Rita Moreno in West Side Story
West Side Story is one of the most popular musicals in American theater history. Jerome Robbins was the director and choreographer. Stephen Sondheim wrote the lyrics and Leonard Bernstein the music for the story based on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Rita Moreno, center, was one of the stars in the 1961 film version that won 11 Academy Awards.
Credit: AP/Wide World

People in the United States observe National Hispanic Heritage Month each year from September 15 to October 15. During this period, Latin American countries celebrate their independence. These countries include Cuba, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua.

Iconic, talented, and always fashionable, Rita Moreno belongs in the spotlight! Moreno is a Puerto Rican -born actress, singer, and dancer who has won acclaim on the stage, in motion pictures, and on television. Moreno became the first Hispanic actress to win an Academy Award. She won the 1961 award as best supporting actress for her performance as the girlfriend of a Puerto Rican-born New York City gang leader in the musical West Side Story. She also won a 1975 Tony Award as best supporting actress for her performance in the musical The Ritz. She didn’t stop after becoming the first Latina EGOT winner. Only 16 other people have the honor of being called an EGOT, the elite group of artists who have won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony awards.

Rosita Dolores Alverio was born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, on Dec. 11, 1931. She moved to New York City with her mother at the age of 5, and she soon started dance lessons. Moreno began working in motion pictures in the 1940’s, using her voice to dub Spanish-language versions of American films. She made her Broadway debut in 1945 at age 13 in the play Skydrift. She took the stage name Rosita Moreno from the last name of her stepfather, then later shortened her first name to Rita.

In addition to minor TV and movie roles in the 1950’s, Moreno danced with star Gene Kelly in the motion picture Singin’ in the Rain (1952) and portrayed an unhappy young Burmese woman given to the king as a “gift” wife in The King and I (1956). She also had a notable role as a prostitute in the film Carnal Knowledge (1971). Her other films include Summer and Smoke (1961), Popi (1969), and The Ritz (1976), in which she repeated her Tony Award-winning role.

Moreno was a regular performer from 1971 to 1977 on the Public Broadcasting Service children’s educational TV program “The Electric Company.” In 1972, she received a Grammy Award for her contribution to the show’s soundtrack album. She also received Emmy Awards for her guest appearance on the TV variety series “The Muppet Show” in 1977 and for her performance on an episode of the detective series “The Rockford Files” in 1978.

From 1994 to 1998, Moreno provided the voice of Carmen Sandiego, a world-famous thief, on the animated TV series “Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?” She was a regular performer from 1997 to 2003 on the cable television prison drama “Oz” as Sister Pete, a nun who works as a psychological counselor to inmates. In 2017, Moreno began acting on the television situation comedy “One Day at a Time,” an update of the popular series of the same name that aired from 1975 to 1984. In 2013, she published a memoir, Rita Moreno. Moreno became a Kennedy Center Honoree in 2015. Moreno starred in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 remake of West Side Story, as a newly developed character named Valentina.

English-born Australian actress and singer Olivia Newton-John
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Olivia Newton-John was an English-born Australian singer and actress. Her recording career extended from the 1960′s into the early 2000′s. She co-starred with John Travolta in the musical motion picture Grease (1978), one of the most popular movie musicals ever made. From that film, two of her duets with Travolta, “You’re the One that I Want” and “Summer Nights,” became hits. Newton-John won a number of Grammy Awards for her music. She passed away on Monday, Aug. 8, 2022.

Olivia Newton-John, left , and the American actor John Travolta, right , starred in the motion picture Grease (1978), one of the most successful musicals in Hollywood history.
Credit: © Paramount Pictures

Newton-John was born on Sept. 26, 1948, in Cambridge, England. She moved with her family to Australia at the age of 5. When she was 14 years old, she formed her own musical group in Melbourne. In 1966, she won the Johnny O’Keefe “Sing, Sing, Sing” talent quest. The prize was a trip to England, where she recorded her first single record. She remained in England and built her career as a singer and television performer. During the 1970′s, she worked in the United States, where she became a best-selling country singer. She won a Grammy Award as best female country vocalist for her first American album, Let Me Be There (1973).

Newton-John also starred in the motion-picture musical Xanadu (1980). She had a hit with “Magic” from that film. Her other hit recordings include ”If Not For You” (1971), “Let Me Be There” (1973), ”If You Love Me, Let Me Know” and “I Honestly Love You” (both 1974), “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Please Mr. Please” (both 1975), “A Little More Love” (1978), “Physical” (1981), “Heart Attack” and “Twist of Fate” (both 1983), and “Livin’ in Desperate Times” (1984).

Her other films include Funny Things Happen Down Under (1965), Toomorrow (1970), Two of a Kind (1983), It’s My Party (1996), Sordid Lives (2000), Score: A Hockey Musical (2010), and A Few Best Men (2011). She also acted in a number of television series and made-for-television movies.

In 1979, Newton-John was made an officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to the performing arts. In 2010, she was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her services to the entertainment industry and to the community through organizations supporting breast cancer treatment, education, training and research, and the environment. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia, a higher degree in the order, in 2019. The Order of Australia is Australia’s highest award for service to the country or to humanity. In 2020, Newton-John was made a dame commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to charity, cancer research, and entertainment. She then became known as Dame Olivia Newton-John.

American entertainer Olivia Rodrigo
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In the past year, American actress, singer, and songwriter Olivia Rodrigo has transformed from a Disney Channel star to a big name in pop music. Rodrigo first became known as an actress on television programs produced for the Disney Channel.

Olivia Isabel Rodrigo was born on Feb. 20, 2003, in Temecula, California, southeast of Los Angeles. Rodrigo began taking voice, piano, and guitar lessons as a child. She acted in middle and high school performances and began acting professionally in 2016. She played a leading character, Paige Olvera, on the Disney TV series “Bizaardvark” (2016-2019).

In 2019, Rodrigo gained the lead role of Nini in “High School Musical: The Musical—The Series.” She wrote and performed original songs for the series, including “All I Want” (2019) and a duet with Joshua Bassett, “Just for a Moment” (2020).

She released her first single “Drivers License” on Jan. 8, 2021. It soon hit number one on the Billboard Hot 100. The song is now nominated at the 64th Grammy Awards for song of the year, record of the year, and best pop solo performance. Rodrigo is also nominated for best music video or film for “Good 4 U” (2021), best pop vocal album for Sour (2021), album of the year for Sour, and best new artist.

After “Drivers License,” her next two singles— “Deja Vu” (2021) and “Good 4 U”—also debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard “Hot 100″ chart. She became the first recording artist to start a career with three singles in the top 10. Rodrigo’s debut album, Sour, included elements of pop, folk, and rock music.

Besides releasing catchy singles, Rodrigo also took a trip to the White House this summer. She met with President Joe Biden and the immunologist and Chief Medical Advisor to the President of the United States, Anthony Fauci, to discuss the importance of young people getting vaccinated against COVID-19. In December, Rodrigo was named Entertainer of the Year by Time magazine. She announced a world tour for 2022 in which she will travel to Europe, Canada, and across the United States.