The legendary Rita Moreno shows no signs of stopping at age 83. The Oscar, Emmy, Tony and Grammy winner is still racking up the awards and presenting a few to boot.
Her career seems to now be busier than ever. The Puerto Rican actress recently lent her voice to cartoons like Rio 2 and Nina's World. This past June, she was grand marshal in the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York. The multitalented Moreno continues to make appearances on TV and the big screen while making rounds across the globe to speak publicly. She is heading back for one of these speaking engagements, presenting an award in Chicago. Windy City Times called up the spitfire while she was in the process of packing and she gave us a little serenade.
Windy City Times: So excited to see you're returning to Chicago.
Rita Moreno: I'm always excited to go there. I love that gorgeous city! This time, I am going to see Millennium Park. I have never seen it before, only in photographs but that ain't the same.
WCT: There are great acoustics there.
RM: I heard and it is going to be super wonderful. The packing I have to do. I have to get the jewelry that goes with the handbags that go with the shoes. I can't just bring a couple of T-shirts and jeans and get away with it!
WCT: We have to talk about the new album, Una Ves Mas.
RM: We don't have to but I want to. It is produced by Emilio Estefan.
WCT: I met him at the On Your Feet press conference.
RM: I went to the very first preview for that show. I have become family with him and Gloria. I am just crazy about them. I'm happy to say they feel the same way about me. If not for him, this album would never have happened. It is all in Spanish. One of the little prizes in the album is "Somewhere," from West Side Story, with Spanish lyrics. It sounds so different in Spanish. Maybe it is the language, but it sounds more soulful. Can I sing you a little chunk of it?
WCT: Go for it!
RM: [sings in Spanish] Doesn't that sound pretty?
WCT: I just got the chills. How did you pick the tracks to sing?
RM: He sent me about 25 tracks and they were all Spanish songs. I chose from those. One of them, that I didn't even know, was a song written by Gloria. One of them was a song I had been performing in concerts for years. That turned out to be a really gorgeous track on the album. Emilio flew in a flamenco guitarist from Spain who came in for two days and we did this live. He was in one studio and I was in another with headphones on. This was live as opposed to most these days that use prerecorded tracks for the orchestra.
WCT: Your voice is very clear on the album.
RM: I was very nervous about doing the recording. The voice is a very fragile instrument. If you are nervous it shows in your singing voice. The voice gets a little shaky and you can't control it as much as you would like. You can hear that within the song. It is not like you can sell a song by acting it out onstage. You can get away with murder onstage if you are a really good singing actress. When all you have is the larynx and vocal cords it is a whole different thing.
Emilio reassured me in the most wonderful way. He told me he would hold my hand the whole way. He believed in my talent and said he would not let a bad note come out of me. This whole procedure took several months. Eventually we did two shows together with Gloria. The arrangements are so special. You don't have to understand Spanish to just enjoy the songs. Some are love songs and some are fun rhythmic things like salsa. It doesn't have a theme because it is my record so I wanted to sing songs that I just love and would last forever.
WCT: Where did the "Brasil" track originate?
RM: My drummer did an arrangement for me. He gets the credit for it. It is a fabulous track. If there is anything you should listen to first it is that one. I do some vocal improvisations and mouth sounds on that song.
WCT: Why do you call the album One More Time?
RM: Because I have been around in so many different guises that it's a part of my life. I actually wanted it to be called One More Time Forever! It has more of a meaning in Spanish with Una Vez Mas meaning one more time in this venue.
WCT: Do you have more acting projects coming up?
RM: I play a nosy neighbor on Netflix's Grace and Frankie. I also played a part on one of my favorite HBO shows called Getting On. It has a Chicago girl, Laurie Metcalf, as the star. She plays a wacky head of the geriatric ward in a hospital. It is a hilarious show but done in a subtle way. You know the way Christopher Guest does his humor? That is how this show is done.
I did a small independent movie called Remember Me. Work keeps coming and awards up the wazoo! About two weeks ago, I was in LA and received two different awards for lifetime achievement.
WCT: You get to both present and receive awards, which is nice.
RM: Yes, but I don't know where I am going to put all this stuff!
WCT: Where do you keep your Oscar?
RM: I have my biggies in my living room on several shelves because there are really quite a few. I have the Library of Congress Living Legends Award—things you may not have heard of but big-time stuff! [Laughs] I call it my "hardware."
WCT: It must be nice to be recognized.
RM: Not only that but someone from another country who has reached this state in her life. I am 83 now, and it is just fantastic.
WCT: You seem like you are on the go all the time.
RM: The next few months are almost a nightmare for me because I am going to be promoting my new album and the children's show Nina's World on Sprout. NBC is pushing it really hard because they see it has a great future. Between that and the album I will be one busy woman.
WCT: I don't know how you do it.
RM: I'm the fucking Energizer bunny! You think it is easy at my age?
WCT: I can't even imagine. What have you got coming up for the gay community?
RM: I am going to be doing something for Lily Tomlin's organization at the LGBT center in LA. Do I love her and what a great person. There is something so authentic about her. There is no bullshit about her and she is very comfortable with who she is. I love her partner, Jane Wagner, too. She is a wonderful person.
Moreno will present Sandra Cisneros an award at the Fifth Star Awards in Millennium Park at the Pritzker Pavillion on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m.
Una Vez Mas drops on iTunes on Sept. 25.
