Kassandra (TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = Kassandra


caption =
format = Telenovela
aka =
genre = Drama, Romance
writer = Delia Fiallo
director = Grazio D'Angelo
Olegario Barrera
developer = Coral Pictures Corp. de Venezuela
presenter =
starring = Coraima Torres
Osvaldo Ríos
Henry Soto
voices =
narrated =
theme_music_composer= Jose Antonio Bordell
opentheme = Kassandra
composer =
country = VEN
language = Spanish
num_seasons = 1
num_episodes = 150
list_episodes =
executive_producer = Omar Pin
Alberto Giarocco
co_exec =
producer = Hernando Faria
sup_producer =
asst_producer =
cons_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
story_editor =
location =
cinematography =
camera_setup =
runtime = 60 minutes
channel = Coral
picture_format =
audio_format =
first_run =
first_aired = September 29, 1992
related =
imdb_id = 0270789
tv_com_id =

Kassandra (1991–1992) was a Venezuelan telenovela, written by Delia Fiallo and directed by Grazio D'Angelo and Olegario Barrera, involving a gypsy maiden marrying into a rich family. She does not realize, however, that she is the granddaughter of the man in the house. Her husband is killed on her wedding night, and she is blamed for the murder.

ynopsis

The action begins 20 years prior to the actual plot, when a travelling circus sets up on the outskirts of Caracas. Andreina Arocha, the daughter of a wealthy landowner, is awestruck by the clowns, the wild animals, and a Gypsy fortuneteller who relates wonderful things the future has in store. Unbeknownst to Andreina, the fortuneteller actually sees a tragic destiny for her and something misterious forewarns that their paths will meet again. One year later when the circus returns, Andreina has died of a terminal illness after giving birth to a baby girl. At the same time, Andreina's stepmother, Herminia, an unscrupulous and overly-ambitious woman, discovers that a Gypsy from the circus and her newborn have tragically died during childbirth. Herminia, who has twin sons froma previous marriage and wants them to be sole heirs to the Arocha fortune, plots a devious plan and carries it out with the help of a hired hand. One dark night, he follows Herminia's orders to exchange the infants. In the crib, the lifeless body of the infant Gypsy replaces Andreina's healthy child who in turn is given to the Gypsies. The next day, the circus packs up and leaves town.

Years go by. Finally, one day the circus returns and so does Kassandra, who has grown to be a beutiful young woman. According to Gypsy tradition, the woman who raised Kassandra, her supposed grandmother, promised her hand in matrimony when she was an infant to Randu, a rough young man who is now the leader of the tribe.

During the first night of the Gypsies' arrival to town, while Randu dances with his future wife, Kassandra's eyes wander to another man. Their eyes meet and become locked in a strong mutual attraction. The man who stares is Luis David, one of Herminia's twin sons. Later the two talk below the starry sky, in the loneliness of the mountainside where they share a magical moment. The following day however, Luis David leaves town without a word.

Not long after, his twin brother Ignacio discovers that Kassandra is the true heir to the Arocha fortune and he tricks her into marrying him. The first night of their fateful honeymoon, Ignacio is mysteriously killed, but Kassandra thinks that he has left her. In an effort to discover his brother's assassin, Luis David returns and assumes Ignacio's identity. His suspicions fall on Kassandra, the beautiful young gypsy who knew her husband so briefly and who now believes that Luis David is her husband.

The fascinating world of the Circus, the secret exchange of infants at birth, and the striking contrast between identical twin's personalities are the three basic elements that make "Kassandra" an absorbing story from the very beginning.

Cast

* Coraima Torres as Kassandra / Andreina Arocha
* Osvaldo Rios as Ignacio Contreras / Luis David Contreras
* Henry Soto as Randu
* Raul Xiques as Alfonso Arocha
* Carmencita Padron as Ofelia Alonso
* Nury Flores as Herminia Arocha
* Esperanza Magaz as Dorinda
* Carlos Arreaza as Tomas
* Alexander Milic as Matias Osorio
* Hylene Rodriguez as Lilia Rosa Alonso
* Ivan Tamayo as Hector Quintero
* Loly Sanchez as Rosaura Osorio
* Fernando Flores as Simon
* Veronica Cortez as Yaritza
* Juan Frankis as Marcelino
* Erika Medina as Isabel
* Rafael Romero as Glinka
* Cecilia Villarreal as Gema Salazar
* Roberto Moll as Manrique Alonso
* Mimi Sills as Elvira Alonso
* Manuel Escolano as Roberto Alonso
* Miguel de Leon as Ernesto Rangel
* Saul Martinez as Doctor
* Nelly Prigoryan as Verushka
* Lupe Barrado
* Ron Duarte
* Pedro Duran as Calunga
* Eduardo Gadea Perez as Judge
* Margarita Hernandez as Norma De Castro
* Maria Hinojosa
* Felix Landaeta as Lic. Carrion
* Frank Moreno
* Julio Mujica
* Jose Oliva as Lic. Olivera
* Carlos Omana

Trivia

This telenovela lasted 150 episodes, and it achieved a significant amount of success outside Venezuela, it was extremely successful in its airing in Romania, Kosovo, Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Russia, Syria, other Eastern European countries (where telenovelas became frequently aired since the local and television stations had no resource to obtain airing rights to more popular shows), Indonesia, Italy and other countries. It earned entry in Guinness Book of World Records as Spanish TV series being aired in greatest number of countries (128).

The Televisa telenovela Peregrina is a remake of this show.

External links

*imdb title|id=0270789|title=Kassandra