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America's Got Talent Season 4
apskip:
AGT4 7/1/09
Last night opened with David Hasselhoff reminding the audience that Kevin Skinner made a huge impact by telling a story with his singing. Next was video of the NASA Space Center and a farm near Houston, Texas. It illustrated the first stop of AGT in Houston for auditions. A trip to Miami followed.
I will again start with the rejected acts:
Divani - 29 yof sings punk music badly. Her excuse is that she can't sing when the audience is loud. Imagine how she would do live in Las Vegas if the crowd did not like her singing?
Joli+ Lester, 47 year olds; he balanced a lawn mower on his chin and had Nick cannon throw lettuce at it while she is playing a guitar. This was truly weird.
Randy Reece - sang "If I Were A Rich Man" with no talent. He got a quick hook.
Stone White, 33 yom singer His act was so memorable I can't remember any part of it.
Diego Baner, 44 yom, sings "You'll Never Walk Alone" from Carousel badly.
Marty Brill 25 yom professional magician with as assistant; I thought his act was OK but the judges found it commonplace, tired and stale
Brandon Patton - recited original poems about past girlfriends; do you think a poet will ever win AGT? I don't. They shouldn't even try, as the audience response to poetry of any sort is somewhat predictable.
Next are the acts going on to the next round in Las Vegas:
Pam Martin and dog Viva - Pam is a dog trainer and Viva does some interesting tricks. I think this act ultimately has little chance against Rory, the Flying K-nine but it could do well for a bit. Piers quips "Viva Las Vegas."
Lake Houston Performing Arts Center - 27 teenagers or younger girls, who wear identical wigs (Nick Cannon was over the stage in one) who do an OK dance routine.
Midwest Entertainers - 3 wrestlers (2 male, 1 female) who do some schtick before getting the hook
Joseph Constantine and Kate - the only controversial judging decision of the evening. He is an illusionist, she a contortionist. I like their routine, as does Piers but David hates it. Sharon does her typical "I can't make up my mind" con but finally decides yes. The 2 to 1 vote sends them to Las Vegas.
Fuschia Foxxxx - Belly Dancer; I don't find her act worthwhile but the judges do.
Circus R Us - 3 people doing tricks on the stage
Hurricane Tricksters - 5 martial arts guys ages 17 to 23; I liked them and so did the judges.
Hairo Torres - 23 yom break dancer and contortionist. Nick says "I don't think he's got any bones." Piers calls it "one of the most original acts he's ever seen.
I have to say that none of the Las Vegas-bound acts in this group truly impressed me. Hairo Torres is the best of a low-talent group.
apskip:
AGT 7/7/09
Last night was again The Good the Bad and the Ugly. The ugliest part was having to listen to the judges moan about the lack of talent onstage. They know and we should know that it is the Bad acts that add zest to this show. If it were all great, then it would be Ed Sullivan or Arthur Godfrey all over again. I think the producers have lost control of this show a bit.
They showed Jessica Martin's act, singing plus classical violin hanging 20 feet in the air, secured only by a drape, for the second time; she already was going to Vegas based on her first performance weeks ago, so why did they present it as new material?. I hope they know better now and will not try this stunt again even though she is worth watching a second time, presumably in Las Vegas.
This audition appeared to be entirely in Los Angeles and the judges frequently bemoaned the lack of talent. They resorted to having David Hasselhoff take his place accompanied by a Baywatch surfboard. How's that for desperation for good talent? At the end of Day 1 Nick Cannon states that Tinseltown has turned into Crazy Town. They give him most of the best lines.
Here is the list of the acts that are not going to Las Vegas:
Zahid Khan - this one man instrument did not get the time of day from the judges, as he got the hook fast.
Leland Faulkner - this act was about mime and paper masks. What was he thinking?
Iato Arcane - world's fastest poet. There are some things that might be Impressive in a small group but lose it on a big stage with a huge theatre audience. This is one of them. It just did not connect with the audience, it so got the hook quickly. Nick referred to him as a Mayor of CrazyTown.
