LAS VEGAS rounds
The Las Vegas round started with the judges placing each act into a category and looking at each category to determine the best in it. They (or the producers) love to play game by putting the results into suspense, but when these 10 acts were called I was sure what it meant:
Captain Stag Tuggo and Maybelle
Rhinestone Ropers
Fearless Flores Family
Lys Agnes
Melissa
Team iLuminate
Miami All Stars
Professor Splash
Silhouettes
Squonk Opera (from Minneapolis; I don't remember seeing this one at all although I have looked at an act of theirs and it is worthy of this exemption)
So, what did I conclude about these 10 acts? That they would be selected to go directly to the Hollywood round without any performances in Las Vegas, which was in fact true. These acts were sent home to prepare for the next round. This filled 10 of 48 available slots in the Hollywood rounds, leaving 38 to be filled as a result of performances. The judges selected several teams from each category to perform on the first day in front of Howie, Piers, Sharon and no audience. The judges noted their appraisals but did not share them with the performers unless they were really awful, in which case they were sent home immediately. That only happened to Remedy, who sang so out of tune that it unnerved me and the judges. I will review each act and its final outcome delivered one by one or in small groups after the day 1 performances were completed and the judges had the opportunity to decide who was in and who was out. Here were those outcomes:
DANGER
Frank Miles (knife in one of 4 boxes; he smashed each with his body, avoiding the dangerous one) - Hollywood
Kevin Shelly (board breaker) - out
Yellow Design Stunt Team (BMX bikes and ramps) - Hollywood
Charles Peachock (juggler) - Hollywood
FEMALE VOCALS
4Play (harmony of 4 singers) - out
Mona Lisa - Hollywood
Remedy - out immediately
ACROBATS
Solae (female pole dancer) - out
Steven Retchless (male pole dancer) - Hollywood
Summerwind Jump Rope Team - Hollywood
Zuma Zuma (acrobatic dancers) - Hollywood
Daring Jones Duo (trapeze artists) - Hollywood
MAGICIANS
Michael Turco - out
Fantastic Fig and Newton the cat - out
Scott Alexander - Hollywood
ANIMAL ACTS
a dog act not shown except for the dog - out
Echo the Parrot and trainer - Hollywood
Macaw and the Las Vegas Parrots lady - out
CLASSICAL SINGERS
Armand and Andrea - unclear what their performance or fate was, but I think they may be in day 2
Cindy Chang (sang "Man of La Mancha", a poor choice for a female voice with huge vibrato) - out
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr (Frank Sinatra vocals) - Hollywood
Necessary Diva (sang Ave Maria) - out
BANDS
Proud Mary (3 female vocalists with 3 instrumentalists) - out
Lost Boys - I may be mixing them up, but I think they are going to Hollywood
DGB trio of boyhood friends) - out
PopLyte (teens with good female lead singer) - Hollywood
Fiddleheads (2 banjos, a violin and a guitar) - Hollywood
Mike Stone & Kritikal Band - out
DANCE
Fatally Unique (with one key performer injured, they made a change in who was doing her bit even though she returned) - Hollywood
LD Dance - out (no sympathy vote for Lucia who was injured)
Snap Boogie (kinetic dancer) - Hollywood
FEMALE SINGERS
Chevonne - out
Kelsey - out
Dani Shay - broke under the pressure of singing her own music; asked to redo her audition with something well know; she chose "Troubles" and is going to Hollywood
COMEDIANS
J. Chris Newberg - Hollywood
Obama impersonator - out
Daria (female comic) - out
Geechee Guy (the funniest of all the comics) Hollywood
NOVELTY
ping pong guy - no chance; out
a singer
Those Funny Little People - they are getting funnier and going to Hollywood
The Kinetic King - I was shocked that he did not make the top group, but he was spectacular and obviously has a wide variety of different explosive popsicle stick formations; going to Hollywood
Thomas John (juggler who played the xylophone upside down with balls juggled in and spit out of his mouth to the tune "O When the Saints") - out
MALE SINGERS
Ryan Andreas (plus keyboard) - Hollywood
Dezmond Meeks (plus pianist) - Hollywood
Hershae Chocolatae - out
1 act that did not make it
So that was it for day 1. According to my records there were 18 acts that made it. Since the acts came fast and furious last night and many were not identified in the final yes-no results, there may be some errors above from either acts going to Hollywood I said weren't or acts not going to Hollywood that I said were. I will make my best effort to fix them as I recognize them such as when they do or do not turn up in the next round).
The next episode telecast tonight will feature the other teams that are being given a chance for any remaining slots, of which there are plenty. This group has to include what I regard to be some very strong acts:
Sandou Russian Bar Trio
Shemika Charles
Chicago Ultimate Tumblers