Ana Margarita MartÃnez-Casado (born Ana Margarita MartÃnez-Casado y
Torralbas on May 4, 1930) is a well-known Cuban actress and
singer.Martinez-Casado was born into one of Cuba's theatrical
families. That family started with her great-grandfather who owned a
theater. His daughter Luisa has a theater in Cuba named after her.
Martinez-Casado's grandparents, Manolo Martinez-Casado and Celia Adams
were both actors, as were their eight children.Ana Margarita's
involvement with music entertainment did not begin until she was 12
years old. At this age, her mother wanted her to study piano with the
thought that all girls needed some sort of talent. A distant cousin of
the family taught music and lived nearby so young Ana was sent to her.
Chance would have it that the cousin did not teach piano, but gave
vocal instruction and was willing to work with Ana to see if there was
a talent. Ana Margarita was 17 when her voice teacher began to work on
a zarzuela for her students to showcase their talent. After preparing
for nearly a year, Ana Margarita, a soprano, starred in a successful
version of Luisa Fernanda. This role would lead to Ana securing her
first television contract for the CMQ Network, Cuba's largest
entertainment company. She debuted with an orchestra conducted by
maestro Gonzalo Roig (the man behind the zarzuela of Cecilia Valdes)
who introduced her as the next big star. The CMQ appearance led to an
infinite amount of other work; such as having guest roles on multiple
musical variety shows of that day, including El Gran Teatro Esso among
others. Her voice was so loved that when the Cuban cultural giant, Pro
Arte Musical, mounted a version of Amal and the Night Visitors Ana
Margarita was cast opposite Marta Perez. The offers and opportunities
kept growing. Ana began performing not only Zarzuelas but soon was
doing operettas as well. El Conde de Luxemburgo, Molinos de viento, La
Corte de Faraón, Luisa Fernanda, were just some of the pieces she
performed with much success. Her stage work culminated at that point
when Gonzalo Roig himself asked Ana to play the title character in
Cecilia Valdes. She played Cecilia as well as the character of Isabel
simultaneously (the two characters never meet on stage). It was the
highlight of Ana's early career. Ana mounted shows at the Casino
Parisien of the Hotel Nacional in Havana and the Havana Hilton. Her
nightclub engagements led to concerts, and three records.Having left
Cuba in 1960 for a two-week concert engagement at the Hotel San Juan
in Puerto Rico, she brought along only two suitcases and her daughter,
also named Ana (she had married and divorced a Cuban surgeon). She
would not return to her native Cuba for nearly 40 years. While in San
Juan she was invited to perform with the Tropicana ensemble in Mexico,
where she stayed for 10 years. During this time she married a fellow
Cuban actor and had a daughter, Beatriz. During her time in Mexico,
she performed in a variety of shows; from starring in a cabaret act,
touring with an ensemble company, to stage and television work as
well. During a concert engagement in Monterrey she was contracted for
a television network run by Cubans (contemporaries and acquaintances
of her father). During her time there, she worked opposite legendary
Mexican figures such as MarÃa Félix and Cantinflas as well as
starring in a variety show of her own. She became well known for her
roles in musical theater, including a performance opposite Libertad
Lamarque in Hello Dolly. After a decade in Mexico, the young family
finally made the move to the United States (she had previously lived
temporarily in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and New York City). Upon her
arrival in Miami in 1970 she began working in a variety show at the
restaurant Les Violins, a former South Florida landmark. After a short
while, Cuban star Marta Perez, who had since relocated to Miami and
formed a theater group, recruited Ana Margarita to return to the
stage. While in South Florida she appeared in performances of The King
and I, Man of La Mancha, The Fantastix, Private Lives, and Cecilia
Valdes, as well as taking every job available to her, including radio
soap operas, and TV commercials. It was in the late 1970s when her
career in the United States took off and she was cast as Juana Peña
in the classic television sitcom, ¿Qué Pasa, USA?. Ana won a
regional Emmy award for Best Individual Talent of South Florida for
her role as Juana.
