Six of these 12 acts will move on to next week’s season finale! But, you need to vote! (Photos property of NBC)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Tonight, the best, average and abysmal undiscovered acts in America had one final chance to prove they are worthy of $1,000,000 and headlining a show in Las Vegas.
Who impressed the judges (Howard Stern, Heidi Klum, Mel B and Howie Mandel) and the country? Read on to find out…
Mara Justine: What do Rachel Crow, Carly Rose Sonenclair, Diamond White and Jackie Evancho have in common? They are all solid examples of young ladies whose stupendous voices brightened the stages of The X Factor USA and AGT respectfully. I am going to be brutally honest…Mara Justine does not have that quality of star power that those girls have! Her performance of P!nk’s “Perfect” was very warbly (check the acoustics, Radio City Music Hall) and it really ruin her chances to move on to the next round! D
David & Leeman: David and Leeman are one of the best magic acts that I have ever seen on the show! Their semi-final act involved the creation of a lottery and the judges choosing a colored balloon and a number (6-69-41-86). My jaw dropped as Howard revealed the numbers and the writing on the back of their shirts. I hope that they have a place in the finale…they deserve it! A
Sons of Serendip: I am very surprised that Sons of Serendip was placed third in tonight’s line-up! They should be have been near the final quarter of the evening. Despite their placement in the line-up, the Sons of Serendip gave a haunting cover of Duran Duran’s “Ordinary World” that gave me chills! I think America needs to vote them through to the finale! A+
Christian Stoinev: The fifth generation circus performer does not belong with this group of performers! It is a shame that the judges brought this B-act over Smoothini. Scooby brought down his credibility. While I am impressed that the King of All Media was holding Scooby, I was not happy to see the other dog on stage. I would have buzzed him while he was making his first move. Sorry, Christian but it’s game over! F
Emil & Dariel: Some of this year’s kid acts (cough Mara & Miguel cough) may not have the star-quality as Emil & Dariel. The cellists bravely tackled Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing.” While I missed hearing Steven Tyler’s golden vocals, adding a choir was a brilliant move. They delivered a goose bump worthy performance that would have made America’s favorite Rock and Roll Band and songwriter Diane Warren very proud. A
AcroArmy: Every week, I look forward to see what AcroArmy brings to Radio City Music Hall! They took the Red Wedding (minus the beheadings) to new heights. All of their stunts left me on the edge of my couch! The choreography, stunts and tumbling were spectacular and I see a Vegas show (and national tour) in their future! A++
Quintavious Johnson: I loved watching Quintavious’s journey since his first audition! When I first heard the first few bars of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” I thought that Quintavious might get tongue-tied because of the massive song! His velvet vocals gave everyone goose bumps and the key change might get him to the finale! A
Mike Super: Of the magic acts, I believe that Mike Super is the subpar of the two remaining acts. However, I admire the risky lengths that he went to present his trick (Nick as an assistant; delivering a prediction to Howard at his radio show). Unfortunately, I lost interest when Nick was shuffling the cards and Mike turned on a wind machine. Time was Mike’s enemy and it might cost him a $1,000,000. D+
Blue Journey: I am so happy that America saved this incredible duo! They have taken the entire country by storm with their magical routines. The duo masterfully interpreted the classic puppet/puppet master story, but it was a little longer than normal and I was sadly bored! C+
Emily West: This woman is just impeccable! Every time, she opens her mouth…I get the chills! She tackled the Moody Blues’ “Nights in White Satin” for her Top 12 performance. While I never originally heard the song before, Emily brilliantly weaved the story and made it her own! Her upper register was amazing and there is no doubt that this woman should be in the finals! A++
Mat Franco: If two magic acts make it to the finale, Mat Franco should get the second spot. He challenged the home audience to pick out a card (I chose the King of Hearts) and it was stuck onto the Radio City Music Hall stage. In addition, he had Howard mark his card with his signature and he revealed a copy of the card into a box! I have never been attached to a magic act during my time of watching (and critiquing) America’s Got Talent, but I would love to see Mat win this show! A+
Miguel Dakota: I really wanted Mat or Emily to close the show…but the tweens had to wait for Miguel to take the stage! In all honesty, we already have Justin Bieber, Cody Simpson, Austin Mahone, One Direction and 5 Seconds of Summer conquering the music charts right now and Miguel’s problem with he does not connect with the audience. His cover of one of my all-time favorite Rolling Stones songs was not my cup of tea. C-
The acts that I enjoyed (the perfect Season Nine finale): AcroArmy, David & Leeman, Emily West, Mat Franco, Quintavious Johnson & Sons of Serendip
Tomorrow night, the Muppets and fan-favorite AGT alum Jackie Evancho provide the entertainment and we learn who is going to be in the Final Six!
