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'Sabado Gigante' stars to hit Ybor
By BABITA PERSAUD © St. Petersburg Times, published December 1, 2000 TAMPA -- The television show is aptly named Sabado Gigante, "Giant Saturday." Shot in Miami and aired on Univision, it has become a Saturday night tradition in many Hispanic homes. The Guinness Book of World Records calls it the longest-running Spanish-language show without a rerun. More than 100-million viewers tune in every Saturday, in more than 28 countries. Sunday, some of its stars will come to Ybor City. Rashel Diaz, the Vanna White-like product presenter. George O, the comedian who parodys famous Latin singers. And The mysterious El Chacal de la Trompeta. He's the one who wears a hood and black cape. No one knows who he is, but his opinion carries a lot of clout. During the show's popular amateur contest, he blows his trumpet at the talentless. All this zaniness will be brought to the courtyard at Centro Ybor this Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Sabado cast will host contests for kids and adults, sign autographs and pose for pictures in a promotion blitz for the local Univision station. First launched in 1962 in Chile, Sabado Gigante is unlike any one program on American TV. Instead, it encompasses many. It's a game show, a variety show with guest appearances by comedians and singers. The show also has a serious side, with panel discussions and insightful talks with kids, who share their take on current world problems. There's a weekly "people's court," and mini-news segments about interesting people and interesting places. Much of the show's success is attributed to its host and creator, Mario Kreutzberger, a.k.a. the charismatic "Don Francisco," who overcame great obstacles to put the show on the air. He waited for a year for a chance to pitch his idea and when he finally got his interview, the television executive didn't show up. So the 22-year-old Kreutzberger returned the next morning, and the next and the next, month after month, for a year, until he was finally heard and Sabado Gigante was born.
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From the Times |
