Dance acts and singers astonish on AGT’s third week of quarterfinals

By: Jacob Elyachar

So far…24 acts have performed for America’s vote and only eight acts have made it into the Season Eight semi-finals.

Tonight, 12 new acts gave it all they got to not only impress judges Howard Stern, Mel B, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel, but also to the audience in Radio City Music Hall and to viewers across the nation.

Who rocked? Who cracked under the pressure? Did anyone get “X’ed”? Read on to find out….

The first act that took the stage was the Aerosphere Aerial Balloon Show!  While they did improve from the audition and they did use Radio City Music Hall to the best of their ability, it was just pretty to look at and ended WAY too soon.   The judges were split, as Mel B and Howard were impressed while Heidi and Howie thought it was not grand enough and the former Deal or No Deal host stated that he could have done it himself.  C+

Chicago Boyz stole the Chicago auditions when they impressed all four judges with their quick moves and incredible agility!  They delivered an outstanding routine to Stefano’s “I’m On A Roll” that featured superb athleticism and superior stunts.  All four judges gave them a standing ovation and Heidi added used their 90-seconds wisely.  Hopefully, they will move on to the next round.  A+

The Mitsi Dancing School had the hardest job of following in the Chicago Boyz’s footsteps.  While the girls did not have a lot of huge choreography like the Chicago Boyz, they successfully hypnotized the audience with their “Dance of a Thousand Hands.”   Howard was impressed with their precision and Heidi added that she would bring her family to see this show in Vegas.  A

Last year, the Olate Dogs won AGT.  Can Kelsey and Bailey be able to keep up with the competition?  Unfortunately, the adorable duo did disappoint.  It was just the standard moves and while they high-fived Howard and Mel B, it was BORING! D+

Boca Raton brother and sister duo Brandon and Savannah hoped to rock out the Radio City Music Hall.  But…there were some flaws in their cover of Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” as the audience could not hear the vocals because the instruments were WAY TOO LOUD!  I also thought that Savannah was very pitchy as well.   While the judges praised their performance, I wish I could have heard more of the singing and less of the instruments.  B

While Illusionist Leon Ettiene and his bitchy assistant Romy Low were together for eight years, their act was ABYSMAL!  They decided to give a “behind-the-scenes” peek into their act.  It was a train wreck from the start and while they made Nick appear, I 100-percent agreed with Howard’s decision to buzz during their presentation and Howard’s declaration that “They blew a huge opportunity!” F

One of my favorite singers of the season, DeAnna DellaCioppa, took the stage next.  She tackled Mariah Carey’s cover of “I Want to Know What Love Is.”  DeAnna looked stunning as she showed off her range and connected with the audience.   She received a three-judge standing ovation from Howie, Mel B and Heidi.  While the King of All Media claimed that he was tired, Howard stated that she picked a great song with a superb arrangement and liked that DeAnna toned it down.  Scary Spice added that DeAnna was “Flawless!”  I hope DeAnna moves on to the next round.  A

David “The Cobra Kid” Weathers brought a King cobra into New York City.  He decided to pick up with his bare hands.  It was honestly terrifying but the snake was unpredictable and the judges were not happy with his act at all.   Howard stated that the snake was a performer and it is very risky for David to put all of his faith into the King cobra.   C

Opera singer Jonathan Allen surprised everyone at his New Orleans audition.   Tonight, the opera singer tackled the signature aria from the classic Broadway musical, Man of La Manchia.   He gave an outstanding vocal performance that sent chills down everyone’s spines and received a standing ovation from Mel B, Howie and Heidi.   While Heidi stated that she could see Jonathan on Broadway and Las Vegas, Howard honestly said that he is going to have a tough time dealing with Forte and Brendan James.   In all honesty, Jonathan deserves this more than the latter two acts combined.  A+

Kenichi Ebina delivered the best performance of the night that featured an adult version of Nick Arcade.  He danced his way into multiple stages of a video game and showed off both astonishing dance moves and his incredible showmanship.  All four judges gave him a standing ovation and Howie begged America to give him the $1,000,000 prize.  A++

Impressionist Jim Meskimen had a famous fan in the audience tonight…his mom: legendary actress Marion Ross.   She beamed with pride as her son delivered spot-on impressions of numerous A-list actors tackling the role of founding father Ben Franklin.  While he delivered an incredible routine, Howard stated that it was not as funny because he did not know Ben Franklin’s voice.   I, on the other hand, thought it was superb.  A-

The American Military Spouses Choir closed the show with a heart-warming rendition of Mariah Carey’s “Hero” that made everyone cry and received the final four-judge standing ovation of the night.   The entire Radio City Music Hall audience proudly chanted: “USA!” “USA!” “USA!” as host Nick Cannon went to the credits.  A+

Tomorrow night, Jason DeRulo will provide the entertainment and four acts will move on to the Semi-Finals!