Category: america’s got talent

The Fab Five, Voices of Glory, The Texas Tenors, Paradizo Dance, and Tony Hoard and Rockin Rory joined the semifinals in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 16. Tonight 12 more acts will perform.

The acts who will perform are:

FootworKINGz
G-Force
Lawrence Beaman
Hairo Torres
Mario & Jenny
Bri
Dave Johnson
Pixie Mystere
Jeffrey Ou
Marcus Terrell & The Serenades

Additionally, the two wild cards are:
Jay Mattioli
U4RIA

The FootworKINGz are up first, the fastest dancers Hoff’s ever seen. Not particularly inventive, but they’re fast. Piers can’t decide whether they’re one of the best dance acts, or if they’re the best dance act. So much better than he remembers. Sharon loved the whole thing. Hoff the charts.

Marcus Terrell got through after deciding to drop his Serenades. Rather than just performing by himself, he insisted on getting a new group of girls, including one who just joined his group two days before they started rehearsing. Sharon thinks Marcus is fabulous, and she likes one of his background singers. Piers thought it was brilliant to watch.

Piers wanted to see more dancing out of Pixie Mystere. Considering their presumably single digit ages, they’re showing themselves to be quite talented gymnasts, perhaps not so much dancers. Hoff is impressed. Piers had fun watching them and is happy they took his advice. Sharon enjoyed watching all of them, not just one or two like many dance groups.

Jay Mattioli is a magician and the first wild card act of the evening. His first trick is to make two girls appear out of thin air. That’s a potentially useful trick. Then he does a scarf trick and changes into an American flag. Piers buzzes. He gets the dog to appear just in time to end the act and prevent Hoff from joining the other two in buzzing. Piers has seen all that stuff millions of times. Despite how much she loves dogs, Sharon felt this was just typical old time magic. David doesn’t know if it’s big enough to make it.

Bri (just Bri) is a high school singer. She sings and plays piano to Poker Face by Lady Gaga. I’m left thinking: enunciate. Sharon thought it was fabulous. Hoff was afraid of the dancers but thought it was a great job. Piers is excited, a rarity for him at his age.

U4RIA was eliminated after their dance off. They are the second wild card group of the night. Their dance takes place in a psych ward. They certainly get points for originality. Hoff loved it. Piers is afraid, in a very good way. He’s pleased to see them again. Unlike the other wild cards, they’ve taken the act forward. Sharon doesn’t know whether they’re good enough, even if they’re fun.

Dave Johnson is the guy who sang the David Hasselhoff song. Seriously, why is he still around? Even he’s shocked by it. He sings a song about the Golden Girls. Piers buzzes. Sharon buzzes. Hoff finally buzzes. He shouldn’t have come back. Piers didn’t get it. It just wasn’t funny. Sharon found it funny(ish).

Hairo Torres is a dancer who’s just made stuff up in his house, with the goal of doing things that other people just can’t. His role tonight is that of a nerd who learns to get down. Sharon’s not convinced he can get through. Hoff thought it was weird… but great. Piers wants him to really think about the choreography and how he can expand the act.

G-Force are three sisters under the age of 13. Their goal is to be the girl version of the Jonas Brothers. They’re singing, uh, well, it’s a song. The rocking is drowning out the words. Piers buzzes. Good drummer ( age 8 ) but not much else. Hoff thought they were a little off on the vocals but still have a major career ahead of them. Piers liked the instrument playing, but something needs to be done about the singing.

Jeffrey Ou has been playing piano since age 6. Probably not an act or personality that can win over America past another round or so, but there’s no denying his talent. The girls dancing on stage with him after the mellow playing were certainly an unexpected twist, but that upbeat part also completely drowned out his playing. Hoff tells him he doesn’t need the dancing girls. According to Nick, one of the ladies kicked the cable, which resulted in nobody being able to hear the piano. Minus that, it’s going to be very difficult for him to get voted through.

