Cris Morena facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cris Morena
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Cris Morena in 2023.
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| Born |
María Cristina De Giacomi
23 August 1956 Buenos Aires, Argentina
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| Occupation | Television producer, former actress, former television presenter, composer, musician, songwriter, writer, former fashion model |
| Spouse(s) |
Gustavo Yankelevich
(m. 1972; div. 1995) |
| Children | Romina Yankelevich Tomás Yankelevich |
| Musical career | |
| Associated acts | Romina Yan, Erreway, Felipe Colombo, Luisana Lopilato, Camila Bordonaba, Benjamín Rojas y Teen Angels |
María Cristina De Giacomi (born August 23, 1956), known as Cris Morena, is an Argentine television producer, actress, and songwriter. She is also a former television presenter and fashion model. Cris Morena is famous for creating many successful TV shows for young people.
She is one of the most successful producers in Argentina. She created popular shows like Jugate Conmigo, Chiquititas, Rebelde Way, Floricienta, and Casi Ángeles. Cris Morena worked at Telefe from 1991 to 2001. After that, she started her own company, Cris Morena Group. Her first show with this new company was Rebelde Way in 2002. Cris Morena is the mother of actress Romina Yan and producer Tomás Yankelevich.
After taking a break, Cris Morena announced two new projects for the streaming service Max. These are Te quiero y me duele (2023), inspired by a song for her daughter Romina, and Margarita, a spin-off from Floricienta.
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Cris Morena's Early Life and Career
Cris Morena was born María Cristina De Giacomi in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She grew up in the Palermo, Buenos Aires area. When she was 17, she began working as a fashion model. She became well-known as the face for Lee Jeans in Argentina.
At 17, she also hosted a youth show called Voltop. There, she met Gustavo Yankelevich. They got married in 1974. After having her children, Romina and Tomás, Cris Morena decided to take a break to focus on her family. She later returned to work as an actress in 1979, playing Laura Moreno in a telenovela called Dulce Fugitiva. She then decided to use "Cris Morena" as her artistic name.
In 1980, Cris Morena, who already played piano and wrote poems, started writing music. She became one of Argentina's most successful songwriters. She has earned a lot of money from her songs and album sales. She also acted in popular comedy shows like Mesa de Noticias and Amigos son los Amigos. She stopped acting in 1994 and became a full-time producer and songwriter in 1995.
Cris Morena: Producer and Songwriter
Cris Morena became a big name in TV production in 1991. She created, hosted, and produced Jugate Conmigo. She then created some of Argentina's biggest youth shows. Her shows, like Chiquititas, Rebelde Way, and Floricienta, were very popular worldwide. They led to many products, albums, and live concerts. Even though critics sometimes didn't like her shows, they were huge successes in Argentina and other countries like Brazil, Greece, Israel, and Mexico.
Since 1995, Cris Morena has worked behind the scenes as a TV producer and songwriter. She is known as one of the most powerful people in Argentine television. Music is a very important part of all her shows. Her productions have sold over 30 platinum records. She is one of the most successful songwriters in Argentina's history.
Cris Morena loves Broadway musicals. She is known for creating big musicals based on her TV shows. These musicals are usually performed at Teatro Gran Rex in Buenos Aires. They feature the TV show's cast and often break attendance records during the Winter vacation (July in Argentina). For example, Chiquititas musicals alone sold 1.5 million tickets.
In 2010, after her daughter Romina Yan passed away, Cris Morena took a break and closed her production company. She returned to television in 2012 with a new show called Aliados.
Cris Morena's Family
Cris Morena married Gustavo Yankelevich in 1974. Gustavo became a successful producer and later the director of Telefe, making it Argentina's most-watched TV channel. In 2002, Cris Morena started her own company, Cris Morena Group, to produce Rebelde Way. Even though they were business partners, Cris Morena and Gustavo divorced in 1996. Their two children, Romina Yan and Tomás Yankelevich, both worked in show business.
