Lashundra Trenyce Cobbins (; born March 31, 1980) is an American singer and actress best known as a finalist on the
second season of ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
'' and for her work in
musical theatre
Musical theatre is a form of theatre, theatrical performance that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance. The story and emotional content of a musical – humor, pathos, love, anger – are communicated through words, music, ...
. Raised in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
, Trenyce won one of the categories of the
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
ACT-SO
The Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics (ACT-SO), informally named the "Olympics of the Mind," is a youth program of the NAACP that is "designed to recruit, stimulate, improve and encourage high academic and cultural ach ...
as a teenager, and attended the
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff Col ...
on a music scholarship.
In 2004, Trenyce began to focus on theatre, playing roles in the plays ''Not a Day Goes By'', ''
The Vagina Monologues
''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run at the Westside Theatre. The play explores ...
'', ''Soul Kittens Cabaret'' and ''Mama's Sweet Potato Pie''. In 2006, she played the lead role of
Deena Jones in an
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
production of the musical ''
Dreamgirls
''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
''. She made her film debut in 2008 and became the first ''American Idol'' contestant to headline a show in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
. She originated the role of Portia in
David E. Talbert
David E. Talbert (born February 10, 1966) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He is a graduate of Morgan State University and attended the New York University film program.
Talbert has won numerous NAACP awards for his work ''The ...
'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
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
''
Thriller – Live
''Thriller Live'' is a two-and-a-half-hour concert revue celebrating the music of The Jackson 5 and the solo work and life of Michael Jackson. It had already been performed in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia before ope ...
'' 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
Franco Dragone (12 December 1952 – 30 September 2022) was an Italian-born Belgian theatre director. He was the founder and artistic director of Dragone, a creative company specializing in the creation of large-scale theatre shows. According to ...
-produced
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
show ''Taboo'' at the casino
City of Dreams in
Macau
Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
, 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
Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
in a North American tour of ''
Motown: The Musical''.
Early life and education
Lashundra Trenyce Cobbins was born in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and its county seat. Situated along the Mississippi River, it had a population of 633,104 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the List of municipalities in Tenne ...
on March 31, 1980.
Her father, Jesse Cobbins, worked for
St. Joe Company
The St. Joe Company is a land development company headquartered in Panama City Beach, Florida. Founded in 1936 and until 1966 known as St. Joe Paper Company, the company still operates a forestry division but is primarily engaged in real estate ...
, and her mother, Linda Ruth Cobbins, worked at
FedEx
FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
.
She has an older and a younger sister. As a child, she decided to be known by her middle name, feeling that it better suited her ambitions as a performer. Trenyce has written that her interest in music started after performing a solo in a musical production celebrating
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...
She grew up in
North Memphis, where she attended
Central High School and performed in various talent shows and pageants.
In 1996, she won first place in a singing competition at the national
NAACP
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is an American civil rights organization formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. B. Du&nbs ...
Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics in
Atlanta
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
.
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. She has denied the theft and claimed that it was a co-worker who stole the items from her workplace.
Trenyce attended the
University of Memphis
The University of Memphis (Memphis) is a public university, public research university in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, the university has an enrollment of more than 20,000 students.
The university maintains the Herff Col ...
on a full music scholarship.
While in college, she joined the University Singers ensemble choir and its band Sound Fuzion, which toured throughout Tennessee.
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.
Career
2002–03: ''American Idol''
In October 2002, Trenyce auditioned for the
second season of the reality television series ''
American Idol
''American Idol'' is an American Music competition, singing competition television series created by Simon Fuller, produced by Fremantle (company), Fremantle North America and 19 Entertainment, and distributed by Fremantle North America. It a ...
.''
She became one of the 32 semi-finalists. She was eliminated in the top 30 round, but judge
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul (born June 19, 1962) is an American singer, dancer, choreographer, actress, and television personality. She began her career as a cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers at the age of 18 and later became the head choreographe ...
chose her as a "
wildcard selection" to become one of the twelve finalists.
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
Nigel Lythgoe OBE (; born 9 July 1949) is an English television and film director and producer, television dance competition judge, former dancer in the Young Generation and choreographer. He was the producer of the shows ''Pop Idol'' and ''Ame ...
clarified that Trenyce informed the producers of her criminal history from the outset. Trenyce placed fifth during the season finals.
