Trenyce

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Trenyce
A dark-skinned woman in a glamor photo, from the waist up, smiling towards the camera, wearing a furry, white top, touches her large, black hair.
Trenyce in a 2012 London photoshoot
Background information
Birth nameLashundra Trenyce Cobbins
Born (1980-03-31) March 31, 1980 (age 44)
Memphis, Tennessee, U.S.
Occupation(s)Singer, actress
Instrument(s)Vocals
Years active2002–present

Lashundra Trenyce Cobbins (

ACT-SO as a teenager, and attended the University of Memphis
on a music scholarship.

In 2004, Trenyce began to focus on theatre, playing roles in the plays Not a Day Goes By,

Deena Jones in an Indianapolis production of the musical Dreamgirls. She made her film debut in 2008 and became the first American Idol contestant to headline a show in Las Vegas. She originated the role of Portia in David E. Talbert's play Love in the Nick of Tyme. Trenyce performed in a 2009 North American tour of the musical Ain't Misbehavin'
.

From 2010 to 2013, she was the leading female vocalist in the revue Thriller – Live during a European tour and its West End run. She appeared in the 2013 comedy film Kick-Ass 2. In 2015, Trenyce hosted the Franco Dragone-produced cabaret show Taboo at the casino City of Dreams in Macau, China. She then returned to London for an extended reprise of her role in Thriller – Live. In 2017, she starred in the cabaret production Heart & Soul: Music of Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick & Diana Ross, in California. In the same year, she played Diana Ross in a North American tour of Motown: The Musical.

Early life and education

Lashundra Trenyce Cobbins was born in

NAACP Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics in Atlanta.[4]

At the age of nineteen, Trenyce was arrested for theft at work. A Shelby County, Tennessee, court permitted her to participate in a pre-trial diversion program that expunged the felony charges from her record.[5][6] She has denied the theft and claimed that it was a co-worker who stole the items from her workplace.[2] Trenyce attended the University of Memphis on a full music scholarship.[3] While in college, she joined the University Singers ensemble choir and its band Sound Fuzion, which toured throughout Tennessee.[4][7] After completing three years of the school's nursing program, Trenyce left the University of Memphis to pursue music full-time, performing in such venues as Rhythms Night Club, Precious Cargo and Isaac Hayes' Restaurant.[3]

Career

2002–03: American Idol

In October 2002, Trenyce auditioned for the

second season of the reality television series American Idol.[3] She became one of the 32 semi-finalists. She was eliminated in the top 30 round, but judge Paula Abdul chose her as a "wildcard selection" to become one of the twelve finalists.[3][8] Trenyce's arrest was disclosed to the public during an appearance on the show, but she was not removed from the series, as had happened with some former contestants. Producer Nigel Lythgoe clarified that Trenyce informed the producers of her criminal history from the outset.[9] Trenyce placed fifth during the season finals.[3] Jim Cantiello of MTV News connected the disclosure of Trenyce's mug shot and felony theft charges to her elimination from the show by public voting.[10] Entertainment Weekly also concluded that the news relating to her criminal record reduced her appeal with voters.[11] Several media commentators suggested that racism may have played a role in Trenyce's elimination, as she was one of only two dark-skinned finalists during the season (the other was winner Ruben Studdard).[12][13]

Entertainment Weekly found her to be one of the show's most underrated contestants and called her a "polished performer with enough sass to eschew her surname".[11] Tim Cuprisin of Milwaukee Journal Sentinel criticized Trenyce's use of her mononymous stage name as "a bit too slick even for a slick competition".[14] Jan Jagodzinski argued in a 2005 book, however, that the name was an attempt to garner "an American appeal", since her birth name Lashundra Cobbin is "an impossible 'pop' signifier".[15] Judge Simon Cowell said that he "never really warmed" to Trenyce, as she "worked very hard at her image – too hard".[16]

