Posted in: Audio Dramas, TV | Tagged: Montecito

Montecito: New American Audio Drama Soap Opera Sets April Premiere

Montecito, the first new major American audio soap opera in decades features stars from the soap opera world and premieres on April 22nd.

Montecito, a gripping, all-new audio soap opera, premieres April 22nd, bringing explosive drama, betrayals, and unforgettable characters to your ears every week. This is the first American audio soap opera for decades since television took over the genre space. The new series will feature stars from daytime television soaps. Melodrama! Shenanigans and all the soapy goodness you could ever want, and in audio so you can revel in it on your commute!

Set in the sun-drenched enclave of the ultra-wealthy, Montecito presents a dark paradise where shattered romances, hidden family secrets, and scandalous affairs hide behind manicured hedges and the shadows of towering palm trees. Montecito kicks off a new era of soap opera, delivering a fresh, unfiltered take on the genre that began it all. Under the shadows of Montecito's towering palm trees, there are those who fight to maintain success—and those who plot to steal it. A malignant narcissist infiltrates the lives of longtime residents, ensnaring them in a web of deception, sex, and scandal. Loyalties will crumble, families will fracture, and no secret is safe. Each 20-minute episode immerses listeners in a world of deception—an experience designed for today's soap opera, podcast, and audiobook audiences.

Montecito Features Familiar Names for The Daytime Soap World

Hallmark and Lifetime movie favorite Peter Porte (Days of Our Lives) plays brooding Deacon Granville, a gay man burdened by his moral compass and his toxic marriage to a woman. Chelsea Rendon (Vida) is set as Mina Rast-Granville, a treacherous narcissist with an iron grip on her Montecito lifestyle and marriage of convenience. Emme Rylan (General Hospital, Guiding Light) steps into the role of Bethany Gina Roman-Quinn, the overachieving COO of the family business who's as sharp as she is relentless. Marc Anthony Samuel (General Hospital) returns to the genre as Gio Carreri, an even-keeled resident confronted with ghosts from his past.

Soap opera fan favorite Rick Hearst (General Hospital, The Bold and the Beautiful) lends his unmistakable voice as the series announcer. The series features performances by Daytime Emmy winner Crystal Chappell (Venice: The Series, Days of Our Lives, Guiding Light) as Helena Granville-Belasco, a fiercely protective matriarch who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty. Daytime Emmy winner Vincent Irizarry (All My Children, The Young and the Restless) plays Bradley Belasco, the alpha businessman and ageless playboy. Daytime Emmy winner Mike Manning (Beyond the Gates) portrays JJ Roman, a reckless, alcoholic nepo-baby whose destructive choices threaten his family's legacy.

"We are entering a new era of the American soap opera," said series creator and Emmy-nominated producer Grant Rutter. "Soaps began 95 years ago on the radio. We've seen the genre expand and contract over the years, but there's new life with the premiere of CBS's 'Beyond The Gates' being the first new daytime drama in 25 years. 'Montecito' brings the genre back to its original form as a premium audio serial. We've cast the show with daytime TV favorites and are proud to bring in new voices as well. What's old is new again. However, don't expect to hear organ chords, 'Montecito' is modernizing the soap opera across music, dialogue, and storytelling."

Montecito premieres on all major podcast platforms on April 22nd.

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