I have been watching America’s Got Talent in the beginning of May 2014 when it started. The contestants have to audition in front of a live studio audience and with the judges. If the judges and the studio audiences like the acts, they will go on to the callbacks or boot camp.
The First category was magic, Magic. Mike Super and Desmond, the invisible assistant, and spirit energy partner performed first. They had a volunteer which was Howie Mandel he performed with two blank chalkboards. How did he know that Howie was thinking of Steve? How did he get the sum of 23 by using the number of the zodiac, that Nick Cannon provided. Even Howie was shocked and amazed by his performances. Supernatural magic is part of an illusion.
Mat Franco, performed card tricks with Mel B and had a picture of Howie Mandel to reveal her card, that was great.
The judges were impressed by the card tricks but the tricks were small. Psycho Jack was eliminated because his act of splitting woman was slow and had difficulty getting the blades inside the box. Magic supposed to be quick and big presentation. The only revealing magic was his mask when reveal himself when we walk away and disappeared.
Next was dancing, tap dancers Sean and Luke who appropriately danced to “New York, New York.” While John and Andrew did a flawless salsa dance and were asked to be performed for the live show at Radio City Music Hall.
After that was the kid singers, “Wow, I thought this was going to be easy,” said judge Heidi Klum at the beginning of the kid singers category, she had done this before. Anyway, Jersey girl Mara Justine provided the judges with the easiest decision of the night. After the 11-year-old from Galloway belted out Whitney Houston’s “I have nothing,” the judges brought her back on stage immediately and unanimously sent her through, she’s my favorite. Grace Ann Gregorio, an 11-year-old opera singer, the energetic 12-year-old Quintavious Johnson and 15-year-old Julia Goodwin, who was accompanied by her father on piano, all gave fantastic performances and difficult decision for the judges to decide.
In the comedy, it’s difficult to perform in front of 4 judges when you had millions of people. Darik Santos, a 26-year-old security guard, was nervous when he performed his comedy. He was a little nervous but he was funny.
It was painful to see Jersey guy Joe Matarese struggle. Matarese, a veteran stand-up comedian, was hilarious in his original audition but struggled with his set this time around and got absolutely no laughs from the judges. It look like he wanted out and go back to stand up and work the clubs.
In the Variety, first up was 93-year-old Mighty Atom Jr. who pulls heavy objects with his teeth. This time around, he successfully pulled a truck with the judges and his brother inside across the stage using his teeth. Eventually the EMTs gave him a checkup, after he was done and guess what he’s still alive and he has a good dental insurance.
JD Anderson, 26, ripped up phone books and bent two frying pans with his hands. For his act’s finale, he ran through 15 feet of ice headfirst and he was bleeding in the back of his head. He could have used an ice pack to stop the bleeding.
Juan Carlos, a rollerblade dancer who for reasons unknown to me actually made it this far in the competition. Other acts in this category were yo-yo performer John Narum and Wild West performer Loop Rawlins.
In the Female singers, this category featured several solid performances but I’m partial to Jersey girl Kelli Glover who belted out “Warrior” by Demi Lovato. The 31-year-old waitress made it to Judgment Week last year before being cut so let’s hope she fares better this time around.
Emily West and 20-year-old Carly Jo Jackson who sang Goyte’s “Somebody I Used to Know.” Rounding out the group was Anna Clendening, my favorite, who had a nervous breakdown and fled the stage before pulling herself together enough to give a brilliant performance of “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons.