Photo by Denise Ritchie

Inviting Rita Moreno to be the guest speaker for the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association’s second annual Successful Aging Luncheon was a stroke of genius. The remarkable 87-year-old megastar belies her age with an outer beauty that comes from within.

Moreno completely charmed the 250 guests last Wednesday at the Vero Beach Museum of Art, graciously greeting people, posing for ‘selfies’ and signing copies of her book “Rita Moreno: A Memoir,” with an affability rarely seen among stars of that caliber.

“I want you to know that all the proceeds of this event will be benefiting the families in Indian River County who are trying to manage the care of someone with memory issues and also those with movement issues,” said Peggy Cunningham, executive director of the Alzheimer and Parkinson Association of IRC, thanking the sponsors and everyone involved in the event.

Event sponsor Trudie Rainone noted that Moreno belongs to an elite group of only 15 living performers who have achieved EGOT status – having won two Emmys, one Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony Award.

“She remains as one of the busiest stars in show business and was recently contacted by Steven Spielberg, who has cast her for the remake of ‘West Side Story,’ scheduled to begin this summer. She has many interesting quotes about aging gracefully and living well,” said Rainone, adding with a quick laugh, “I just want to tell you, she’s fabulous!”

“First of all, I can’t wait to get rid of you all so I can hit the shops,” quipped Moreno, who had earlier commented on the beauty of our town.

“Isn’t that great news about ‘West Side Story’?” she asked, before relating with a laugh that she would not be playing the part of Anita. “That would be a job.”

Instead, Moreno will play Valentina, the widow of Doc, who ran the candy store where the kids hung out. She stressed that this time, all of the Hispanic characters really are, and that the girl who plays Maria is all of 17 years old – the same age as Shakespeare’s Juliet.

Moreno captivated her audience, relating that she moved to America from Puerto Rico with her mother at age 5 and was greeted in New York Harbor with the “Mother of Exiles,” the Statue of Liberty. Having watched her mother toil as a sweatshop seamstress to give her a better life, she said, “My fame is her fame.”

With humor and sincerity, Moreno related stories spanning more than seven decades: being signed by Lewis B. Mayer for a seven-year contract, only to be cast in a cornucopia of stereotypical ‘ethnic’ parts; the unrestrained misogyny of the studio’s most powerful men; her eight-year affair with Marlon Brando (when they first met, “that room became so hot even the walls began to sweat.”); her iconic role as Anita; sitting onstage during Dr. Martin Luther King’s “I have a Dream” speech; her marriage to the late Dr. Leonard Gordon and their daughter Fernanda; and her introduction to new generations through television shows including “The Electric Company” and “One Day at a Time.”

“Sometimes in life, we fight so hard to get where we’re going that we don’t look back to appreciate where we’ve been. To lose that history denies us the pleasure of fully living in our present,” said Moreno. “Just, whatever you do, don’t hang around there too long.”

“It’s good to see that as we get older we can still do it all,” said Rainone.