Mario & Jenny embrace danger. They’re just hoping not to burn the building down when they light everything on fire and he begins juggling flaming guitars. Then he tosses a big flaming box around. Sharon believes they belong in Vegas. Hoff tells them to keep going because they could win. Piers felt that was as near to a pure Vegas act as has been on the show tonight.

Singer Lawrence Beaman is the final act of the night. He sings You Are So Beautiful by Joe Cocker. Sharon calls his voice smooth like velvet. Hoff feels real sorry for everybody else in the competition. Piers considers that the top act of the night. This is the new Barry White.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 18, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

12 more acts performed in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 15, and tonight five more will join the top 20.

The Fab Five and the Beale Street Flippers are up first. I could see this going either way but would expect the moms to advance, and they do, as the Fab Five go through.

Voices of Glory, Carol Loo, and Eleisha Miller are next. No need to even wait for the answer. Voices of Glory are advancing.

The Texas Tenors and Pete Peterkin step forward next. Before last night, I would have gone with Pete, but his act last night failed to impress. The Texas Tenors advance.

SQ Entertainment, Alizma, and Paradizo Dance are next. We know Alizma’s gone, regardless of how hot and blonde they may be. SQ Entertainment was good, but the wild cards really don’t have much of a shot. Paradizo Dance moves to the semifinals.

Tony Hoard and Rory and Charles DeWayne (who appears to have dropped his last name) came in fifth and sixth. The judges will decide which of them will be the final act to join the top 20. Sharon needs some more time to make a decision. David votes for Rockin Rory. Piers votes for Charles DeWayne in order to avoid the biggest scandal in the history of the show. That may have forced Sharon’s hand, as she votes for Tony and Rory.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 17, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Acrodunk, Drew Thomas Magic, Kevin Skinner, Grandma Lee, and Arcadian Broad advanced in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 14, and tonight 12 more acts will have their shot.

Piers has a warning. He’s planning on buzzing more tonight.

The Fab Five is a sister tap dancing act. They’ve been holding cyber rehearsals, not bothering to practice together live very much. You’ve got a 1 in 40 chance at winning $1 million. Hire some babysitters and make a trip. Nonetheless, this act works. They dress as firefighters complete with poles and flames. Piers calls them fabulous.

Singer Charles DeWayne Dorsey, Jr. was influenced mostly by old school acts like Stevie Wonder. He sings and plays piano to Just the Two of Us by Bill Withers. Not sure this is the best song to show off his talent. Sharon would have loved to hear that song for a romantic dinner with her old man, but it wasn’t quite right for this show. Hoff agrees but like Sharon believes he will be returning. Piers is even more convinced now that Charles could be a major star.

Carol Loo is, well, why’s she here? She intends to throw together some more random steps and call it dancing. Seriously, what the hell is this? Piers buzzes when she starts disrobing and dancing to Push It. Hofftastic. As for Piers, he will desperately search for some positives. Doing this at her age of 63 is amazing, but that’s not a million dollar act.

Tony Hoard and his best bud Rockin Rory are up next. He’s already been to the dog spa since coming to Hollywood, surprised to find out that there are spas for dogs. They return to do their canine frisbee act with a lifeguard theme to get Hoff to try to remember his glory days. Piers buzzes. He doesn’t blame Rory. The throwing was terrible. Sharon thought the dancers were a distraction, but she will not say a bad word about Rory.

Eleisha Miller is another act that should not have gotten through, no matter how strong her personality is. Despite how talented she is for her age, there are stronger child acts. She sings and dances to some song. Piers buzzes. Sharon liked the dancing, but not so much the vocals. Hoff only comments on her energy and charisma. Piers wants her to fire her vocal teacher and perhaps dump singing altogether.

Paradizo Dance is the husband and wife group where she somehow lifts him. Tonight he shows off his strength, and she’s just plain fearless the way he throws her around. And they’ve shed the purple. Hasselhoff wishes he could vote because he’d vote for them. They’re raw talent that could sustain a show in Vegas. Piers didn’t buzz for a change after having buzzed the dog and the little girl. He thought that was incredible.