American Idol Season 2 performances and results:
Week # Theme Song choice Original artist Notes Results
Audition N/A "I Learned from the Best" Whitney Houston Advanced
Top 30 Semifinal/Group 1 "Love Sneakin' Up On You" Bonnie Raitt Wild Card
Wildcard "Let's Stay Together" Al Green Paula Abdul's choice
Top 12
Motown
 "Come See About Me" The Supremes Safe
Top 11 Cinema "I Have Nothing" Whitney Houston
Top 10 Country rock "I Need You" LeAnn Rimes
Top 8 Disco "I'm Every Woman" Chaka Khan No elimination Bottom 2
Top 8
Billboard #1
 "The Power of Love" Celine Dion Safe
Top 7 Billy Joel "Baby Grand" Billy Joel Bottom 3
Top 6 Dianne Warren "Have You Ever?" Brandy
Top 5 1960s
Neil Sedaka 		"Proud Mary"
"Love Will Keep Us Together" 		Creedence Clearwater Revival
Captain & Tennille 		Eliminated

In 2016,

Vulture.com's Maura Johnston criticized Trenyce for being "[a] little yell-y, a little pitch-y, a little guarded", but praised her voice and song choices and felt that she set "a precedent for the divas who followed" in later American Idol seasons.[18] Trenyce's performance of "Let's Stay Together" was included on the compilation album American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs (2003). AllMusic's Heather Phares thought Trenyce was one of the strongest performers of the show, but criticized her cover version for having an "indistinct quality".[19] In an interview, Trenyce said that she was offered a record deal, following her appearance on American Idol, but she and her mother (who was her manager) rejected it because she found the terms unsatisfactory.[20]

Following her elimination, Trenyce made appearances on television shows, including

God Bless the USA" along with the other American Idol Season 2 finalists.[19][21] Trenyce participated in a three-month concert tour with the other season 2 finalists, performing "Proud Mary" and "I Have Nothing".[3] Robin Givhan of The Washington Post was critical of Trenyce's performance on the tour, saying that she demonstrated the "earsplitting finesse of a sledgehammer".[22] Arion Berger of the same publication described her as "a female drag queen with a diva's intimidating presence".[23]

2004–09: Transition to musical theatre

Head and shoulders photo of a dark-skinned woman with long black hair, smiling at the camera, next to a man wearing a suit
Trenyce at the 2008 NAACP Theatre Awards

Trenyce's work in theatre has mostly focused on "various entertainment aspects of African-American interest".

Nicci Gillbert stage productions: Soul Kittens Cabaret and Mama's Sweet Potato Pie,[28][29] participating in a North American tour of the latter.[30] Trenyce's performance as the wife in Mama's Sweet Potato Pie was praised by Call and Post's Chris Bournea.[31] The same year, she made a cameo appearance in the comedy film Beauty Shop,[32] and performed on the BET reality television series College Hill.[33]

Trenyce played the leading role of

Sahara Hotel and Casino.[30] She hosted it for nine months.[38]

In 2007, Trenyce played Portia in David E. Talbert's play Love in the Nick of Tyme.[35][39] It toured in North America to seventeen cities, starting in the Beacon Theatre in New York in January.[40] In 2010, a film of the play was released on DVD, and its soundtrack was released separately.[41][42] The film was also broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (BET).[43] Trenyce performed at the Razz Room in San Francisco from July 22 to August 2, 2008.[35] The same year, she made her film debut as Unique in the LGBT independent romantic comedy movie Friends & Lovers: The Ski Trip 2.[44] A year later, she contributed the title track to the soundtrack for the film Truth Hall.[45] Trenyce played a role in the 30th anniversary revival tour of the musical Ain't Misbehavin' after a recommendation from Ruben Studdard.[24] As traditionally done with the show, the performers used their own names for their characters.[46] The cast album received a nomination for the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album at the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards.[47]

2010–14: Thriller – Live and work in London

Face of a dark-skinned woman with big and curly black hair, looking at the camera, surrounded by darkness
Trenyce in a 2012 photoshoot in London