Romina Yan was an actress. She started on Jugate Conmigo and became very popular playing Belén in her mother's show Chiquititas. She starred in Chiquititas from 1995 to 1998 and also in the movie Chiquititas: Rincón de luz. Romina also worked with her mother on Amor Mío (2005) and B&B: Bella y Bestia (2008). Romina passed away in 2010 at 36 years old. As a tribute, TV channels in Argentina aired special shows about her.
Tomás Yankelevich studied film. He worked at his father's company, RGB, and Cris Morena Group. In 2011, he started his own company, Utopia. He directed movies and episodes of TV shows. In 2011, Tomás became the new director of Telefe, just like his father had been. He helped Telefe become the top-rated channel again.
Cris Morena has five grandchildren: Valentín, Franco, and Azul (Romina's children), and Inti and Mila (Tomás's children). She even named four characters in her song for Aliados after them.
Cris Morena as a Composer
Cris Morena says she is a songwriter first. Since the 1970s, she has written songs for many artists in Argentina and Latin America. She writes almost all the lyrics for her own TV shows, totaling over 600 songs. Music is a huge part of her shows, and soundtrack CDs are released every year. Her productions have earned over 30 platinum records for shows like Chiquititas, Rebelde Way, and Floricienta.
During the 1990s, Cris Morena wrote music for many Telefe shows and advertising campaigns. She also wrote songs for children's show host Flavia Palmiero. She is one of the composers who has earned the most money in Argentina's songwriting history.
Even when she took a break from producing TV, Cris Morena kept writing songs. She wrote songs for the children's show Supertorpe and for the band Teen Angels. She also wrote the official theme song for Telefe, "Todos Juntos."
Jugate Conmigo
Cris Morena decided to try producing TV shows. The result was Jugate Conmigo, which started in 1991 on Telefe. It was a mix of a game show and a variety show for teenagers. Cris Morena was the main host, along with a group of ten attractive teenagers.
The show was filmed in front of a live audience of young people. It featured games with big prizes, sketches, musical parts, and celebrity guests. The show also had original music, with new CDs released every year. The songs, written by Cris Morena, were about teen topics like gossip, love, and friends.
Jugate Conmigo quickly became very popular, and the teenage cast became famous. They held concerts and released four platinum-certified albums. The show's soundtracks were best-sellers in Argentina in 1993 and 1994.
Cris Morena stopped being a TV personality after Jugate Conmigo ended in 1995. Since then, she has worked behind the scenes. Jugate Conmigo was her first big commercial success as a producer. It also launched the careers of actors like Romina Yan and Michel Brown.
Chiquititas
Chiquititas was a children's soap opera that aired from 1995 to 2001. It became one of the most popular TV shows in Argentina and made Cris Morena a powerful producer. It was the first TV show in Argentina to become a big franchise, changing how local shows were made and sold.
The show was about an orphanage called Rincón de Luz (Corner of Light) in Buenos Aires. It focused on the children's lives, their first loves, and their dreams of having families. The main character was Belén, played by Cris' daughter Romina Yan, who was a mentor to the children.
Each new season usually had a new soundtrack album with new songs. These albums sold very well. Many songs, like "Pimpollo" and "Corazon con Agujeritos," became very popular and are still remembered today.
In 1996, Chiquititas was turned into a live musical. It broke attendance records and became a yearly event during the July school holidays at Teatro Gran Rex. These musicals had big budgets and impressive sets, like Broadway shows. They were usually sold out and were the top-grossing live events in Argentina each year from 1996 to 2001.
Chiquititas had seven seasons, a movie, over 400 licensed products, and sold over 1 million tickets for its musicals. It was a turning point for Argentine television.
Chiquititas Around the World
In 1997, Brazil's SBT created its own version of Chiquititas. It had a Brazilian cast but was filmed in Buenos Aires. The show became an instant success in Brazil, leading to huge album sales and many licensed products. It also launched the careers of popular young Brazilian actors.
Mexico's TV Azteca also made an adaptation of Chiquititas, but it was not as successful. The show also became very popular in Israel in 2000. It led to a lot of merchandise, a musical with local actors, and visits from the Argentine cast.