The Texas Tenors are the group that got together on a whim because it’s not like they have anything else to do. They sing Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA, a smart song choice. That was one of the cheesiest things Piers has ever seen, but he thought it was vocally stunning. Sharon’s mostly stuck looking at the hot blonde guy. Hoff warns them that, while that song could get them some votes, it’s not enough to get to the finals.

SQ Entertainment is a wild card act. They’re dancers who plan to add a lot of stunts for this performance. Talented group, but lack of previous screen time may hamper them. Sharon was entertained. Hoff thought the dancing was great but just couldn’t figure out the story. Piers didn’t think they should have come back, but he was wrong. They commanded the stage and were massively better than their audition.

Pete Peterkin is an impersonator, and for his audition he did President Obama and James Brown. Obama is returning tonight, and since Jamie Foxx impersonates Obama, he will return the favor, doing an impression of Obama doing Jamie Foxx doing Ray Charles. Hoff thought it was a good job. Piers felt the Obama material was dreadful. The Ray Charles was good, but he wasn’t sure what he was watching. Piers doesn’t look happy that Pete’s talking back, however jokingly he may be trying to make it.

Alizma, the blonde triplets who would be much more tolerable if they’d keep their mouths shut, sing A Natural Woman. Take Piers’ advice. This singing is not working for you. Sharon buzzes them. The boys can tolerate this and just tune out the horrible singing. Then one of them hits that high note, and that results in two more buzzers. Piers is now deaf. Sharon doesn’t like that they look like strippers. Hoff tells them to lay off the acid, which they take as a compliment.

The Beale Street Flippers are the second wild card act. With about two seconds left in the act, Piers buzzes. He just got a bit bored with that. Not varied enough to make it that interesting after the first 25 flips.

The final act for the night is The Voices of Glory, who have both the story and the talent that I’m assuming that they’re going to advance. Unlike last time, their song choice won’t win them any votes, as nobody will remember it for long. However, their voices still shine. Hoff thanks them for being on the show. Piers felt it was a bit shaky in parts, but they have a star in their midst, the little sister. Sharon agrees tonight was Nadia’s night.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 16, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

10 acts (plus 2 wild cards) performed last night on America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 13, and tonight five of them will advance to the top 20.

Acrodunk and Breaksk8 step forward first. Acrodunk will be advancing to the next round. Oh, and they made that last dunk.

Lake Houston Dance, Drew Thomas Magic, and Manuela Horn are next. It’s safe to assume that it’s Drew Thomas Magic who is safe. Lake Houston Dance has been eliminated. Unsurprisingly, Drew Thomas Magic advances, as Manuela is also eliminated.

Kevin Skinner and Mosaic step forward. Another no brainer. Mosaic was good, but Kevin Skinner obviously has a large following, allowing him to advance to the semifinals.

The Platt Brothers, Diva League, and Grandma Lee are next. Go ahead and kick Diva League off right away because we know they aren’t going through. The Platt Brothers have been eliminated, which automatically means that Grandma Lee is advancing.

The final spot is between Arcadian Broad and Thia Megia, both of whom deserve to go through. They came in fifth and sixth. The judges must decide who stays and who goes. Thia got better, but Arcadian’s piano playing was confusing, so Piers votes for Thia. Sharon votes for Arcadian. Hoff votes Arcadian through due to his talent and diversity.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 15, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Now that the audition rounds are over, we found out who the top 40 this year are in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 12.

Tonight ten of the top 40 acts perform, but first comes the call from Simon Cowell. He’s asking them to reconsider some people. Eight acts have been giving a second chance.

Tonight’s two wild card acts are:
The Diva League
Lake Houston Dance

Also performing are:
Thia Megia
The Platt Brothers
Arcadian Broad
Acrodunk
Grandma Lee
Mosaic
Breaksk8
Drew Thomas Magic
Manuela Horn
Kevin Skinner

Breaksk8 won their dance off to get to Hollywood. Hoff says they need to have a story to win America. They don’t have a story. They have brought some chicks and a Michael Jackson inspired dance, though. Piers still has a problem with them: the skates. Without the skates, though, they’re just another dance group. Sharon, however, thought it was a great way to open the show. Hoff wants to see more of the skating. They can bring back the ladies if they insist.

