A talented Broadway performer with deep Baltimore roots is set to take center stage at Monday Night Football, bringing her powerful voice to one of the NFL’s biggest stages. This accomplished artist will be singing the National Anthem before the Ravens take on the Detroit Lions in what promises to be an electrifying matchup.
With an impressive resume that spans Broadway stages and television screens, this versatile artist brings both technical skill and genuine emotion to every performance, making her the perfect choice to kick off what’s sure to be an unforgettable evening of football.
Who is Samantha Pollino?
Broadway star Samantha Pollino is set to sing the National Anthem before the Detroit Lions and Baltimore game on Monday Night Football. Pollino is a Baltimore native and self-proclaimed Ravens super fan who has done this rodeo before, singing the anthem before the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ravens faced off in January in the playoffs.
Pollino has been a Ravens fan her entire life, so getting to sing the National Anthem not once but twice for her beloved team has to be a special experience. It also falls on the Ravens’ “Darkness Falls” night, during which the team will wear all-black uniforms, and fans are encouraged to wear black.
She wowed the audience the last time she performed the National Anthem during that January playoff game, and she is no doubt expected to do so again tonight.
The Baltimore native earned her BFA in Musical Theater from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and attended the Baltimore School for the Arts.
Following graduation, she quickly moved into the theater scene and made her Broadway debut in the musical Hot Feet in 2006. Things only got bigger from there, and by 2016, she was part of the ensemble of the 2016 Hamilton Chicago cast.
In 2018, she returned to Broadway in “Head Over Heels” as the ensemble and understudy to Philoclea. She joined the Hamilton touring company before leaving it to join the musical “Bliss.”
Pollino has since solidified her position in the world of Broadway. She has appeared in five major musicals, including “The Great Gatsby,” “Sweeney Todd,” and “Hot Feet,” and is set to debut in her sixth show, “Chess.” She’s also made television appearances on “FBI: Most Wanted,” “Girls5Eva,” and “Fosse/Verdon” on FX.
In true Baltimore fashion, she’s also a big fan of the filmmaker and fellow Baltimore native, John Waters. She told thebackstageblonde.com, “He is an icon in Baltimore, and I grew up worshipping his name. He saw “Head Over Heels” when I was on for my understudy track, Philoclea, and took the time to talk to me for a while. I freaked out and sent a picture of us to all of my high school teachers.”
ESPN’s “Monday Night Countdown” starts at 7:15 p.m. ET, and the Ravens and Lions are scheduled to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET. Pregame ceremonies will begin approximately 20 minutes before kickoff. The game can also be seen on ABC.
