Minda Larsen eeked out a MetroStar win last night, finishing on top of a strong and tightly matched Top Five line-up in a spellbinding contest finale at the Metropolitan Room. To win the 8th annual MetroStar Talent Challenge Larsen captivated the judges with her confessional and inspirational story of having competed in the contest three other times (unsuccessfully) and dramatically changing her attitude about her work this time around. The attitude adjustment succeeded as Larsen soared in the finale, beating out the delightful everyman Thomas Dieter (1st runner-up) and gloriously-voiced Josephine Sanges (2nd runner up). The two other Top 5 finalists were Lisa Remick and April Leonhard.
When she was interviewed on stage by veteran broadcaster Bill Boggs in front of a rapt audience, Larsen explained that her catchword for the contest, "joy," required her to "let go of judgement and not to worry about the results, and have fun." The benefits of this approach were tangible. With all five finalists basking in the glow of appreciation from the audience, Barry Kleinbort, the contest's mentor, who had worked with the singers throughout the contest, spoke off-stage, explaining why Larsen rose to the top: "She did everything the judges and I asked her to do. She was completely open and made incredible progress." The 7-week competition, that challenges singers to raise their standards and push themselves artistically, got underway on July 6. "Ramblin'" Tom Gamblin, who was the contest's courteous and sometimes acerbic host for the fifth time, kept the proceedings moving crisply and good-naturedly; MetroStar's resident music director, the prodigiously talented Tracy Stark once again managed multiple styles and personalities with seemingly effortless charm.Videos