Thia Megia is up next. She’s a 14 year old singer, singing The Climb by Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana. Sounds better than Miley does live if the American Idol performance of this is any indication. A lot of big notes in this song that can be difficult to pull off outside a studio. Sharon was not disappointed, and she likes that she’s innocent and not dressing like most girls her age. She really got to Hoff, who calls her a shooting star. Piers is allowed one word: brilliant.

The Platt Brothers are the brothers who grew up in the middle of nowhere with no TV, video games, or other forms of fun, so they created their own performing act to entertain themselves. As unique acts go, this certainly is up there. David liked the humor and the physicality. Piers doesn’t know what their act is. It’s all a little bit unfocused. Sharon agrees with Piers. Too much crammed into that small space.

The Diva League returns as a wild card. They are a drag queen dance group, although only one of them is actually a trained dancer. Their act for the night: glampires. Piers buzzes. He doesn’t have to worry. The odds of this group advancing are pretty close to 0. Piers was quite disturbed. A bunch of lip synching drag queens who can’t dance isn’t going to cut it. Sharon loves it. She wants Piers to have a bit of imagination and pretend that was fun.

Manuela Horn is a yodeling dominatrix. No matter how you slice it, it’s all just weird. This week, she’s dressed up as Lucille Ball, singing Don’t Cha by the Pussycat Dolls with a bunch of horndog guys after her. As she begins to strip, Hoff buzzes her. Then Sharon buzzes her. When the yodel starts, Piers buzzes. He wants the dominatrix back, and he insists they put through a great act. Really?

Grandma Lee has decided what she wants to do when she grows up. She will tell jokes. She’s still chasing after Piers, and her plan is to keep it semi-clean. She starts off with a joke about a blind date (actually, it was cataracts) and ends up pulling out underpants that David and Piers left behind with her. David wants to know: who did she have first, Piers or him? He says she deserves to be in Vegas. Piers enjoyed her confidence, stage presence, and art of comic timing. Sharon makes the mistake of asking who was better. Now she’s dragged into this threesome, too.

Mosaic moved to Vegas to try to make it big, but it’s been tough. America’s Got Talent is their chance for a break. They are an a capella group and sing Superstitious by Stevie Wonder. Hoff thought they got better and better. They need the energy they had at the end all the way through. Piers calls it nearly very good. Like David, Sharon thought it got better as it went on.

Acrodunk was in this show in the first season, and now they’re back trying again. Sharon has seen proof that this can be taken into Vegas and be a show. Hoff thought they were awesome. Piers calls it one of the most extraordinary acts he’s seen on this show.

Arcadian Broad is a 13 year old dancer. He adds a new element to his act: piano playing. Huh? While he’s a talented piano player, this isn’t why people want to watch him. When he’s done with the piano, he dances to Footloose. Hoff says he will go a long way and might even win. Those people who teased him are watching him now. Piers doesn’t want to see him playing the piano ever again. Don’t play the piano. Dance. Sharon loves him so much, and she liked to see the other talent, although the piano playing was a tad too long.

Drew Thomas is a magician, who got his start at age 6. Sharon wants to see something she’s never seen before again. He promises that she will get her wish, with a trick nobody’s ever done before, including himself. He locks up his Charlie’s Angels, then he gets locked up in another box and is suspended in the air. The box in the air is empty, the men who were sealing the boxes are inside one of them, the women are wearing the men’s clothing and on the stage, and Drew appears in the audience to scare the judges from behind. Didn’t see that coming. Piers says wow. But he wants him to start looking like a proper Vegas performer. Sharon has again never seen that before, but she does want him to step up the wardrobe. Hoff wants him to stick around.

Unemployed chicken catcher Kevin Skinner quickly became a Youtube sensation. He’s cleaned up nicely since then. Tonight he sings and plays guitar to Garth Brooks’ Make You Feel My Love. Sharon calls him an honest, special man. Hoff’s a little choked up because he believes every word he sings. Piers gives him credit for the best performance of the night thus far.

