Carlos Rottemberg once again put into words a story of friendship that spans decades of Argentine entertainment In his book Pasen y lean: 50 años de teatrista y algo más, the theater producer reflects on the bond that united him with Daniel Tinayre and, through him, with Mirtha Legrand. The narrative goes beyond work anecdotes: it shows how a promise made in the intimacy of a sanatorium forever marked his way of supporting the host.
The relationship with Tinayre was forged in the 80s, when both were moving in the theater production circuit Rottemberg recalls that the connection to Mirtha and her family —including Goldy and José— was made possible thanks to that bond. “In my case, the relationship with Mirtha began with Daniel, with whom I established a close union,” he writes. The closeness became a daily occurrence: they spoke every night, sometimes just to greet each other, something that Legrand herself confessed to him with a hint of jealousy.
The producer highlights Tinayre's attitudes towards him and his family as “infinite” and impossible to forget. That affection remained alive even in the toughest moments. In May 2020, when the presenter’s sister passed away, Rottemberg received a call from a devastated Mirtha. They lived a block away. He hesitated to break quarantine to accompany her just a few meters away and with a mask, but he went. Behind that decision was an old promise.
On October 23, 1994, Daniel Tinayre passed away. The night before, Rottemberg had been at his house, lying on the bed, telling him details about the premiere of Matrimonios y algo más at the Tabarís. They shared a simple dinner with Mirtha and then accompanied him to the hospital. Once at the sanatorium, Tinayre gathered the strength to speak.
The request that changed everything
The request that changed everythingHe looked at his wife and said: “Chiquita, do the show on Monday” Then he turned his head towards Rottemberg and asked him: “Take care of her.” Those two words became a mandate. Since then, the producer took on the commitment to be close to Mirtha personally, beyond work projects. Even when they stopped working together in 2011, he chose to remain in a place removed from the economic aspects and the spotlight that, according to him, only belongs to her.