In 2010, Trenyce sang during the interludes and dance performances for

Louis Van Amstel"s Ballroom with a Twist.[48] Karyn Saemann of Madison.com described Trenyce as "a truly gifted singer who did more than justice to several tunes", especially in her performances of Whitney Houston songs.[49]

Later in 2010, Trenyce joined the Michael Jackson tribute concert revue Thriller – Live as the leading female vocalist during a European tour. She reprised her role when the show played at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End.[50] She starred in the concert for three years, from 2010 until 2013,[2] performing material from different periods in Jackson's career.[51] In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Trenyce said that the audience was initially hesitant to hear a woman interpret Jackson's music.[50] Theatreworld's Geoff Billingsley praised Trenyce's performance, writing that her voice sounded very similar to Jackson's and describing her as an improvement over the previous female lead Cleo Higgins.[52]

While in London, Trenyce also hosted the variety show The Box.[53] In 2012, she provided the vocals for Baff Akoto's short film Afterglow about a group of friends who navigate jazz culture in London.[54][55] She had a minor role in the 2013 superhero, comedy film Kick-Ass 2 as Hit-Girl's cheerleading coach.[56] In December 2013, she released three songs: "Fever", "In the End (Alright)" and "Where Do They Go?" on iTunes.[57][58][59] The following year, she worked with producer DJ Guy Scheiman on his single "Brazil You're Ready (Synethetic)",[60] with remixes released in 2015.[61]

2015–present: Macau and other work

In 2015, Trenyce hosted Taboo, a cabaret show designed by Franco Dragone, in Macau, China. The show was staged in the casino City of Dreams; Trenyce was given creative control over the selection of musical genres and songs as long as they fit the cabaret's overall style. Macau.com praised Trenyce's stage presence and "the power of her voice and stature".[62][63] In 2016, Trenyce collaborated with DJ Guy Scheiman on his single "This Time".[64] From 2015 to 2017, Trenyce reprised her role in the West End production of Thriller – Live.[65] Reviewer Hannah Kerin praised Trenyce's performance of Jackson's 1987 single "The Way You Make Me Feel", calling it "show-stopping" and writing that it "stood out amidst many fantastic renditions of the hits and less well known material".[66]

In 2017, Trenyce starred in Heart & Soul: Music of Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick & Diana Ross, promoted as part of "the Chris Isaacson Presents lineup of spring cabaret fare".[67] as one of "three sultry starlets".[68] She participated in the show during its stints at the Catalina Bar & Grill in Hollywood and Martinis Above Fourth in San Diego, California.[68][69] The same year, she volunteered in Karamu House, speaking to young girls and participating in its "Saving Our Daughters Cinderellas on Broadway" program;[70] she was named "Celebrity Godparent" for her work.[71]

Trenyce played Diana Ross in a 2017 North American tour of Motown: The Musical.[72] Her performance received positive reviews.[73][74][75] The Times of Northwest Indiana's Eloise Marie Valdez praised her vocals,[73] while Chicago Sun-Times' Hedy Weiss pointed to her ability to connect with the audience as a highlight.[74] In 2022, Trenyce performed the theme song, "Good Time" for Sherri Shepherd's talk show Sherri.[76]

Credits

Theatre and cabaret

Year Show Role Notes
2004 Not A Day Goes By Yancey North American tour
January 10, 2004 – May 6, 2004
— The Vagina Monologues —
2005 Soul Kittens Cabaret —
2006 Mama's Sweet Potato Pie — North American tour
2006 Dreamgirls
Deena Jones
Madame Walker Theatre Center
; Scottish Rite Theater (Indianapolis)
June 22, 2004 – July 2, 2004
2006 V: The Ultimate Variety Show Host
Sahara Hotel and Casino
(Las Vegas)
2006 Late Night Idol Host
Sahara Hotel and Casino
(Las Vegas)
2007 Love in the Nick of Tyme Portia North American tour
2009 Ain't Misbehavin' Trenyce North American tour
2010–13; 2015–17 Thriller – Live Charlaine European tour; London West End (Lyric Theatre)
2010 Ballroom with a Twist Vocals North American tour
2012 The Box Host Theatre variety; London
2015 Taboo Host Cabaret show; City of Dreams (Macau, China)
2017 Heart & Soul: Music of Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick & Diana Ross — Catalina Bar & Grill (Hollywood); Martinis Above Fourth (San Diego)
2017-2018 Motown: The Musical Diana Ross North American tour

