America s Got Talent Vote

Hello and welcome back to America’s Got Talent. This is Chris in KS, here once again to bring you all the action from tonight’s “faux” finals. All during the last two weeks we were led to believe that this week is the finals. However this is truly the semi-finals. We will now see the top ten acts and we the voters will decide who we want to see in the final four next week, which will truly be the finals. The wife is at a meeting tonight, so like Jason Derulo, I’ll be ridin’ solo…(yes, that was lame, thank you very much!)

Tonight’s first act, and last week’s controversial pick, is Studio One Young Beast Society. Last week they were the judges' selection over Alice Tan Ridely. Tonight they are on stage wearing matching black outfits with silver and blue trim. They continue their own trend of doing a lot of really cool tricks mixed in with their dancing. I think they were really good tonight. Piers says that every time we see them they are more ambitious, and it took a lot of guts to go after some of the stunts they did that they were missing in rehearsal. Sharon says that their passion and ambition really show through in their dancing and all the judges appreciate how hard they work. Howie said they were absolutely phenomenal tonight and that they were the best act so far tonight! (Ever the jokester you are, Howie!)

The next act tonight, and a controversial pick from the first round of semi-finals, is Christina & Ali. They are singing “I Love You I Do” from Dreamgirls and start off on a platform with multi-level blocks on them. After the first verse they come towards the front of the stage and some dancers come out on stage and dance on said blocks. Tonight is honestly the first time I think that Christina & Ali sound good and possibly deserve to be here. Sharon said Christina hitting some of the notes she did were incredible and really enjoyed their act tonight. Howie said they make everyone smile, but the scary part is that they have to compete against some of the acts that they do even though they were great tonight. Piers thinks that they have blossomed into some natural entertainers but they are not the best technical singers in the competition.

Jeremy Vanschoonhoven is next up on stage tonight. After last week, I can hardly wait to see what Jeremy has in store for us. Jeremy starts off jumping off of a catwalk and lands on the stairs that come down the side of the stage. He then comes down to stage level and when he hops up onto a platform his front tire comes off the frame! Just when you think it’s a trick gone wrong he rides his bike like a unicycle and jumps across
the more round platforms to the other side of the stage. He then switches out bikes with one of his “assistants” and proceeds to do a lot more tricks which include a 360 off the hood of a car, hops up three really tall platforms and then does another jump off the highest platform onto a bar and then onto the top of the car and yet another 360 off the hood of the car again. Howie said from the moment he started his heart was sunk into his stomach and that he was amazed at his act. Piers said that you can guarantee that no one
is a crowd pleaser like Jeremy is, and that last week he would have said there is no way Jeremy could make the final four, but won’t say that now. Sharon said his timing was unbelievable, and that his confidence grows more and more every time we see him.

Next up is Taylor Mathews. Taylor is on stage singing “What a Wonderful World” with a three piece band, and three backup singers behind him. Taylor sounds good tonight and doesn’t sound quite as nervous as he has in the past. I really wonder though, how well he will be able to stand up to some of the other singers that are in the competition. Piers began by asking him who chose the song and the arrangement. Taylor said that he did, and Piers said that this was his best performance by a mile. Sharon said that he may not have the best voice, but he is the all-around musical person in this contest. (I don’t think I agree with that though.) Howie said that he agrees with Piers and that he is up to his best level yet with performing.

The pre-teen dancers Anna & Patryk are the next act this evening. They come out on stage wearing some mardi-gras type masks and immediately Anna slips down the stairs that they are coming down from the back of the stage. She grimaces like she is in pain, but she goes on with the performance, so at this point we’re not really sure if she’s hurt or not. The music they are dancing to has a very “swing” type feel to it, but once
again I have no idea what type of dance it is. Right away Nick & Sharon ask how Anna is doing, and she is about ready to cry. Sharon tells her that it is the sign of a true professional when you can pick yourself up from a slip and continue on without letting it affect your performance. Howie again asks if she is ok, and says it reminds him of Jim Carrey and Cameron Diaz from The Mask. Piers says that the way she rebounded from
her slip is what being a star is all about.

