1. Lashundra Trenyce Cobbins is an American singer and actress best known as a finalist on the second season of American Idol and for her work in musical theatre.
35 Facts About Trenyce
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In 2004, Trenyce began to focus on theatre, playing roles in the plays Not a Day Goes By, The Vagina Monologues, Soul Kittens Cabaret and Mama's Sweet Potato Pie.
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Trenyce made her film debut in 2008 and became the first American Idol contestant to headline a show in Las Vegas.
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Trenyce originated the role of Portia in David E Talbert's play Love in the Nick of Tyme.
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Trenyce performed in a 2009 North American tour of the musical Ain't Misbehavin'.
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In 2015, Trenyce hosted the Franco Dragone-produced cabaret show Taboo at the casino City of Dreams in Macau, China.
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Lashundra Trenyce Cobbins was born in Memphis, Tennessee on March 31,1980.
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Trenyce has written that her interest in music started after performing a solo in a musical production celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.
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Trenyce grew up in North Memphis, where she attended Central High School and performed in various talent shows and pageants.
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At the age of nineteen, Trenyce was arrested for theft at work.
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Trenyce has denied the theft and claimed that it was a co-worker who stole the items from her workplace.
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Trenyce attended the University of Memphis on a full music scholarship.
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In October 2002, Trenyce auditioned for the second season of the reality television series American Idol.
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Trenyce was eliminated in the top 30 round, but judge Paula Abdul chose her as a "wildcard selection" to become one of the twelve finalists.
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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.
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Producer Nigel Lythgoe clarified that Trenyce informed the producers of her criminal history from the outset.
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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.
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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".
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Trenyce 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" along with the other American Idol Season 2 finalists.
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Trenyce participated in a three-month concert tour with the other season 2 finalists, performing "Proud Mary" and "I Have Nothing".
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The Chicago Defender felt that Trenyce displayed a "theatrical perception as she interprets a character".
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Trenyce played the leading role of Deena Jones in an Indianapolis production of the musical Dreamgirls, which ran from June to July 2006.
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Trenyce's performance received positive reviews, including one from the newspaper NUVO, commenting that Trenyce's "smooth voice creat[ed] a sound for The Dreams that could easily have taken the group to the top of the charts".
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David Lindquist of The Indianapolis Star thought that Trenyce brought "star power" to the production.
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In 2007, Trenyce played Portia in David E Talbert's play Love in the Nick of Tyme.
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Trenyce performed at the Razz Room in San Francisco from July 22 to August 2,2008.
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Trenyce played a role in the 30th anniversary revival tour of the musical Ain't Misbehavin' after a recommendation from Ruben Studdard.
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Trenyce reprised her role when the show played at the Lyric Theatre in London's West End.
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Trenyce starred in the concert for three years, from 2010 until 2013, performing material from different periods in Jackson's career.
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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.
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Trenyce had a minor role in the 2013 superhero, comedy film Kick-Ass 2 as Hit-Girl's cheerleading coach.
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In 2015, Trenyce hosted Taboo, a cabaret show designed by Franco Dragone, in Macau, China.
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In 2016, Trenyce collaborated with DJ Guy Scheiman on his single "This Time".
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Trenyce played Diana Ross in a 2017 North American tour of Motown: The Musical.
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In 2022, Trenyce performed the theme song, "Good Time" for Sherri Shepherd's talk show Sherri.