Legendary Visitor: 'The Visit'

HER ENTRANCE BEFITS a Broadway legend — flanked by billowing smoke, with an eager audience waiting in anticipation.

That legend — Tony Award winner Chita Rivera — stars in "The Visit," capping off Signature Theatre's celebration of the works of John Kander and Fred Ebb. Originally staged in Chicago in 2001, the quirky musical features an army of Broadway vets.

Based on a play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, the musical focuses on the return of the obscenely wealthy Claire (Rivera) to Brachen, her economically depressed Swiss hometown. Led by their mayor (Mark Jacoby), the townspeople see Claire as a savior and appeal to her sense of generosity and nostalgia.

Claire returns with a bizarre entourage and seeks out an old lover, Anton (Tony Award winner George Hearn), and the two reminisce about their teen romance. Anton is convinced that Claire will help and even that she still sees him as her "panther."

She does have predatory feelings for him: Claire announces that she will give the town billions ... if someone murders Anton, who spurned her and forced her to leave town in disgrace at 17. The townspeople initially reject the proposal, but before long, they're buying fancy (albeit hideous) yellow shoes on credit and gazing at Anton like he's a big fat money sandwich.

Rivera gives an imperious performance as an embittered survivor whose need for revenge is humanized by her lingering feelings. On account of Claire's wooden leg, her character doesn't do much dancing, save one amusing number ("I Would Never Leave You"), in which her entourage pledges loyalty.

It's no wonder — she's quite the grand dame, even as she appeals to people's basest instincts.

» Signature Theatre, 4200 Campbell Ave., Arlington; through June 22; $61-$76; 800-551-7328.

Written by Express contributor Erin Trompeter
Photo by Scott Suchman