Anna Maria Alberghetti, the dark, delicate, and demure beauty, was born in Pesaro, Italy, in 1936, to a concertmaster father and pianist mother. She began performing with symphony orchestras at the age of six, under the guidance of her father. World War II forced the Alberghettis to leave their homeland, and they eventually settled in the United States.
Anna Maria made her Carnegie Hall debut at the age of 14 and went on to perform with numerous symphony orchestras. In 1950, Paramount saw potential in her and cast her in the film "The Medium" (1951),opposite Marie Powers, directed by Gian Carlo Menotti. She also appeared in "Here Comes the Groom" (1951),"The Stars Are Singing" (1953),and "Ten Thousand Bedrooms" (1957).
However, her vocal talents were not utilized in her subsequent films, and she instead acted in rugged adventures and comedies. Disillusioned, Anna Maria left films in the early 1960s and turned to the Broadway stage, where she found success in the musical "Carnival" (1961) and won a Tony Award.
Throughout the 1960s, Anna Maria continued to impress in musical ingénue showcases, including "Fanny" (1963),"West Side Story" (1964),"Kismet" (1967),and "The Fantasticks" (1968). She also appeared on TV, gracing a number of popular shows and appearing with Ed Sullivan a near-record 53 times.
Anna Maria married TV director/producer Claudio Guzmán in 1964 and had two daughters before divorcing in 1974. She downplayed her career to focus on parenting and later reintroduced herself as a cabaret performer. She has also appeared in recent films, including "Friends and Family" (2001) and "The Whole Shebang" (2001).
