Maurice Allard Offers Youthful Chorus

On Sunday, watchers of the musical where-are-they-now file will be able to catch up with the latest doings from Maurice Allard, who has been little-seen since he resigned as music director of the Master Chorale of Orange County in 1987.

Since leaving that post, Allard said, he has been busy building up his Allard Academy, a vocal and dramatic arts training school in Costa Mesa. He now has “more than 100 students, whose ages range from 6 to 16 and up,” several of whom will perform musical theater selections Sunday at Tibbie’s, a facility in Newport Beach rented for the occasion.

In addition, now that Allard is no longer serving up “Glorias” and “Hallelujahs” with the chorale, he’s been singing the praises of the Discover credit card in TV commercials as part of a modest acting career he is pursuing. He added that he may reactivate his own singing career soon.

He stressed that he has “no regrets, none” about leaving the Master Chorale, and said he was delighted with the chorale’s “Your Ticket to Broadway” program conducted by his successor, William Hall, on Saturday at the Orange County Performing Arts Center.

“One of my students, Adrienne Stiefel, 11, sang on the program,” he said. Stiefel, who sang in selections from Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “The King and I,” will be among the students on stage at Tibbie’s on Sunday.

Does Allard miss the bright lights of the Center?

“No, not a bit,” he said. “I’m quite happy with my new career.”

Students of the Allard Academy will sing Sunday at Tibbie’s, 4646 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. Students, 6 to 14, will appear at 3 p.m. Students 15 and over will appear at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Information: (714) 756-0611.