Torralbas on May 4, 1930) is a well-known Cuban actress and
singer.Martinez-Casado was born into one of Cuba's theatrical
families. That family started with her great-grandfather who owned a
theater. His daughter Luisa has a theater in Cuba named after her.
Martinez-Casado's grandparents, Manolo Martinez-Casado and Celia Adams
were both actors, as were their eight children.Ana Margarita's
involvement with music entertainment did not begin until she was 12
years old. At this age, her mother wanted her to study piano with the
thought that all girls needed some sort of talent. A distant cousin of
the family taught music and lived nearby so young Ana was sent to her.
Chance would have it that the cousin did not teach piano, but gave
vocal instruction and was willing to work with Ana to see if there was
a talent. Ana Margarita was 17 when her voice teacher began to work on
a zarzuela for her students to showcase their talent. After preparing
for nearly a year, Ana Margarita, a soprano, starred in a successful
version of Luisa Fernanda. This role would lead to Ana securing her
first television contract for the CMQ Network, Cuba's largest
entertainment company. She debuted with an orchestra conducted by
maestro Gonzalo Roig (the man behind the zarzuela of Cecilia Valdes)
who introduced her as the next big star. The CMQ appearance led to an
infinite amount of other work; such as having guest roles on multiple
musical variety shows of that day, including El Gran Teatro Esso among
others. Her voice was so loved that when the Cuban cultural giant, Pro
Arte Musical, mounted a version of Amal and the Night Visitors Ana
Margarita was cast opposite Marta Perez. The offers and opportunities
kept growing. Ana began performing not only Zarzuelas but soon was
doing operettas as well. El Conde de Luxemburgo, Molinos de viento, La
Corte de Faraón, Luisa Fernanda, were just some of the pieces she
performed with much success. Her stage work culminated at that point
when Gonzalo Roig himself asked Ana to play the title character in
Cecilia Valdes. She played Cecilia as well as the character of Isabel
simultaneously (the two characters never meet on stage). It was the
highlight of Ana's early career. Ana mounted shows at the Casino
Parisien of the Hotel Nacional in Havana and the Havana Hilton. Her
nightclub engagements led to concerts, and three records.Having left
Cuba in 1960 for a two-week concert engagement at the Hotel San Juan
in Puerto Rico, she brought along only two suitcases and her daughter,
also named Ana (she had married and divorced a Cuban surgeon). She
would not return to her native Cuba for nearly 40 years. While in San
Juan she was invited to perform with the Tropicana ensemble in Mexico,
where she stayed for 10 years. During this time she married a fellow
Cuban actor and had a daughter, Beatriz. During her time in Mexico,
she performed in a variety of shows; from starring in a cabaret act,
touring with an ensemble company, to stage and television work as
well. During a concert engagement in Monterrey she was contracted for
a television network run by Cubans (contemporaries and acquaintances
of her father). During her time there, she worked opposite legendary
Mexican figures such as MarÃa Félix and Cantinflas as well as
starring in a variety show of her own. She became well known for her
roles in musical theater, including a performance opposite Libertad
Lamarque in Hello Dolly. After a decade in Mexico, the young family
finally made the move to the United States (she had previously lived
temporarily in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and New York City). Upon her
arrival in Miami in 1970 she began working in a variety show at the
restaurant Les Violins, a former South Florida landmark. After a short
while, Cuban star Marta Perez, who had since relocated to Miami and
formed a theater group, recruited Ana Margarita to return to the
stage. While in South Florida she appeared in performances of The King
and I, Man of La Mancha, The Fantastix, Private Lives, and Cecilia
Valdes, as well as taking every job available to her, including radio
soap operas, and TV commercials. It was in the late 1970s when her
career in the United States took off and she was cast as Juana Peña
in the classic television sitcom, ¿Qué Pasa, USA?. Ana won a
regional Emmy award for Best Individual Talent of South Florida for
her role as Juana.
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