Jim Cantiello of
MTV News
MTV News was the news production division of MTV. The service was available in the US with localized versions on MTV's global network and an online news team. In 2016, MTV refreshed the MTV News brand to compete with the likes of BuzzFeed and ...
connected the disclosure of Trenyce's mug shot and felony theft charges to her elimination from the show by public voting. ''
Entertainment Weekly
''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American online magazine, digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, ...
'' also concluded that the news relating to her criminal record reduced her appeal with voters.
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
Ruben Studdard (born September 12, 1978) is an American singer and actor. He rose to fame as the winner of the second season of ''American Idol'' and received a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for his recordi ...
).
''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".
Tim Cuprisin of ''
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The ''Milwaukee Journal Sentinel'' is a daily morning broadsheet printed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where it is the primary newspaper and also the largest newspaper in the state of Wisconsin, where it is widely read. It was purchased by the G ...
'' criticized Trenyce's use of her mononymous stage name as "a bit too slick even for a slick competition".
Jan Jagodzinski
Jan Jagodzinski (born 1948) is a Canadian scholar and Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts and Media Education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He spells his name in lowercase.
Education and academic career
In 1977, Jagodzinski beca ...
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". Judge
Simon Cowell
Simon Phillip Cowell (; born 7 October 1959) is an English television personality and businessman. He has judged on the British television talent competition shows ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003), ''The X Factor (British TV series), The X Factor UK ...
said that he "never really warmed" to Trenyce, as she "worked very hard at her image – too hard".
In 2016,
''Billboard'' magazine included Trenyce's rendition of "
I Have Nothing
"I Have Nothing" is a song by American singer and actress Whitney Houston, released on February 20, 1993 as the third single from '' The Bodyguard'' (1992) by Arista Records. The song was written by David Foster and Linda Thompson, and produce ...
" in its list of the 100 best ''American Idol'' live performances.
Vulture.com
''Vulture'' is an American entertainment news website. It is the standalone pop culture section of ''New York'' magazine. Its tagline is "Devouring Culture".
History
''Vulture'' debuted in April 2007 as an entertainment blog on nymag.com, the w ...
's
Maura Johnston
Maura K. Johnston (born May 28, 1975) is a writer, editor and music critic. A member of Boston College's journalism faculty, she has written for ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Boston Globe'', ''Pitchfork'', ''The Awl'', ''The New York Times'', ''Spin' ...
criticized Trenyce for being "
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. 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
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
's Heather Phares thought Trenyce was one of the strongest performers of the show, but criticized her cover version for having an "indistinct quality".
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.
Following her elimination, Trenyce made appearances on television shows, including ''
Live with Regis and Kelly
''Live with Kelly and Mark'' (or simply ''Live'') is an American Broadcast syndication, syndicated breakfast television, morning talk show hosted by Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Executive produced by Michael Gelman, the ''Live with...'' show ...
'', ''
Extra
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* Extra (newspaper), ...
'', ''
ET'', ''
Fox and Friends
''Fox & Friends'' is an American daily morning conservative news and talk program that airs on Fox News and reruns on Fox.Thompson, Ethan, and Jason Mittell. "Fox & Friends: Political Talk." ''How to Watch Television.'' 168-76. Print. It premie ...
'', ''
The Early Show
''The Early Show'' is an American morning television show that aired on CBS from November 1, 1999, to January 7, 2012, replacing the original incarnation of '' CBS This Morning'', and the ninth attempt at a morning news-talk program by the n ...
'', ''
The Wayne Brady Show'', ''
Inside Edition
''Inside Edition'' is an American tabloid television program that is distributed in Broadcast syndication, first-run syndication by CBS Media Ventures. Having premiered on January 9, 1989, it is the longest-running syndicated-newsmagazine progr ...
'', ''
Good Day Live
''Good Day L.A.'' is an American morning television news and entertainment program airing on KTTV (channel 11), a Fox owned-and-operated television station in Los Angeles, California, owned by the Fox Television Stations subsidiary of Fox Corpo ...
'', the ''
Today Show
''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'') is an American morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its genre on American television ...
