Broadway’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood Celebrates Chita Rivera’s 80th Birthday

The cast of Broadway’s The Mystery of Edwin Drood surprised star Chita Rivera with an onstage 80th birthday party after their Wednesday, January 23 matinee at Studio 54. Following the curtain call, the two-time Tony Award winner (and Broadway legend) was presented with a candle-lit sheet cake and a chorus of “Happy Birthday,” sung by her co-stars and the enthusiastic audience.

While she wasn’t chosen to be the performance’s murderer (she was picked as a lover instead), nothing stopped the birthday girl from plunging a giant knife straight into the heart of…her cake.

Check out photos from the celebration below.

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Jessie Mueller, Betsy Wolfe, Stephanie J. Block, Chita Rivera, Jim Norton, and Will Chase take their curtain call after the Wednesday, January 23 matinee.
(© David Gordon)

Birthday girl Chita Rivera takes the arm of fellow cast member Jim Norton as he announces to the audience that it is her 80th birthday.
(© David Gordon)

Co-star Nicholas Barasch wheels out a giant sheet cake…
(© David Gordon)

…and Chita can’t contain her happiness!
(© David Gordon)

The lady of honor seems truly surprised.
(© David Gordon)

As the cast and audience sing “Happy Birthday,” the birthday girl raises her arms in victory.
(© David Gordon)

In keeping with the show’s theme, Chita Rivera plunges a knife into her birthday cake.
(© David Gordon)

Make a wish, Chita!
(© David Gordon)