Terri Willis - 49 yof singer who claimed to be a 7th cousin of Celine Dion (and aren't we all?); unfortunately her talents singing a Celine Dion song were not a tiny fraction of that of Celine Dion
Scott Weider - he flies a kite but needed a bit more wind than the judges could provide to get it into the air
K-Dizzle - a young man stripping to his waist, but then rapping with no talent
Trixie and the Monkey -34 yof/30yom listed as a burlesque act but they were so non-talented they weren't allowed to get that far
Sheldon and Alexandra - 45 yom/52 yof, Footwork Fitness, turning a step for exercising into a drum. How dull can this be? Plenty!
Circus Runaways - 3 guys who are running back home due to a short stay on the AGT stage
Mr. Nasty Nate - a bad singer
Robert Dunn - 55 yom with disco (per Nick Cannon) toe puppets; this is novel and I hope to never see an act like this again
Rene Khan - one man instrument, based on making odd noises
The acts going forward with success last night were:
BGI, a 17 yof named Ashley who sang and did keyboards. I did not like her act much due to the style of her song (too many diva turns), but the judges were impressed
Miss Germany - she swallows, eats and blows fire. This act is going to Las Vegas but not further due to the limits of this type of performance. David did get in the quip that he likes Germany (site of most of his singing career) and responds "Ja" to the vote.
TJ and the Mamas - a group of 6 to 9 yof with the lead rapper TJ, a boy in the same age group. They are all high energy and well-synchronized dancers and a delight to watch. TJ did cartwheels and was all over the stage. This act will go far in this competition.
Iconic Crew - a group of 8 young men dressed in black; I missed all but the end of this performance, so cannot comment
Scott Brothers - 44 and 45 yom street performers. They have perfect synchronization and are really fun to watch. Onward and upward for them!
Robert ? - hand puppets
Mario and Jennifer Ferrara - this was the best act of the evening. Mario promised that it would be dangerous and sexy and indeed it was. He moved swiftly around the stage, cutting some pieces of wood with a chainsaw to get the audience warmed up for the piece de resistance, juggling 3 live chainsaws. When was the last time you saw that? Piers termed it sexy and dangerous. The judges were very impressed. What will Mario do next time? Many times you hear the admonition "Don't try this at home". It really applies to this act.
Lawrence Beaman 34 yom singer - he does Ol' Man River as a show tune. His low register is not very good, but his middle and upper registers are really good, a natural baritone who shouldn't sing much low stuff. He sang well against poor competition last night but it appears to me he can do quite a bit better with more appropriate music that highlights his vocal sweet spot range better. Piers refers to him as "one class act".
From this group, I see Mario and Jennifer Ferrara and Lawrence Beaman going far.
apskip:
AGT4 7/8/09
Last night had a few of the better performances in the overall competition. David Hasselhoff elected to enter in a black cowboy hat and black leather coat (not exactly what cowboys wore but certainly what celebrities today wear).
Let's start with the better acts going on to Las Vegas:
The evening started well with Mark, John and JC 44 to 55 in age who were long-term friends calling themselves the Texas Tenors. Only two of them are tenors, the third a noticeable baritone, but I am not going to criticize them for a stretch name. These guys can sing close harmonies very well. I am impressed by their talent and see them making it a long way in this competition, maybe top 5.
Live In Color was only on the screen briefly but they are a group of maybe 10 dancers in colorful costumes. The judges said yes, but how could I tell?
AcroDunk is 5 high energy male athletes age 27 to 45 who jump off a small trampoline, fly through the air and pass a basketball (many quite difficult) multiple times while obeying they rules of basketball before dunking on a regulation 10 foot high hoop. Each of the 5 has incredible control of the motion of their body. This act was thoroughly entertaining. I cannot see it winning the entire competition, but it will go a long way.
Anna Pipoyan is a belly dancer. I was not entertained in the least by her act of shaking parts of her body to appropriate music, but the judges were.