'' and ''
TRL''. She also was featured in various Memphis periodicals, including as one of Memphis' 30 Most Beautiful People in ''Elite Magazine's'' June 2003 issue, and appeared on a cover of "
God Bless the USA
"God Bless the U.S.A." (also known as "Proud to Be an American") is an American patriotic song written and recorded by American country singer Lee Greenwood, and is considered to be his signature song. Released by MCA Nashville on May 21, 1984 ...
" along with the other ''American Idol'' Season 2 finalists.
Trenyce participated in a three-month concert tour with the other season 2 finalists, performing "Proud Mary" and "I Have Nothing".
Robin Givhan
Robin Givhan (born September 11, 1964) is an American fashion editor and Pulitzer Prize winning writer.
Givhan was a fashion editor for ''The Washington Post''. She joined the ''Post'' in 1995, and left in 2010 to become the fashion critic and fa ...
of ''
The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' was critical of Trenyce's performance on the tour, saying that she demonstrated the "earsplitting finesse of a sledgehammer". Arion Berger of the same publication described her as "a female
drag queen
A drag queen is a person, usually male, who uses Drag (entertainment), drag clothing and makeup to imitate and often exaggerate Femininity, female gender signifiers and gender roles for entertainment purposes. Historically, drag queens have ...
with a diva's intimidating presence".
2004–09: Transition to musical theatre

Trenyce's work in theatre has mostly focused on "various entertainment aspects of African-American interest".
In 2004, she made her theatre debut as Yancey in a North American tour of ''Not a Day Goes By'', a play with songs adapted from the
E. Lynn Harris' 2000 novel of the same name. The tour ran from January to May 2004.
''Jet'' magazine wrote that Trenyce "breathes life and voice into Yancey", describing her as one of the show's "rich vocal talents".
''
The Chicago Defender
''The Chicago Defender'' is a Chicago-based online African-American newspaper. It was founded in 1905 by Robert S. Abbott and was once considered the "most important" newspaper of its kind. Abbott's newspaper reported and campaigned against Jim ...
'' felt that Trenyce displayed a "theatrical perception as she interprets a character". She soon performed in the play ''
The Vagina Monologues
''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run at the Westside Theatre. The play explores ...
''.
In 2005, she played in two
Nicci Gillbert stage productions: ''Soul Kittens Cabaret'' and ''Mama's Sweet Potato Pie'',
participating in a North American tour of the latter.
Trenyce's performance as the wife in ''Mama's Sweet Potato Pie'' was praised by ''
Call and Post
Call or Calls may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Games
* Call (poker), a bet matching an opponent's
* Call, in the game of contract bridge
Contract bridge, or simply bridge, is a trick-taking game, trick-taking card game using a s ...
'' Chris Bournea. The same year, she made a cameo appearance in the comedy film ''
Beauty Shop
''Beauty Shop'' is a 2005 American comedy film directed by Bille Woodruff. The film serves as a spin-off of the ''Barbershop'' film series, and stars Queen Latifah as Gina Norris, a character first introduced in the 2004 film '' Barbershop 2: ...
'', and performed on the
BET
Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
reality television series
''College Hill''.
Trenyce played the leading role of
Deena Jones in an
Indianapolis
Indianapolis ( ), colloquially known as Indy, is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Indiana, most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana, Marion ...
production of the musical ''
Dreamgirls
''Dreamgirls'' is a Broadway musical, with music by Henry Krieger and lyrics and book by Tom Eyen. It is based on the show business aspirations and successes of R&B acts such as The Shirelles, James Brown, Jackie Wilson, and others, and p ...
'', which ran from June to July 2006.
[ Myers, Smith, Josephson & Myers (2011): p. 176] Her performance received positive reviews, including one from the newspaper
''NUVO'', commenting that Trenyce's "smooth voice creat
da sound for The Dreams that could easily have taken the group to the top of the charts". David Lindquist of ''
The Indianapolis Star
}
''The Indianapolis Star'' (also known as ''IndyStar'') is a morning daily newspaper that began publishing on June 6, 1903, in Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. It has been the only major daily paper in the city since 1999, whe ...
'' thought that Trenyce brought "star power" to the production. In the same year, she became the first ''American Idol'' contestant to headline a show in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Nevada, with ''V: The Ultimate Variety Show'' and ''Late Night Idol'' at the
Sahara Hotel and Casino
The Sahara (, ) is a desert spanning across North Africa. With an area of , it is the largest hot desert in the world and the third-largest desert overall, smaller only than the deserts of Antarctica and the northern Arctic.
