway, she did the same. She was previously married to Jersey Boys actor Donnie Kehr. The couple tied the knot in 1993. Chad Lowe served as the best man at their wedding. Though the exact date of their split is unknown, it was clear that their love for performing bonded them.
Donnie’s Broadway credits include Billy Elliot, The Who’s Tommy and The Mystery of Edwin Drood. He also appeared in films like Wall Street and Chaplin and television series like House of Cards, Gotham and Quantico.