Verano del '98
While Chiquititas was popular with younger kids, Telefe wanted a show for teenagers. Gustavo Yankelevich asked Cris Morena to create a show about teens in a small town called Puerto Esperanza. The show, Verano del '98 (Summer of 98), was meant for summer but became so popular it ran for three years.
Verano was very popular with young audiences. It was accused of being similar to the American show Dawson's Creek. However, the show led to three multi-platinum albums and helped many actors become famous, including Florencia Bertotti and Marcela Kloosterboer.
Rebelde Way
After some disagreements with Telefe, Cris Morena started a new show called Rebelde Way. It was about rich teenagers living in an elite boarding school. Felipe Colombo, Camila Bordonaba, Luisana Lopilato, and Benjamin Rojas, who were popular from Chiquititas, were chosen as the main characters.
Cris Morena started her own company, Cris Morena Group, to produce Rebelde Way. The show premiered on Canal 9 and quickly became the channel's highest-rated show. It created a band called Erreway, made up of the four main actors. The show also led to many licensed products and a triple platinum album.
Rebelde Way and Erreway became very popular. The band toured Argentina and other South American countries. In 2003, the show moved from Canal 9 to America 2 because of financial problems at Canal 9. This was the first time a show in Argentina changed channels in the middle of a season.
Rebelde Way was a huge success in Israel. It became the most-watched show among children and teenagers there. The group Erreway was very popular, selling out concerts and appearing in major newspapers.
Rebelde Way Foreign Versions
Rebelde Way was adapted in other countries. In 2004, India's STAR One created REMIX, which was very successful.
Mexico's Televisa also made its own version in 2004, called Rebelde. This show was a huge hit in Latin America. The band from the show, RBD, sold out big stadiums and sold millions of records across the continent.
Other adaptations were made in Brazil, Portugal, and Chile. In 2009, it was announced that Fox and Jennifer Lopez's company had the rights for an American remake.
Floricienta
Cris Morena created Floricienta, a modern version of Cinderella, starring Florencia Bertotti. Critics praised Floricienta, calling it "very good." It became Cris Morena's biggest hit, with ratings over 30 points. The first season was the highest-rated afternoon show in Canal 13's history.
Like other Cris Morena productions, Floricienta had a big live musical at Teatro Gran Rex. Tickets sold out very quickly. The cast also performed two concerts at Estádio Velez Sarsifield, selling over 40,000 tickets for each show. In total, the musicals sold over 290,000 tickets, breaking attendance records for a Cris Morena musical.
Floricienta also led to over 300 licensed products, from toys to apples. The albums were very successful, with the first album being a top-seller in 2004 and 2005.
Floricienta was also a huge hit in Latin America, airing on broadcast TV and Disney Channel. The cast sold out huge stadiums across Latin America, including Mexico. Over 1 million people attended the Floricienta tour in various countries.
In 2004, a Brazilian version called Floribella was produced and was very successful. A Portuguese version in 2005 was also a massive hit, with its CD becoming the best-selling CD ever in Portugal. Other versions were made in Chile, Mexico, and Colombia.
Chiquititas Spin-offs
After leaving Telefe in 2001, Cris Morena created a spin-off of Chiquititas called Rincón de Luz (Corner of Light). It aired on Canal 9 in 2003. Many young actors from previous Chiquititas seasons, like Agustín Sierra and Nadia Di Cello, were part of the cast. New young actors like Lali Espósito and Candela Vetrano were also introduced.
Although Rincón de Luz did not reach the same level of success as previous Chiquititas seasons in Argentina, it was commercially successful, selling to over 30 countries. It was a huge hit in Israel.
In 2006, Cris Morena returned to Telefe and produced a new season of Chiquititas. It starred Jorgelina Aruzzi and Gaston Ricaud. While the album sold well and the show led its time slot, it did not match the huge popularity of previous seasons or Floricienta.