Apparently instead of giving the acts more time tonight we are going to have an “intermission” performance by Enrique Iglasias singing his new song called “I Like It.” Fast forward…

To start off the second half tonight we have Fighting Gravity. They’re basing their performance tonight off of one of the biggest moments in American history and right away we can tell that is the moon landing. They have a ship slowly descending towards the stage, and then an “astronaut” suspended across the stage. The astronaut serves as the “puppetmaster” as they have had in previous weeks. They do some more suspended
tricks just as in weeks past. Howie says that it’s amazing how they came up with this act in a few days and are able to perform it with such precision that they do and not be able to practice on their own without the stage like a singer or dancer would be able to do. Piers says that every time we see them their act gets bigger and better, and that the one act tonight that says Las Vegas, is their act. Sharon says she can see the billboards now, Blue Man Group, Cirque du Soleil, and Fighting Gravity.

After the break Michael Grimm is on stage. And once again with the sob story during his introduction… Tonight, along with a three piece brass band and three back-up singers, he is singing “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green. I think Michael is a great singer, but I just feel like he would have had a better shot on American Idol versus this show. I think he is going to get lost in the mix with all the good acts that are in the top ten. Piers says that he is very confident with who he is and it was a brilliant song choice. Sharon said he did a
great thing by ditching his guitar and sounded amazing tonight. Howie said Michael is a star and deserves to go all the way.

Next up on stage is Michael Grasso. Tonight Michael starts off by trapping a woman inside of a clear trunk and then pushes numerous swords through the trunk, effectively surrounding the woman inside the trunk. The other two assistants, who are wearing masks, roll a contraption forward that covers the trunk. They close curtains off that cover the trunk completely. When the assistants roll the contraption back they pull the swords from the trunk and inside is Michael…no, it’s another woman! The two women pull the sleeves off of one of the “assistants” and there is Michael! Sharon says she isn’t going to ask how he keeps doing this, and every single week Michael steps up and delivers, and really hopes Michael goes through to the next round. Howie says Michael is the “King of Magic” and it’s killing him to know how he did it. Piers says that Michael is by far the best magician they have ever had on the show and urges people to vote for their favorite act, because there is so much talent on stage tonight.

Prince Poppycock graces us with his presence next! During Prince Poppycock’s intro he says America has put him in the finals, so this is his tribute to America. The Prince is being lowered onto the stage on a platform and is draped with what looks like a flag and is singing the end of the Star Spangled Banner. He then unwraps himself and is wearing a red & blue sparkly jacket and red & blue shorts and is now singing Yankee Doodle Dandee, and finishes the performance off with a chorus line singing Stars & Stripes Forever. Wow, this guy is nuts, and I love it! Howie says that they keep saying all the other acts could headline a show, but thinks that Prince Poppycock IS a show. Piers said that if he could have scripted the perfect contestant for Sharon Osbourne, Prince Poppycock is it! Sharon says to be able to go from opera, to Freddie Mercury, to Star
Spangled Banner, there is no end to Prince Poppycock. Nick asks how Prince Poppycock comes up with his act, and the good Prince says that there is a song waiting inside of him to get out, and he’s just a Yankee Doodle Dandee!

I find it pretty amazing and not-so-coincidental that for three out of three performances, Jackie Evancho will once again be the final act of the evening. Tonight she is on stage with some white fabric draped from the top of the stage and a lot of fog to make it appear as if she’s floating on a cloud. After the first verse some singers appear at the rear of the stage and sing with her during the chorus. And once again, I have no idea what song she is singing, but she sounds very controlled and there are definitely no cracks in her vibrato tonight. Piers asks what do you say about a performance like that, and adds that he has never seen a vocal performance like that on this show, and very rarely hears them not on this show. He also says that 40 years from now people will remember him for being one of the people that helped discover Jackie Evancho … wow, the ego Piers has. Sharon says that she didn’t understand one word that Jackie sang, but her performance was heavenly, and she will always remember this moment. Howie asks Jackie if she has swallowed a
grown-up, and says that he is so honored to be here on the night that Jackie is singing in front of Piers Morgan.

And that completes the finals…errr, the top ten. Wow, there were some really good performances tonight. I think that even some of the controversial picks from the previous two weeks were really strong tonight, and it will be very interesting to see who will make it through to the real finals. Let us know what you thought of tonight’s show, and make sure to join us tomorrow for the results!