The name "Sahara" ...
.
She hosted it for nine months.
In 2007, Trenyce played Portia in
David E. Talbert
David E. Talbert (born February 10, 1966) is an American playwright, author, and filmmaker. He is a graduate of Morgan State University and attended the New York University film program.
Talbert has won numerous NAACP awards for his work ''The ...
's play ''Love in the Nick of Tyme''.
It toured in North America to seventeen cities, starting in the
Beacon Theatre in New York in January. In 2010, a film of the play was released on DVD, and its soundtrack was released separately. The film was also broadcast on Black Entertainment Television (
BET
Black Entertainment Television (BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting Black American audiences. It is the flagship channel of the BET Media Group, a subsidiary of Paramount Global's CBS Entertainment Group. Originally launched ...
). Trenyce performed at the Razz Room in
San Francisco
San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...
from July 22 to August 2, 2008.
The same year, she made her film debut as Unique in the
LGBT
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
independent romantic comedy movie ''Friends & Lovers: The Ski Trip 2''. A year later, she contributed the title track to the soundtrack for the film ''Truth Hall''. Trenyce played a role in the 30th anniversary revival tour of the musical ''
Ain't Misbehavin''' after a recommendation from Ruben Studdard.
As traditionally done with the show, the performers used their own names for their characters. The cast album received a nomination for the
Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album
The Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album has been awarded since 1959. The award is generally given to the album's producers, principal vocalist(s), and the composer and lyricist if they have written a new score which comprises 51% or more ...
at the
52nd Annual Grammy Awards
The 52nd Annual Grammy Awards took place on January 31, 2010, at Staples Center in Los Angeles honoring the best in music for the recording year beginning October 1, 2008 through September 30, 2009. Neil Young was honored as the 2010 MusiCares P ...
.
2010–14: ''Thriller – Live'' and work in London

In 2010, Trenyce sang during the interludes and dance performances for
Louis Van Amstel
Louis van Amstel (born June 23, 1972, in Amsterdam) is a Dutch ballroom dance champion, professional dancer, and choreographer who appears on the American reality television series ''Dancing with the Stars''.
Early life
Louis van Amstel was bor ...
"s ''Ballroom with a Twist''. 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.
Later in 2010, Trenyce joined the
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...
tribute concert
revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatre, theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance, and sketch comedy, sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural pre ...
''
Thriller – Live
''Thriller Live'' is a two-and-a-half-hour concert revue celebrating the music of The Jackson 5 and the solo work and life of Michael Jackson. It had already been performed in the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands and Scandinavia before ope ...
'' 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.
She starred in the concert for three years, from 2010 until 2013,
performing material from different periods in Jackson's career. In an interview with ''
The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'', Trenyce said that the audience was initially hesitant to hear a woman interpret Jackson's music.
''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
Cleopatra Madonna "Cleo" Higgins is a British R&B/soul/pop singer, dancer and songwriter based in Manchester, England. Higgins is the lead singer of the eponymously named sister girl group, Cleopatra.
Music career
Early career
In 2000, Higg ...
.
While in London, Trenyce also hosted the
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a comp� ...
''The Box''. In 2012, she provided the vocals for Baff Akoto's short film ''Afterglow'' about a group of friends who navigate
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
culture in London. She had a minor role in the 2013
superhero
A superhero or superheroine is a fictional character who typically possesses ''superpowers'' or abilities beyond those of ordinary people, is frequently costumed concealing their identity, and fits the role of the hero, typically using their ...
,
comedy film
The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...
''Kick-Ass 2'' as
Hit-Girl
Hit-Girl (Mindy McCready) is an antihero appearing in the Millarworld shared fictional universe, published by Marvel Comics under the company's imprint Icon Comics and later Image Comics, one of the titular characters of the ''Hit-Girl & Kick ...
's cheerleading coach. In December 2013, she released three songs: "Fever", "In the End (Alright)" and "Where Do They Go?" on iTunes. The following year, she worked with producer DJ Guy Scheiman on his single "Brazil You're Ready (Synethetic)", with remixes released in 2015.
