Anne Martinez Can’t Slow Down To Be “The Next Big Thing”

Sammasseur profiles Anne Martinez, a powerhouse who’s equally at home in Gatsby’s Long Island and Alice’s Wonderland…

Some performers set their sights on Las Vegas and dream of one day ruling the stage. Anne Martinez must have missed that memo about “someday”. You see, she came to Sin City three years ago and immediately began her Vegas reign.

You may not know Anne Martinez by name, but chances are that you’ve seen her perform at least once..and heard her glorious voice rattling the rafters. From Luxor‘s sexy Fantasy to Steve Wynn’s classy ShowStoppers. Dripping with blood at Zombie Burlesque or adorned with dazzling jewels in BAZ – Star Crossed Love. There’s seemingly nothing that Anne cannot do.

Anne and her husband Johnny came to Vegas in 2013. Johnny’s expertise in rigging and scuba diving made him a perfect fit for Cirque du Soleil‘s water production “O”. While hubby was getting his feet wet at Bellagio, Anne was putting her own skills into play on various stages…while simultaneously working with a team of gifted colleagues to establish her ownproduction company. BBR, like Anne, quickly made a name for itself with the genre-bending Alice: A Steampunk Concert Fantasy (more on that in a bit).

Despite her short time in the city, Anne dove headfirst into a wide variety of gigs, charitable functions and community events. Belting out hits at House of Blues Music Forward Foundation, joining Mondays Dark to benefit AFAN, singing the National Anthem during March Madness, saluting Amy Winehouse at Brooklyn Bowl‘s The Setlist late-night concert series…the list truly is endless.

Earning a BFA in acting no doubt explains Anne’s ability to step into a wide variety of song styles and characters, but her Masters of Fine Arts degree in Theatre Practice (aka show creation) is how Alice: A Steampunk Concert Fantasy sprang to life. Taking the darker elements of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice In Wonderland” and weaving them into a hard-rocking opera set in a retro-futuristic sci-fi world, Alice is sheer brilliance. Even Tim Burton didn’t try something so audacious for his interpretation.

Anne credits a great deal of Alice‘s success to other ambitious young artists like Jeffrey DeBarathy (whom I profiled earlier this year), Adolfo Barreto, Lora Kelsey, Ashley Fuller, Claudia Mitria, April Leopardi, Eric Morgan and co-director Ryan Kelsey. Having such a gifted ensemble almost guaranteed a show unlike anything Vegas had ever seen.

Naturally, Martinez would love to see her baby become a resident production. Having outgrown its early days at Hard Rock Hotel‘s Vinyl, Alice quickly became the must-see monthly event at Brooklyn Bowl…for locals and tourists alike. Although Martinez is currently seeking a long-term home for the production, she re-assembled the cast two weeks ago for a guest stint at Las Vegas Pride.

Recently, Anne joined the team at For The Record Live, the innovative troupe from Los Angeles that created musical mash-ups from the films of Quentin Tarentino, Martin Scorcese, John Hughes…and Baz Lurhman. For The Record extended their arm into Las Vegas last summer, teaming up with Cirque du Soleil‘s theatrical division to bring BAZ to Mandalay Bay’s Light Nightclub. Last month, Anne stepped into a closed-end stint as the lead role of Daisy Buchanan (of “Great Gatsby” fame) for the renamed BAZ: Star-Crossed Love.

Compounding the challenge of short preparation time was the fact that her predecessors have gone on to major high-profile productions. Last year, Ruby Lewis finished her Daisy run at Light before taking on the titular role in the Broadway musical Paramour. This fall, Joanna Alexis Jones left Palazzo Theater‘s production for the NBC broadcast of Hairspray Live. Her abrupt departure required Martinez to step into the star-making character. Despite being an understudy for only a few short weeks, her take on Daisy is nothing short of breathtaking.

https://youtu.be/abisAIRqgVE

Before a performance, I sat down with this dynamo outside of the Palazzo Theater to talk about her background, her inspirations, and of course, plans for her future in Las Vegas.

When asked what it felt like to join For The Record‘s innovative, genre-busting, star-making troupe, the Rochester NY native had this to say:

I think For the Record is a brilliant company that has only just begun on their road to amazing success! They have a keen sense of entertainment and are completely fearless in their journey of storytelling. It’s incredible to be a part of and magical to watch.

My primary talent is willingness to learn. Everything can always be improved as a performer…but you have to be willing to jump. I love music with meaning. Listening to QUEEN and the BEATLES as a child really informed the sense of using music to speak…to color…to paint with your musicality….to speak your truth or to find the truth in others.

Anne confided that coming down from the show each night is a bit difficult. The emotional energy required to take on a show like BAZ is also evident in her personal life and passions:

I love NSPCA. I have two rescue cats myself and it breaks my heart to think they were hurt in the past. Adopting a pet or donating to NSPCA can save so many lives of innocent animals. I also have a yearly holiday show for Nevada’s Homeless Youth. There are so many teens and children in need of protection, education and opportunity.

 

Every year, pianist Kenny Davidsen and I gather numerous vocalists in Las Vegas who donate their talents for a night of music where we collect money and supplies. It’s so important to remember that everyone deserves a chance. Our show this year is December 20th at the Tuscany Casino at 9pm!

Since the inception of this article, Anne Martinez has returned to being an understudy at BAZ. This writer looks forward to seeing her perform again soon, front and center stage. After all, that’s where talent of this magnitude belongs.

BAZ – Star Crossed Love performs Tuesday through Saturday at 7pm at Palazzo Theater. Tickets start at $59 (plus taxes/fees) and can be ordered by clicking here. Use Promo Code BZMAIL to get 30% off in select categories. BestOfVegas.com is also running a special for standard seats at the rear-auditorium price by visiting here.

Photos: [Richard Brusky, Jake Klein, Patrick Rivera, Elaine Wilkinson, Bill Hiltz, BBR and Anne Martinez via Facebook]

sammasseur

A fitness buff and Vegas fan. Sam enjoys shows, bargains, and cheap healthy eats.