By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
While AGT is celebrating 15 years on television, one man has been at the center of the fan-favorite summer TV franchise: Simon Cowell.
The legendary talent judge and music mogul is responsible for creating the Got Talent franchise that has been adapted in over 100 countries. However, 2020 has been a rough year for Simon. Both fanbases of international Got Talent fan-favorite acts Collabro and Marcelito Pomoy have called out the series creator for allegedly sabotaging both acts during their time on America’s Got Talent: The Champions’ sophomore season. Plus, Deadline reported that former AGT judge Gabrielle Union is moving forward with her discrimination lawsuit against him.
While many wish that Simon Cowell has a chance to eat a massive piece of humble pie, he could distract them by pressing the Golden Buzzer. Tonight, it was his turn to choose an act. Who were the lucky recipients? Will they help Simon’s redemption? Read on to find out.
As the acts and audience arrived, it was time for the judges to make their grand entrance! Once Terry introduced the show, 11-year-old dancer Noah Epps hoped to entertain the crowd. The Ashburn, Virginia native, is a military brat who has danced for five years. He transformed into a ventriloquist dummy, and I was impressed with his choreography. I would love to see if Twitch and Nappytabs could create some of his dances for him in future rounds. Noah got the first four-judge standing ovation of the evening. Heidi praised him for commanding the stage, while Simon Cowell loved his storytelling ability. He received the first unanimous “Yes” of the evening.
Singer Luca Di Stefano had a powerful bass voice and sang, “Let’s Get It On.” Holy cow, Luca’s bass vocals. Both Heidi and Sofia were into his vocals. After Luca left, there were lots of “No’s” and a few “Xs.” However, New York City-based dance crew W.A.F.F.L.E. hoped to turn the course around. The group has been active for ten years and want to inspire their family back in the Big Apple. I loved this group; the minute W.A.F.F.L.E. stepped onto the stage. I also loved the group’s solos. It was one of my favorite dance auditions from the season! However, Simon Cowell loved their energy and revealed that they delivered their favorite audition so far. He loved it so much that he gave W.A.F.F.L.E. his Golden Buzzer.
The Voice: Season 11 alum Nolan Neal walked onto the Pasadena Civic Center stage. The former Team Adam member revealed that he is still grieving over his father’s death. However, Noah was able to turn things around with the help of loved ones. He performed “Lost,” the first song that he wrote sober. I thought that Noah had improved so much since his time on The Voice. Noah delivered a show-stopping moment, and Simon Cowell stated that Noah had “an amazing voice.” The performance also brought Sofia to tears, who shared that her family also struggled with addiction. Nolan received the magical “Four Yeses” and a trip to the next round.
12-year-old Ukulele prodigy Feng E made jaws dropped when he performed. I was thoroughly impressed with his performance. Simon Cowell called him “talented” and “unique.” He immediately received four “Yeses.” As Feng left the stage, 55-year-old Christine Hurley grew up idolizing Carol Burnett and the late Phyllis Diller and Joan Rivers. She has built up her comedy career for 15 years and wanted to audition for AGT. She broke the ice by saying “Meow” to Simon Cowell. I loved her energy and material, and I could not stop laughing. However, when she messed up some of her jokes, which caused her to derail. While Howie and Heidi wanted to give her a “second chance,” Sofia and Simon said: “No.”
Siberian duo OLOX delivered a unique twist to “Zombie” by The Cranberries. Initially, I thought it was going to be a train wreck. But they surprised me completely. OLOX received four yeses from the judges.
Heidi Klum was notably absent for the remainder of tonight’s auditions. Earlier this year, media outlets reported that she went home sick. For the first time since Season Seven (when Howard Stern and Sharon Osbourne shared the stage with Howie), acts need to receive a minimum of two “Yeses” to advance to the Season 15 Judge Cuts.
12-year-old Ashley Marina auditioned for Sofia, Howie, and Simon Cowell. The Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native loves guinea pigs and is a singer. Tonight, she tackled Martina McBride’s “Anyway,” and I loved her vocal runs. But the background music drowned her, and Simon asked for a second song. Next, she sang Sia’s “Opportunity.” However, Simon stated that he brought the wrong songs today. The audience was not very happy with the criticism. Luckily, Sofia Vergara wanted her to come back with a third song. Simon did listen to Sofia and advised Ashley to sing a different tune.
As Ashley was preparing to face the judges, Philippines natives turned Queens, New York transplants The Spyros Bros hoped to advance to the Season 15 live shows. Marco Angelo walked across the stage first to introduce himself and began the act. Little did they know that Marc was waiting for him to throw another diavolo from the Pasadena Civic Center audience. This incredible routine put a smile onto my face, and I thought it was bold for them to include the judges’ desk in their audition. I loved their energy, and the duo received a unanimous “Yes” from Simon Cowell and the judges.
It was finally time for Ashley to face the judges one more time. Ashley worked with the music team to find the correct song. She could not connect with any of the cover songs, so she decided to take a massive risk by singing an original tune. Ashley showcased her passion and amazing vocals to pay homage to her father. This was the first time I got chills tonight! Howie called the performance: “Emotional” and Simon Cowell wanted Ashley’s dad to join her on stage. Ashley received “Three Yeses” and a ticket to the Season 15 Judges Cuts.
Brett Loudermilk had the final audition of the night. In his pre-performance package, Brett stated that his journey took him to the NBC performance-based competition series. He revealed that he was a sword swallower and asked for a female volunteer. Brett picked Sofia Vergara! As Sofia bluntly stated that she was not going to swallow a sword, Brett clarified that he would swallow the sword. After the warning, “Dangerous stunt, do not attempt” flashed across the screen, Brett performed his stunt. Yes, it was dangerous, but Sofia’s refusal was comic gold. However, she successfully pulled the sword out of Brett’s mouth. But he was not done yet, he asked all three judges to pull three swords from his mouth and they successfully pulled them out of Brett’s mouth. He received all three “Yeses.”
Next week, Eric Stonestreet visits AGT!
