WHYY sat down to speak with Maren Montalbano and other cast members of Opera Philadelphia’s July performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors in this article. “It’s a story about poverty and generosity. It’s a story of despair and hope, and it’s a story about miracles. You can have that any time of the year. […]
“As a performer, my favorite thing about opera is just dressing up and playing somebody else. The really great thing about opera is everything is over the top. It’s just the tiniest things can be blown way out of proportion. You find these beautiful arias that are basically, ‘oh, I lost a ring.’ I think that there’s something really beautiful, magical about that. Any small moment in anybody’s life can seem like it’s the worst or the best thing in the world. It’s really cool to kind of be a part of that and magnify emotions in that way.”
Opera Today had many wonderful things to say about the premiere of Lembit Beecher’s new opera about Alzheimer’s disease, Sky on Swings. Ms. Montalbano was mentioned in her role as a part of a quartet of Elders, which sings throughout the piece. O18: Unsettling, Riveting Sky on Swings by James Sohre September 23, 2018 The quartet […]
Ms. Montalbano performed in ANDY: A Popera, an exciting new cabaret/opera hybrid about Andy Warhol, in which she, along with 11 other Opera Philadelphia chorus members, play the role of Andy Warhol — or rather, his brand. Even though she is in the chorus, Broad Street Review singled her out for her performance: A Mishmash […]