The final act of the night is the second wild card act, Lake Houston Dance, a group that was cut in the mean-spirited minute after Vegas landing elimination. How were they not good enough to consider for any longer, yet good enough to bring back? Their act this time is to dress up in pajamas (much better idea than the wigs), and they dance to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, which was apparently covered by Miley Cyrus. The problem with an act with so many people is that there’s really nobody who stands out. Hasselhoff is so glad they’ve come back and gotten rid of their afros. Piers didn’t think it was as good as the audition. There were too many props. It was a bit of a mess. Sharon loved the song choice, but there’s just too many people to be able to focus on anyone.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 14, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

We started the top 40 countdown in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 11 with a combination of the pointless elimination of 25 people the minute they stepped off the plane, followed by some people going through to Hollywood, many of whom were rushed right past. Tonight we round out Vegas with the rest of the top 40.

Paradizo have the judges asking: where do they go next? Hoff’s overacting makes it obvious. They’re going through to the next round.

Bollywood group Ishaara and hip hop group FootworkKINGz go next, and both groups advance.

Piano player Jeffrey Ou and singer/harpist Rashida Jolley are up next. One will go through, and one will go home. Rashida has been eliminated. I wonder what would have happened if she just sang or just played the harp instead of both. Jeffrey will be going to Hollywood. He is sad to see his new friend go home.

The alien strongmen have been eliminated. Corey, the brother from the brother/sister act quit, and they tell Kara that she’s not strong enough without him. If you ask me, she carried the duo.

Eleisha Miller had a lot of personality, but her singing just didn’t cut it. Regardless, she is going through to the next round.

Chainsaw jugglers Mario & Jenny, hoping to get through with the freak vote, are advancing to the next round.

Marcus Terrell was given the opportunity to drop his Serenades, but he declined that. The girls are pulling him down, so it’s a no. If he’s not willing to drop them, they are willing to back out. With that offer, Marcus agrees. He is through to the next round.

U4RIA, Breaksk8, and Destined 2 Be are back after having prepared for their dance off. Great, I just realized U4RIA is spelled even more stupidly than the other two. Lay off the text messaging. At least one act will be eliminated. After the dancing, there’s one that the judges really want to put through. The group that goes through is Breaksk8, certainly one of the more unique dance groups.

Voices of Glory are next. They are going to Hollywood by a unanimous decision. Opera singer Barbara Padilla also advances. Both dog acts go through. Charles DeWayne Dorsey, Jr. joins them. The EriAm Sisters and Anthony & Matt do as well. Grandma Lee jokes her way through.

Will Alizma advance despite their lacking singing skills? Their violin playing and looks are enough to get them through to the next round. Now if only they would stop finishing each others’ sentences. They’re so much closer now, as if that’s possible.

Mia Boostrom was eliminated last year in Vegas week. Kelli Glover was eliminated from season 1 of American Idol in the semifinals. Which will face the same fate again? Kelli. Begging and having a breakdown won’t help. Mia, however, has made it this time.

Now that that’s over, we have the complete top 40:

AcroDunk
African High Flyers
Alizma
Anthony Morigerato & Matt Lucas
Arcadian Broad
Barbara Padilla
Breaksk8
Bri
Carol Loo
Charles DeWayne Dorsey, Jr.
Chris Allison
David Johnson
Drew Thomas
Eleisha Miller
EriAm Sisters
Erik & Rickie
The Fab Five
FootworKINGz
G Force
Grandma Lee
Hairo Torres
Ishaara
Jeffrey Ou
Kevin Skinner
Lawrence Beamen
Manuela Horn
Mario & Jenny
Marcus Terrell
Mia Boostrom
Mosaic
Pam Martin & Viva
Paradizo Dance
Pete Peterkin
Pixie Mystere
Platt Brothers
Recycled Percussion
Rockin Rory
Texan Tenors
Thia Megia
Voices of Glory

Not to leave it at that, though, Simon Cowell gives them a call at the end of the episode. He’s just had a look at the choices, and he has a very serious problem. Lame fake out?

