The Cincinnati Post: NBC has confirmed that Cincinnati’s Nick Lachey will be returning to his hometown to select and direct a 20-member choir that will compete in the network’s “Clash of the Choirs” airing as a holiday special Dec. 17-20.

An open casting call for “Nick’s Choir” will be held 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday at Walnut Hills High School, 3250 Victory Parkway. (Note: The location has changed from last week’s initial announcement that tryouts would be held at the School for Creative and Performing Arts.)

The reality show will follow five musical celebrities who return to their hometowns to form choirs and help “discover, nurture and direct a dynamic group of musically gifted, yet amateur singers.”

The other celebrities in the “choir-off” and their hometowns: R&B singer Patti LaBelle (Philadelphia), pop star Michael Bolton (New Haven, Conn.), country singer Blake Shelton (Oklahoma City) and Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland (Houston).

Lachey, the former 98 Degrees member, who grew up in College Hill and graduated from SCPA, will have just a few weeks to mold a choir that will sing traditional gospel and pop songs along with seasonal favorites to compete with the choirs from the other celebrities’ and cities.

Each night of the four-week series, viewers will vote to eliminate a choir from the competition. The winning choir gets a charitable prize package donated to the celebrity’s hometown cause.

Casting directors say at least the first 300 people will be auditioned at Saturday’s tryout and, perhaps, more. Line numbers will be handed out. Participants should bring an application (available at www.nbc.com) and be prepared to sing one song a cappella. For more information on the open casting call, the public is invited to contact Marc Levine at (818) 235-8407.

An NBC spokeswoman said Lachey will not attend this week’s open casting, but he will be in for a follow-up audition expected to be held here in another week to 10 days. It’s expected that about 40 choir wannabes will be selected from Saturday’s tryout, with 20 members to make the final choir.