Filmography

Year Show Role Notes
2002–2003 American Idol (television) Herself (contestant) Season 2 (finalist)
2005 College Hill (television) Herself Performance
2007 Beauty Shop — Cameo appearance
2008 Friends & Lovers: The Ski Trip 2 Unique
2012 Afterglow Vocals Short film
2013 Kick-Ass 2 Coach Podell

Discography

Cast albums

Title Details
Ain't Misbehavin' (The 30th Anniversary Cast Recording)
Love in the Nick of Tyme
  • Release date: September 7, 2010
  • Label: 260 Degrees Entertainment
  • Formats: CD, digital download

Singles

Year Single Album
2013 "Fever" Non-album single
"In the End ( Alright)"
"Where Do They Go?"

Other songs

title Year Other artist(s) Album
"Truth Hall" 2009 None Truth Hall
"Brazil You're Ready (Synethetic)" 2014 Guy Scheiman Brazil You're Ready (Synethetic) [feat. Trenyce] [Part 1]
"This Time" 2016 Guy Scheiman "This Time (feat. Trenyce) - Single"

References

Notes

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  2. ^ a b c d e "Trenyce". Memphis Downtowner. 2015. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "Trenyce". BuddyTV. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d "American Idol's Trenyce Celebrates Chicago Pride". ChicagoPride.com. June 21, 2004. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  5. ^ ""American Idol" Finalist's Sticky Fingers". The Smoking Gun. March 27, 2003. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  6. CBS Interactive Inc. Archived from the original
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  7. ^ Myers, Smith, Josephson & Myers (2011): p. 37
  8. ^ Sewel, Rhonda B. (February 28, 2003). "Coleman fails in bid to be 'Idol' wild card". The Blade. Block Communications. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016.
  9. Time Inc. Archived from the original
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  10. ^ Cantiello, Jim (February 19, 2008). "American Idol Video Timeline: Six Seasons of High Notes and Hot Messes". MTV News. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  11. ^
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  12. ^ Smith (2013), p. 115; and Powers (2005), pp. 154–155
  13. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original
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  14. Gannett Company
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  15. ^ Jagodzinski (2005): pp. 163–164
  16. ^ Zwecker, Bill (November 12, 2003). "Slater's wife charged with un-Christianlike act". Chicago Sun-Times. Sun-Times Media Group.
  17. ^ "Top 100 'American Idol' Live Performances of All Time". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016.
  18. Vulture.com. Archived from the original
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  19. ^ a b Phares, Heather (April 15, 2003). "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  20. ^ Harris, Semper Azeez. "Trenyce Set to Thrill". Lime Music. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016.
  21. ^ "American Idol : God bless the U.S.A". CLEVNET Library Consortium. Archived from the original on October 21, 2016.
  22. ^ Givhan, Robin (May 9, 2003). "If Looks Can't Thrill; Finalists' Voices Alone Are No Ticket to Stardom". The Washington Post. WP Company LLC.
  23. ^ Berger, Arion (July 30, 2003). "Orchestrated 'Idols' With Real Live Fans". The Washington Post. WP Company LLC.
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  29. ^ "Award-Winning Actor & Grammy-Nominated Singer of 90's R&B Group Brownstone honored in Atlanta". WXIA-TV. October 11, 2011. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016.
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  33. tronc. May 26, 2005. Archived from the original
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  35. ^ a b c Myers, Smith, Josephson & Myers (2011): p. 176
  36. ^ "'Dreamgirls' a hit". NUVO. Kevin McKinney. June 28, 2006. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016.
  37. Gannett Company. Archived
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  38. ^ "More Than Just A Pretty Face". 4realmagazine.com. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016.
  39. ^ "Morris Chestnut Makes His Stage Debut in David E. Talbert's 'Love in The Nick of Tyme'". Jet. Ebony Media Corporation. April 9, 2007. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017.
