Sparks/Reno, Nev. – A perennial chart presence since the early '90s, Latin pop hitmaker Cristian Castro is a true superstar. See Castro on Saturday, June 14, in the Rose Ballroom at John Ascuaga’s Nugget

Castro, who often goes by simply Cristian, is a Mexican sex symbol known for his charming good looks and his romantic love ballads. As someone who has spent most of his life in the media, he enjoys little privacy, for he is a tabloid favorite and is hounded by the paparazzi at every turn. His personal life aside, Castro proved himself to be one of the most consistently successful Latin pop artists of his time, returning to the upper reaches of the singles chart year in and year out and demonstrating a tireless work ethic as a recording artist.

Born Cristian Sáenz Castro on December 8, 1974, in Mexico City, he is the son of two very popular Mexican entertainers, actress/singer Verónica Castro and comedian/actor Manuel Valdés (aka El Loco); he often refers to his mother as his top role model while for most of his life he has been estranged from his father. Castro made his debut at a young age, appearing alongside his mother in the telenovela El Derecho de Nacer in 1981. He continued to make television appearances throughout the remainder of the decade, acting in the series Jugemos a Cantar (1982), Herencia Maldita (1986), and Mi Segunda Madre (1989). Castro's singing career began in 1992 with Agua Nueva. The first of four albums released by Fonovisa, Agua Nueva proved impressively successful, spawning the smash hit "No Podras," which went all the way to number three on the Hot Latin Tracks singles chart. A pair of follow-up singles, "Agua Nueva" and "Diez Mil Lagrimas," also charted but were only minor hits. His successive releases on Fonovisa — Un Segundo en el Tiempo (1993), El Camino del Alma (1994), and El Deseo de Oir Tu Voz (1996) — each spawned its share of hits, including the chart-toppers "Nunca Voy a Olvidarte," "Amarte a Ti," and "Amor" as well as the Top Ten hits "Con Tu Amor," "Mañana," "Azul Gris," "Esperándote," and "No Puedo Arrancarte de Mi.”

Castro then switched from Fonovisa to BMG in 1997 for Lo Mejor de Mi without any hitmaking interruption, for the title track marked his fourth time topping the Hot Latin Tracks singles chart while "Si Tu Me Amaras" went Top Five. His successive albums on BMG — Mi Vida sin Tu Amor (1999), Remixes (2000), Azul (2001), Amar Es (2003), and Hoy Quiero Soñar (2004) — were similarly successful, adding additional hits to his catalog: "Azul" (number one); "Alguna Vez," "Mi Vida sin Tu Amor," "Por Amarte Asi," "Te Llamé," "Te Buscaria" (Top Three); "Volver a Amar" (Top Five); "Lloran las Rosas," "Yo Quería," "Con Ella," "No Hace Falta" (Top Ten); "Lloviendo Estrellas" (Top 20). Plus, he wrote a 1998 Top Five duet for Olga Tañón, "Escondidos," on which he performed. During this eight-year tenure with BMG, Castro worked closely with producer Kike Santander and songwriter Rudy Pérez, a partnership that resulted in some of the best music of his career.

In 2005 Castro switched labels again, moving this time to Universal for Dias Felices, on which he collaborated with another super-producer, Cachorro López, who had recently helmed Julieta Venegas' commercial breakthrough, Sí (2004). The album spawned the biggest hit of his career to date, "Amor Eterno," a Hot Latin Tracks chart-topper that became his first single to crack the Billboard Hot 100, climbing all the way to number 78 despite its Spanish-language vocals. In 2007 Castro did something different and released a mariachi album, El Indomable, produced by the King of Rancheras, Vicente Fernández. It spawned a pair of singles, "Tu Retirada" and "Te Sigo Queriendo," which performed best on the Regional Mexican Airplay chart.

 Cristian Castro plays one night only, Saturday, June 14 at 8 p.m. in the Rose Ballroom. Tickets are just $50, and are available by calling (800) 648-1177 or (775) 356-3300 or by visiting janugget.com. Dinner and show packages are available. “Do the Nugget Tonight!”