Eclipse, 20 yom, is a fast rapper. I thought his act was merely OK, but the judges liked it more.
Eleisha Miller, 8 yof, singer and keyboard player. Her keyboard music was fairly simple but her singing was interesting and complex. Sharon and Piers both stated that her voice is weak and needs further work. She needs her voice to develop more to be really great, but her stage presence, humor and effervescence are very good right now. She will go far because she is cute, funny and very brash. Sharon voted no but the other judges yes, so she is going to Las Vegas.
Timez Two, brothers each 27 (how about twins?), sings to a funky syncopated beat. They are good, but only cannon fodder for the next few rounds. I cannot see them making it to the round of 10. Again, an unusual split vote by the judges with Piers voting against and the others for Times Two.
Grandma Lee, 75 yof, is a real character. She is a comedian, telling very pithy funny jokes which may not be original but her delivery is. During the discussion preceding the voting, Grandma Lee states that "people say Piers is the mean one, but I think he's cute" and "Who's the Grandma? (clearly referencing Piers again). Everybody got the joke. She's moving ahead.
Barbara Padilla - an excellent singer who chose opera aria "O mio babbino caro"from Puccini's Gianni Schichi to sing for the audience. Her voice is well-trained and she has excellent control of it. I see her as top 5.
Here are the acts that did not gain a coveted Las Vegas spot:
Bruce Thomas, 51 yom, hand musician, playing Yankee Doodle. the uniqueness of his talent was not fully appreciated by the judges.
Flutists Charmaine? and Erica, 21 and 26 yof, performed just OK.
Crispy Family Carnival, a large man and two females, they stapled money all over his body and he hung hooked weights off his nipples. Who wants to see that? Nick Cannon didn't and I don't. The judges agreed.
Ruby Revue, 3 females age 21 to 26, saw their performance obliterated by continuing problems on the stage.
So, it's time for a forecast of which of the better acts will do particularly well. I see Barbara Padilla and the Texas Tenors going to the Final 5 and Eleisha Miller to the Top 20.
apskip:
AGT 7/14/09
Last night had a few of the better performances in the overall competition. David Hasselhoff elected to enter in a black cowboy hat and black leather coat (not exactly what cowboys wore but certainly what celebrities today wear).
Let's start with the better acts going on to Las Vegas:
The evening started well with Mark, John and JC 44 to 55 in age who were long-term friends calling themselves the Texas Tenors. Only two of them are tenors, the third a noticeable baritone, but I am not going to criticize them for a stretch name. These guys can sing close harmonies very well. I am impressed by their talent and see them making it a long way in this competition, maybe top 5.
Live In Color was only on the screen briefly but they are a group of maybe 10 dancers in colorful costumes. The judges said yes, but how could I tell?
AcroDunk is 5 high energy male athletes age 27 to 45 who jump off a small trampoline, fly through the air and pass a basketball (many quite difficult) multiple times while obeying they rules of basketball before dunking on a regulation 10 foot high hoop. Each of the 5 has incredible control of the motion of their body. This act was thoroughly entertaining. I cannot see it winning the entire competition, but it will go a long way.
Anna Pipoyan is a belly dancer. I was not entertained in the least by her act of shaking parts of her body to appropriate music, but the judges were.
Eclipse, 20 yom, is a fast rapper. I thought his act was merely OK, but the judges liked it more.
Eleisha Miller, 8 yof, singer and keyboard player. Her keyboard music was fairly simple but her singing was interesting and complex. Sharon and Piers both stated that her voice is weak and needs further work. She needs her voice to develop more to be really great, but her stage presence, humor and effervescence are very good right now. She will go far because she is cute, funny and very brash. Sharon voted no but the other judges yes, so she is going to Las Vegas.
Timez Two, brothers each 27 (how about twins?), sings to a funky syncopated beat. They are good, but only cannon fodder for the next few rounds. I cannot see them making it to the round of 10. Again, an unusual split vote by the judges with Piers voting against and the others for Times Two.
