Who Won Clash Of The Choirs

'Glorious!' play lives up to its title

Last year, serious themes gripped Malibu Stage Company within a powerful production of “A Soldier's Play,” and even the comedy “The Wild Party,” which also commented on strained race relations and other heavy matters. “Glorious!,” playing at the Malibu Stage Company through July 24, rivals the high caliber of the previous productions, albeit wrapped in the form of a light, sweet, boardwalk confection. Three years after she directed this Peter Quilter comedy (with almost the exact same cast) at MSC, Diane Carroll returns with a new and improved “Glorious!,” as several opening-night accounts claimed that this revival is even stronger than the original version. The reception it received on opening night last Friday supported such assertions, as “Glorious!” packed the house with a sold-out crowd and closed quite triumphantly to a standing ovation. Rich with zingers and braced by a straight-forward story not burdened by the contrived, twisting machinations of many a farce, “Glorious!,” set in Manhattan circa 1944, tells the “true story” of Florence Foster Jenkins (Nathalie Blossom), perhaps the opera world's worst singer. The independently wealthy Jenkins operates within a delusional bubble where her boyfriend St. Clair (Peter Elbling) and best friend Dorothy (Nancy Little) all feed into Florence's unfounded notions of grandeur, despite the fact that she couldn't carry a note if it were glued to the bottom of her handbag. Outside of her small choir of friends who have convinced themselves that this singer is a dynamo, Florence is so thin-skinned and allergic to criticism and hecklers, she literally interviews the attendees of her recitals before allowing them to hear her sing (“It's the only way to root out the enemy,” Florence says). The play's narrative begins as Florence hires a pianist, the mild-mannered, dinner club-destined Cosme McMoon (Beverly Craviero), to replace the many ivory-ticklers who have abandoned her due to Florence's flagrant lack of talent. Cosme is the only one in the room not drinking the Kool-Aid, and he intends to bolt from Florence's fold until she makes him an offer he can't refuse and triples the pay of his current employer. Reluctantly, Cosme joins the Jenkins Admiration Club, even though it's killing him on the inside.

Nick Lachey is Clash of the Choirs Winner (Photos and Video ...

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Team Lachey beat out Patti Labelle’s hometown choir from Philadelphia, Blake Shelton’s Oklahoma City choir took third place. Other choirs included Michael Bolton’s New Haven, Connecticut choir and Kelly Rowland’s Houston choir. They didn’t go home empty handed, though. GE donated $50,000 to each of their charities, which was a nice surprise to each of them.

Nick Lachey plucked 20 singers from his hometown of Cincinnati from the over 350 people who auditioned for the show a little over six weeks ago. They come from all walks of life – a nurse, college students and choir directors, just to name a few. They came together this week to perform live in New York City for four shows, and viewers at home could vote for their favorite choir online or by phone.

Cincinnati Magazine

Last December, her former student Nick Lachey won NBC's Clash of the Choirs with a chorus that included four SCPA grads. Then in March, the week after ...

Cincinnati Magazine

Cincinnati native Nick Lachey recruited a choir of 20 Cincinnatians for NBC's Clash of the Choirs. Before their debut, Lachey proved prophetic, commenting, ...

The Musical herald

Conductors of men's choirs complain that when their engagements clash with mixed choirs, it is the men's choir which is "left : " the ...

The Hollywood reporter

'Clash of the Choirs' airdate 8-10 pm Monday, Dec. 17 NBC the bottom line Didn't one of the networks try this in like. 1955? If so. it probably worked ...

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