  40. ^ Gans, Andrew (January 16, 2007). "New Musical Love in the Nick of Tyme Opens Beacon Run Jan. 16". Playbill. TotalTheater. Archived from the original on November 20, 2016.
  41. ^ "David E. Talbert's Love in the Nick of Tyme". Amazon. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016.
  42. ^ "Love in the Nick of Tyme (feat. Morris Chestnut, Avant, Trenyce Cobbins, Ellia English, Terry Dexter & Andrea Pitre)". iTunes. September 7, 2010. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016.
  43. ^ "BET Movie". Radio Times. Immediate Media Company. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016.
  44. ^ Jamal, Maurice (Director) (July 13, 2008). Friends & Lovers: The Ski Trip 2 (Motion picture). Los Angeles, California: Earl Minfield OmniMedia.
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  47. Gannett Company. Archived from the original
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  48. ^ Rearick, Kristie (January 15, 2010). "Ballroom Blast: 'Dancing with the Stars' pros show off their moves on stage at DuPont Theatre". NJ.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016.
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  50. ^ a b Bronson, Fred (September 16, 2011). "'American Idol' Season 2 Alum Trenyce Thrills in West End Michael Jackson Tribute". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
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  56. ^ Bronson, Fred (August 17, 2013). "'American Idol' Alum Trenyce Makes Movie Debut in 'Kick-Ass 2'". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016.
  57. ^ "Fever". iTunes. December 2, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
  58. ^ "In the End ( Alright)". iTunes. December 2, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
  59. ^ "Where Do They Go?". iTunes. December 9, 2013. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
  60. ^ "Brazil You're Ready (Synthetic) [feat. Trenyce] [Part 1]". iTunes. November 14, 2014. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
  61. ^ "Brazil You're Ready (Synthetic), Pt. 2 [feat. Trenyce]". iTunes. January 16, 2015. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
  62. ^ "Trenyce Talks Taboo". Macau.com. Archived from the original on October 23, 2015.
  63. ^ "The Taboo Everybody's Talking About". Macau Daily Times. January 15, 2015. Archived from the original on October 23, 2016.
  64. ^ "This Time (feat. Trenyce)". iTunes. January 16, 2015. Archived from the original on December 15, 2016.
  65. ^ Vale, Paul (October 9, 2015). "Thriller Live review at the Lyric Theatre, London – 'constantly upping its game'". The Stage. The Stage Media Company Limited. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017.; "Cast & Creative". Theatre.com. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017.; and "Thriller Live Moonwalks past 3,000 performances in the West End". Westendwilma.com. March 17, 2016. Archived from the original on August 11, 2017.
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  68. ^ a b "Shoshana Bean, Niki Haris, Donna McKechnie and More Set for Spring with Chris Isaacson Presents". BroadwayWorld.com. April 4, 2017. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017.
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  70. ^ "American Idol season 2 Finalist, Trenyce Cobbins, inspires Cinderellas at the Karamu House in Cleveland, Ohio". Savingourdaughters.org. April 1, 2017. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017.
  71. ^ "Trenyce Cobbins to inspire her Cinderellas of Cleveland". Call and Post. Garrett Morgan. March 21, 2017. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017.
  72. ^ "Kenneth Mosley, Trenyce, Matt Manuel and Justin Reynolds to Lead Motown the Musical National Tour; Cast Complete!". BroadwayWorld.com. September 5, 2017. Archived from the original on September 23, 2017.
  73. ^ a b Valdez, Eloise Marie (October 11, 2017). "'Motown the Musical' soars with label's greatest hits". The Times of Northwest Indiana. Lee Enterprises. Archived from the original on January 25, 2018.
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Sources

External links

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