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 13, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

The audition rounds concluded in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 10, with performances from 8 year old singer Ciana Pelekai and the Beale Street Flippers. Then Susan Boyle came on for half the episode.

Now that the auditions are over, it’s time for the Vegas verdict. The 160+ acts will be narrrowed down to a top 40.

With so many acts having gone through, the judges have decided to make an early cut. Some of these acts will merely set foot in Vegas, without a chance to even try again. Upon landing, they will be split into 4 groups.

The first group is going through to the next round. If only they’d give us more than a name or two out of that group. The second group has been cut. The shock from this group is the elimination of Tallan Noble Latz. The other two remaining groups will both go through to the next round. In total, 25 acts were sent home, leaving 135+.

Keith Johnson and Pete Peterkin step forward first. Piers told Keith at the audition he didn’t quite have the voice yet, although he’s got the looks. Pete Peterkin was the Obama impersonator. Keith is told there are better singers, and as a result he will not be going through. Pete, however, probably is the best impersonator there, so he’s going through to the next round.

Dancer Arcadian Broad is the first to enter the theater to hear from the judges. He is through to Hollywood.

Acrodunk goes through. Then some nameless groups follow. Somehow, David Johnson, who sang the song about David Hasselhoff, makes it through. Seriously? Is he really better than Keith Johnson? Then they rush through some more groups. Slow it down a bit so I know what the heck’s going on.

Next up is Anthony Ferrante, the 74 year old retired barber, who danced, for lack of a better word. He’ll be going home. Nick tries to cheer him up. There’s always next year. His response: I could be dead by next year.

Next up to see the judges are three dance groups, all of which have their names spelled stupidly: Breaksk8, U4RIA, and Destined 2 Be. Since the judges couldn’t decide who to send home, they’ve come up with a plan, a challenge. They will be given 12 hours to prepare a routine to the same track of music. Not all of them will be going through when they return.

Drew Thomas and Joseph Constantine are the only remaining magicians in the contest. They had trouble deciding whether they should put one of them through or none of them through, but not both. In the end, Joseph has been eliminated, but Drew will be advancing.

A capella group Spiritual Harmonizers are the next to hear the verdict. Did their lead singer pull them through? No, they didn’t make it.

Then a bunch of dance acts, whoever they are, are going home in what was one of the more competitive categories. Will Hairo Torres follow them? No, he is safe.

The last two acts are singers: Lawrence Beaman and chicken catcher Kevin Skinner. Lawrence Beaman makes it through to the next round. Unsurpisingly, Kevin Skinner, perhaps the single most talked about contestant so far this season, joins him.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 12, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

The Myspace auditions in America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 9 brought us Bollywood dancers Ishaara and singer/piano player Charles DeWayne Dorsey, Jr.

Tonight is the last night of the auditions.

Best friends Breaksk8 are roller skaters. Piers buzzes, but they’re definitely through to Vegas. David has to think about this. Piers loved everything but the skates. Sharon likes them because the skates make them unique. Piers says no, but the other two say yes.

Ciana Pelekai, 8, is going to sing. She sings At Last from Orchestra Wives, presumably having heard it from Beyonce. Piers tells her to start looking for a new house because he’s never heard someone her age with a voice like that. Hoff thinks there’s nowhere to go but up.

Choir director Joseph James sings Somewhere over the Rainbow. What the bloody hell is this? After the build up, I expected at least something reasonable, but not this joke. Hoff compares him to a balloon losing air.

The Beale Street Flippers started years ago in Memphis, TN. They do flipping, usually for tips on the street. Hoff is flipped out. The best flippers ever on this show. Piers has just two words: flipping incredible.

The auditions have come to an end. With 24 minutes left, they’re apparently reserving the bulk of the show for the Susan Boyle interview, as if I’d switched to Dateline NBC or something. I’d considered watching the interview before I found out how long it was going to be, but enough is too much.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 4 Episode 11, which airs Wednesday at 8/7c on NBC.