The 2007 season of Chiquititas introduced actors like Pedro Lanzani and Gastón Soffritti. This was the last time Cris Morena worked with her songwriting partner, Carlos "Rocky" Nilson.
Casi Ángeles
Cris Morena initially planned an eighth season of Chiquititas but decided to rename and restructure the project as Casi Ángeles. The show debuted in March 2007 on Telefe. It starred Emilia Attias and Nicolás Vázquez, and the band from the show, Teen Angels, included Lali Espósito, Peter Lanzani, and Eugenia Suárez.
Casi Ángeles received good reviews from critics. It started with strong ratings but faced competition from Patito Feo on Canal 13. Patito Feo was very popular, and for a time, Cris Morena's show was not the top children's project. However, Casi Ángeles later increased its ratings and became very successful. It had over 50 licensed products and a platinum-selling album. The musical at Teatro Gran Rex attracted over 140,000 people.
The second season of Casi Ángeles debuted in April 2008. It had an innovative format and focused more on the teenage cast. It had even higher ratings than the first season and easily beat its competitors. The second season musical at Teatro Gran Rex sold 220,000 tickets, making it the second biggest ticket-seller ever at the venue.
The third season became the highest-rated season. Casi Ángeles became the first Cris Morena Group production to reach four seasons since Chiquititas. It was the most-watched teen show for most of its run and had four successful seasons at Teatro Gran Rex, selling over 600,000 tickets.
In Israel, Casi Ángeles became a huge phenomenon among young people, similar to Chiquititas and Rebelde Way before it. The cast visited Tel Aviv for promotional events and concerts, drawing huge crowds.
The fourth season of Casi Ángeles was Cris Morena's last production before her break. The final episode ended with a voice-over from Cris Morena herself, saying, "As the day follows the night, every ending announces a new beginning. We will meet again!"
After the show ended, the Teen Angels continued as a band and recorded a new album. They toured extensively and held their final concert in June 2012 at Teatro Gran Rex. Their final concert was even released as a 3D movie.
Other Projects by Cris Morena
In 2005, Cris Morena also debuted Amor Mío, a romantic sitcom she developed with her daughter, Romina Yan. It was her first show not aimed at a young audience. It aired in prime time and was very successful.
Amor Mío was adapted for Mexico's Televisa and for Russia. The Mexican version was a hit. Televisa later signed a special contract with Cris Morena Group, agreeing to help finance productions and handle international sales.
In 2009, Romina Yan and Damian DiSanto reunited for a musical sitcom called B&B (Bella y Bestia), also produced by Cris Morena. It achieved decent ratings.
In 2006, Cris Morena produced Alma Pirata, an adventure show for Telefe. It starred popular young actors like Luisana Lopilato and Benjamin Rojas. Although it faced tough competition, it did well in its later time slot.
In 2010, Cris Morena produced the Argentine version of the musical Spring Awakening. She received six Premios ACE, which are very important theater awards in Argentina, for this production.
In 2012, YUPS TV, a channel from RGB Entertainment and Cris Morena Group, launched on cable TV and the internet. It airs shows like Floricienta, Casi Angeles, and B&B.
Aliados
After a two-year break, Cris Morena announced her return in November 2012 with a new project called Aliados. It started promoting with virtual castings for young people. Production began in March 2013. The show starred former Casi Angeles actors Peter Lanzani and Pablo Martinez, and newcomer Oriana Sabatini.
Aliados was Cris' first weekly show. It had 40 TV episodes and 240 webisodes. The webisodes were released daily, and the show aired weekly on Telefe and FOX Latin America. Like most of Cris' projects, the show featured a lot of music with lyrics by Cris Morena.
Aliados debuted on June 26, 2013, on Telefe. It was a trending topic on Twitter and was the most-watched show on Telefe that day. The soundtrack album quickly reached Platinum certification. The cast also performed live concerts.
Awards Cris Morena Has Won
- Martín Fierro Award
- CAPIF Award
- Gardel Award
- Nominated for Latin Grammy
Cris Morena's Productions
See also
In Spanish: Cris Morena para niños
