“AGT” host Nick Cannon made American Reality TV history tonight as the Season 11 auditions concluded! (Photo property of NBC & SYCO Television)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
“I am going to break the rules!”- Nick Cannon, before pressing the Golden Buzzer
In 2012, the US’s sister series, Britain’s Got Talent (BGT), introduced the Golden Buzzer to the English-speaking Got Talent franchises.
The Golden Buzzer gives the judges the power to advance one act of their choice to its series’ respective live semi-finals. Since its inception, Nick’s English counterparts, Ant & Dec, have had the pleasure of using the Golden Buzzer three times to advance comedian Toju (2014), five-piece dance act Boyband (2015) and adorable child singer Jasmine Elcock (2016) into the BGT Semi-Finals.
Tonight, for the first time in American competitive performing arts reality TV history, Nick Cannon will become the first host to select a contestant personally to become an automatic semi-finalist (Sorry, Carson Daly, Cat Deeley, Ryan Seacrest and Tom Bergeron!). Which act received the fifth Golden Buzzer of the season? Read on to find out!
As the judges got to their seats and began to hit their buzzers, 14-year-old Cody “Cody the Twirler” Carter dreamed of twirling in college and then entering Cirque du Soleil. His baton skills entertained the Pasadena crowd, and his flexibility impressed both Howie and Mel B away. Mel B was happy with the twirling and music choice, while Heidi called his twirling “extraordinary.” While Howie wanted updated music, Simon called him a “born entertainer.” He received the first unanimous “Yes” from the panel.
One favorite song that got significant airtime during the auditions was Meghan Trainor’s “All About That Bass.” Several groups auditioned with that song. Jewish beatboxing duo IIan and Josh, who met at the Western Wall. The duo became a two-man Pentatonix as they added their signature twist to Ms. Trainor’s hit. Heidi was very impressed with their audition, while Howie called them a “surprise.” Howie shouted “Mazel Tov!” after they moved on to the next round!
Several dance acts divided Heidi and Simon. As Heidi put a kiss on Simon’s head, the Outlawz hoped to unite the bickering judges. While they are not trained dancers, the quintet had to learn everything on their own and believed that they could win this show. They also wanted to be the first dance crew to win AGT. While they started out generic, once “Lean On” kicked in, the duo’s explosive movements earned howls of approval from the audience and made Simon smile. Heidi did not like them, while Howie thought it was unyielding and unique and looked like an Amish hip-hop group. Meanwhile, Mel B was split, and Simon championed the group and stated that he loved the group. While Heidi voted “No,” it was Mel B (thanks to the audience’s persuasion) who voted “Yes” with Simon and Howie.
While I spent commercial break hoping that former So You Think You Can Dance judge Mary Murphy, who should replace Heidi on the panel next season, 17-year-old singer Daniel Joyner took the stage. He wanted to sing for the rest of his life and revealed to Simon that this was the biggest audience he ever had in his life. He tackled a Michael Buble version of “Try A Little Tenderness.” His jazzy crooner voice reminds me so much of friend of the blog and Voice finalist Chris Mann. He was the first act that made me stand up and cheer! Heidi called it, “beautiful,” and Mel B added that he had “a really good voice” and wanted him to let loose. Simon was extremely impressed with his voice, but like Mel B—he wanted him to have fun! I hope he takes Simon and Mel B’s advice and loosens up in the next round.
32-year-old singer Moya Angela has been performing since childhood. The Las Vegas teacher wanted to show her underprivileged students to follow their dreams and believed that it was time to show the world that she can stand on her own two feet. As her family beamed from the audience, Moya sang a cover of Celine Dion’s “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and from the first note, she was the first contestant to give me chills tonight! Her bombastic vocals blew everyone away, and it was one of the best AGT auditions of the season! She received the first four-judge standing ovation of the evening. Howie stated that she was born to be sing, and Mel B said that Moya made it her own! Heidi said that Moya “sold it and she bought it” and Simon added, “that’s what we call a singer.” She received a unanimous “Yes” to the next round!
Earlier this season, comedic duo Jon Wee and Owen Morse is known as the Passing Zone followed me on Twitter. I was very curious to see their audition. The Hermosa Beach duo called Howie onto the stage and asked him to assist them in their dangerous stunt. They brought out three lethal items and asked Howie to lie down on the yoga mat. As Owen juggled the harmful objects near Howie’s head, Jon was going to jump on both of them. Thankfully, their stunt was successful, and Howie survived! The Pasadena Civic Center roared in delight, and Mel B smirked when Howie return to the desk. He buzzed them, but Simon and the ladies outvoted him, and the Passing Zone moved onto the next round.
As Heidi and Mel B celebrated the last day of auditions, 25-year-old Steven Brundage hoped to show America, his love for the Rubik’s Cube. He practiced his talent six to eight hours a day and added magic into the mix. His close-up magic made me smile, and I loved that Simon got into the act. I was very intrigued by this magic, and I am glad that both Howie and Heidi gave him a standing ovation. I cannot wait to see what Steven brings to the next round.
50-year-old Houston, Texas native and ex-bodybuilder R.L. Bell hoped to impress America with his vocal muscles with his cover of “Me and Mrs. Jones.” His soulful vocals hypnotized the Pasadena crowd, and he revealed his great muscles along with his fantastic falsetto near the end of the tune. R.L. entertained the crowd, and I hope that my bodybuilder friends watched his audition, because it would be interested to see them perform on AGT. While Heidi and Mel B were impressed, Simon stated that it was corny and focus on the voice NOT the striptease. Howie did not like the act and voted “No,” while Simon gave him a second chance and joined the ladies in voting him into the next round.
The final audition of the season belonged to 90-year-old Hawaii transplant Dorothy Williams. While she was a former chorus girl, Dorothy never gave up her dreams and wanted to prove that “you were never too old to follow your dreams.” She entertained the audience with her passion for performing and stunned the audience with her strip tease. Both Simon and Heidi gave her a standing ovation and Nick Cannon declared her a star. Mel B was impressed, while Heidi declared her love for her. Simon called her “fascinating” and believed that there was an audience for her. As Howie spoke, Nick jumped off the stage and pushed his Golden Buzzer and sent Dorothy to the Season 11 live shows!
Next week, the Judges’ Cuts begin! Which celebrity will join Simon, Heidi, Mel B & Howie at the table?
I do not own the clips featured in this article. The “Britain’s Got Talent” clips are the properties of Thames & SYCO Entertainment.