2015–present: Macau and other work
In 2015, Trenyce hosted ''Taboo'', a
cabaret
Cabaret is a form of theatrical entertainment featuring music song, dance, recitation, or drama. The performance venue might be a pub, casino, hotel, restaurant, or nightclub with a stage for performances. The audience, often dining or drinking, ...
show designed by
Franco Dragone
Franco Dragone (12 December 1952 – 30 September 2022) was an Italian-born Belgian theatre director. He was the founder and artistic director of Dragone, a creative company specializing in the creation of large-scale theatre shows. According to ...
, in
Macau
Macau or Macao is a special administrative regions of China, special administrative region of the People's Republic of China (PRC). With a population of about people and a land area of , it is the most List of countries and dependencies by p ...
, 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
Macau.com is a destination marketing and travel company based in Macau, China that focuses on information and trip planning tools for visitors coming to Macau. The company markets accommodation, shows, restaurants, entertainment and attractions ...
praised Trenyce's stage presence and "the power of her voice and stature". In 2016, Trenyce collaborated with DJ Guy Scheiman on his single "This Time". From 2015 to 2017, Trenyce reprised her role in the West End production of ''Thriller – Live''. Reviewer Hannah Kerin praised Trenyce's performance of Jackson's 1987 single "
The Way You Make Me Feel
"The Way You Make Me Feel" is a song by the American singer Michael Jackson. It was released by Epic Records on November 9, 1987, as the third single from his seventh studio album, '' Bad''. It was written and composed by Jackson and produced ...
", calling it "show-stopping" and writing that it "stood out amidst many fantastic renditions of the hits and less well known material".
In 2017, Trenyce starred in ''Heart & Soul: Music of Whitney Houston,
Dionne Warwick
Marie Dionne Warwick ( ; born Marie Dionne Warrick; December 12, 1940) is an American singer, actress, and television host. During her career, Warwick has won many awards, including six Grammy Awards. She has been inducted into the Hollywood Wa ...
&
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
'', promoted as part of "the Chris Isaacson Presents lineup of spring cabaret fare". as one of "three sultry starlets".
She participated in the show during its stints at the
Catalina Bar & Grill in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
and Martinis Above Fourth in
San Diego
San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...
, California.
The same year, she volunteered in
Karamu House
Karamu House in the Fairfax neighborhood on the east side of Cleveland, Ohio, United States, is the oldest producing Black Theatre in the United States opening in 1915. Many of Langston Hughes's plays were developed and premiered at the theate ...
, speaking to young girls and participating in its "Saving Our Daughters Cinderellas on Broadway" program; she was named "Celebrity Godparent" for her work.
Trenyce played
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...
in a 2017 North American tour of ''
Motown: The Musical.''
Her performance received positive reviews.
''
The Times of Northwest Indiana
''The Times of Northwest Indiana'' (NWI) is a daily newspaper headquartered in Munster, Indiana. It is the second-largest newspaper in Indiana, behind only ''The Indianapolis Star''.
History
The paper was founded on June 18, 1906, as ''The Lake ...
''
's Eloise Marie Valdez praised her vocals,
while ''
Chicago Sun-Times
The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...
Hedy Weiss pointed to her ability to connect with the audience as a highlight.
In 2022, Trenyce performed the theme song, "Good Time" for
Sherri Shepherd
Sherri Evonne Shepherd (born April 22, 1967) is an American actress, comedian, author, podcaster, television presenter and talk show host. She currently hosts the daily syndicated daytime talk show, '' Sherri''. From 2007 to 2014, Shepherd was ...
's talk show ''
Sherri Sherri may refer to:
*Sherri (name)
* ''Sherri'' (2009 TV series), an American sitcom starring Sherri Shepherd
* ''Sherri'' (talk show), a syndicated daytime show hosted by Sherri Shepherd that premiered in 2022
See also
* Shari (disambiguation)
* ...
.''
Credits
Theatre and cabaret
Filmography
Discography
Cast albums
Singles
Other songs
References
Notes
Sources
*
*
*
*
External links
*
*
Official Twitter accountOfficial YouTube channel
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trenyce
1980 births
American expatriates in the United Kingdom
American stage actresses
21st-century American actresses
American Idol participants
American cabaret performers
Living people
Singers from Memphis, Tennessee
21st-century African-American women singers
21st-century American women singers