Matthew White and Frank Webb were subsequently asked to design Rivera's dressing room.<ref>Louie, Elaine. "Currents: Dressing Rooms; Creating Spaces to Rest Those Dancing Feet" The New York Times', December 29, 2005</ref> The Broadway production of Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life began its limited run with a series of previews in November, and officially opened on December 11, 2005, to mixed reviews. The song selection and other aspects of the production were tweaked throughout the run: For example, an opening prologue featuring the dancers warming up before the show was dropped shortly after the show opened, and the number "America" was only added to the show in January 2006. More revisions were required during Rivera's special "birthday week" performances from January 24 through 26, during which her former Bye Bye Birdie co-star Dick Van Dyke joined her on stage. The show closed on February 19, 2006, after 72 performances. Rivera then immediately embarked on a national tour, in which many numbers from the Broadway production were cut, and the character of "Young Chita" was eliminated. Synopsis The show is divided into thematic sections during which "Chita" (Chita Rivera) shares anecdotes from her life. Members of the ensemble play the part of various figures in her life. Act I Chita remembers her father, a professional saxophonist who died when she was seven years old, playing "Perfidia" for her. "Little Chita" (played by a child) picks up the rhythm in this music in a dance which moves from the scene to the front of a large screen. Suddenly, the shadow of Chita appears behind her. The screen rises, revealing Chita, who continues the dance. (This sequence was altered for the touring version, which eliminated the "Little Chita" role.) After this introduction, Chita is shown in 2002 at the White House, where she is to be the first Latina-American to receive the Kennedy Center Honor. She begins to reminisce ("The Secret O' Life") and decides that "the secret of life is enjoying the passage of time." The next scene shows life at the Del Rivero family table in Washington, D.C., when Chita was a young child. Various family members react to Chita's "Dancing on the Kitchen Table," and, when the table breaks, her parents decide to send Chita to dance class. This sequence transitions into one showing Chita at the barre in dance class, where she takes ballet lessons three times a week under