Grandma Lee, 75 yof, is a real character. She is a comedian, telling very pithy funny jokes which may not be original but her delivery is. During the discussion preceding the voting, Grandma Lee states that "people say Piers is the mean one, but I think he's cute" and "Who's the Grandma? (clearly referencing Piers again). Everybody got the joke. She's moving ahead.
Barbara Padilla - an excellent singer who chose opera aria "O mio babbino caro"from Puccini's Gianni Schichi to sing for the audience. Her voice is well-trained and she has excellent control of it. I see her as top 5.
Here are the acts that did not gain a coveted Las Vegas spot:
Bruce Thomas, 51 yom, hand musician, playing Yankee Doodle. the uniqueness of his talent was not fully appreciated by the judges.
Flutists Charmaine? and Erica, 21 and 26 yof, performed just OK.
Crispy Family Carnival, a large man and two females, they stapled money all over his body and he hung hooked weights off his nipples. Who wants to see that? Nick Cannon didn't and I don't. The judges agreed.
Ruby Revue, 3 females age 21 to 26, saw their performance obliterated by continuing problems on the stage.
So, it's time for a forecast of which of the better acts will do particularly well. I see Barbara Padilla and the Texas Tenors going to the Final 5 and Eleisha Miller to the Top 20.
apskip:
AGT4 7/15/09
Last night was a combination from Seattle and New York City. As is frequently the case, NBC wants to showcase both low talent and high talent acts. There were plenty of both last night.
I will start with the lesser acts that are not going to Las Vegas:
Silvia Brasil 28 yof singer/dancer
Madmat the Indestructible man, who climbed a ladder made of swords
The Shanghai Pearl 27 yof who comes in a pink gorilla outfit which she jettisons. Unfortunately, that is the high point of her act.
Reality - a male/female duo who judges rated as very old-fashioned for singing "Rockin' the Boat" anytime in the past 50 years
Chris Kegley - 24 yom titled the Lone Ranger of Rock. I think his rock is not bad but not good either. He overreaches by setting up percussion to play remotely, playing a banjo remotely
The better acts were:
Keith Johnson 34 yom singer/guitarist; David says he "has charisma"
Pixie Mystere - 8 girls age 8 to 11 gymnastics performers with massively too much makeup for any age on, I otherwise thought they were cute, but they are a one trick pony. You will not see them in the round of 20.
Destined To Be - 5 young males who do synchronized dancing at a fairly high level. We'll be seeing a bit more of them.
Rashida Jolley- 16 yof sang and played the harp for "Killing Me Softly"; her talent is limited and won't get past the round of 20 but might get there
Kari Kellams- 41 yof who has a facial disfigurement but so what. She has a big beautiful voice and is a potential winner of this competition. She sang "Somewhere" from West Side Story. The judges loved her voice and so do I.
Matt and Anthony-males 24 and 22; one plays guitar and sings while the other is an extraordinary tapdancer/clogger . He does spins like you seldom see. This act has great talent and are headed to the top 10.
Brother/sister Luis bar and Laura Cantu- dancing the Argentine tango quite well.
Kalinin Family - man and his son acrobats
Christopher and Laura Camp - Husband and wife 40/41 he cracks a bullwhip and captured or moved objects on his wife's body. This looks dangerous but they appear to have it under control as he is very precise (he might need a new wife otherwise). She is very vivacious and adds style to the act.
Mia Boostrom a young female who did not make it past the round of 20 for AGT3. She is back and with more talent this time. Her act is a combination of keyboards and singing. She chooses "Georgia on My Mind" for this performance, no doubt saving her better songs for later in the competition when she will need her best.
At the end of the night where a high talent is showcased, they had a high talent introduced by her husband, but not for AGT. Nick Cannon's wife is Mariah Carey and he introduced Mariah in a music video featuring the song "Obsession" from her new album.
I think that Kari Kellams and Matt and Anthony are the acts likely to make the top 10 and Kari could be in the final 5 and maybe even win.
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