By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Jake’s Take had the incredible opportunity to return to America’s Got Talent (AGT) virtual press room to speak with the acts and the judges after the show went off the air from the Dolby Theatre. Here are some of the highlights:
Why Brooke Sang Billie
The Voice finalist Brooke Simpson made a massive impact on the AGT fanbase when covering Lizzo during the Season 16 Judges’ Auditions. Last night, the fan-favorite sang one of Billie Eilish’s newest singles: “Lost Cause,” which was well received by the judges and fans.
“I picked that song for several reasons,” said Brooke Simpson. “One, I don’t think anyone expected me to pick a Billie Eilish song. If I wanted to find a way to show the artist I am, I needed to sing a big song. I wanted to go out there with a bang for the first live show.”
Recreating Hollywood Boulevard
Veteran actor Michael Winslow (Police Academy & Spaceballs) won fans over with his talent of creating a diverse group of sounds. During the third night of the quarterfinals, he made the Dolby Theatre audience laugh with his one-person impression of the sounds from Hollywood Boulevard.
“It took about a week (to create the routine),” said Michael Winslow. “We made some tweaks to the routine, and there was stuff I could not do tonight.”
Legacy Acts Prepare
Two of the night’s scene-stealers were ChapKidz and UniCycle Flow. Both acts had two things in common. First, they are associated with acts that previously competed on AGT. ChapKidz is a spin-off of Season 10 act, Chapkis Dance Family, while Season Eight winner Kenichi Ebina founded UniCycle Flow. Secondly, both acts recalled the countless hours of preparation needed to perform on the Dolby Theatre stage.
“We have a good coach in Japan,” said a UniCycle Flow representative. “He choreographed our performance, and we practiced many times. It was very hard.”
“We have been rehearsing for the live show for a month,” said Sarah Phoenix, a member of ChapKidz. “We practiced five hours a day every single week. We committed a lot of time to the piece in this stage of the live shows.”
The Curtis Family C-Notes at the Dolby
Nola “Mama C” Curtis and Isis Curtis represented the Curtis Family C-Notes at the virtual press room. The group performed The O’Jays’ “Love Train” for the audience. Despite having friends from San Francisco in the Dolby Theatre and delivering a great performance, the family band did not impress Got Talent creator Simon Cowell. However, the San Francisco-based family band hoped that AGT fans would rally for them.
“If by some miracle if we make it to the semifinals, we just pray that we do something that our family is super passionate about,” said Nola Curtis.
Heidi’s Take
Longtime AGT judge and fashion icon Heidi Klum spoke to my platform for the first time. She was still in awe after seeing her Golden Buzzer act, quick-change magician Lea Kyle, took the Dolby Theatre stage by storm with her routine to No Doubt’s “Just a Girl.”
“I think that she’s fantastic. I love a girl that can do it all. She sews all her outfits herself while thinking about how to do her act, and I admire that about her,” said Heidi Klum.
She also mentioned that Lea’s act fits perfectly for Vegas and revealed how the world champion magician marked a change in her Golden Buzzer selection process.
“I have been here for eight years,” said Klum. “Most of the time, I fall in love with singers, and I always push the Golden Buzzer for them. I made an effort to pick a different act because AGT is a variety show. When Lea auditioned, I fell in love with her.”
Howie’s Standouts
AGT veteran judge Howie Mandel did reveal his thoughts on which performers rose to the occasion during the third week of the quarterfinals.
“I loved World Taekwondo (Demonstration Team) – Terry’s Golden Buzzer and Heidi’s Golden Buzzer (Lea Kyle),” said Howie Mandel.
However, the former Deal or No Deal host stated that “there were too many good acts” remaining in the competition to name a potential winner for AGT’s sixteenth season.
Tonight, seven more acts will advance into the Season 16 semifinals. Also, Season 13 Winner & the inaugural America’s Got Talent: The Champions winner Shin Lim and Season Five fan-favorite Lindsey Stirling are expected to provide the results show’s entertainment.
