Photo by: Vivian Zink/NBC
Tonight begins the first round of the quarter finals on America’s Got Talent 2018, with three weeks of the quarter finals scheduled for season 13. Heidi Klum, Mel B, Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel continue to appear on the judges’ panel and 12 contestants will show off their talents tonight. Unfortunately, not everyone can be a winner, so America’s voting for AGT contestants is important. So, who are the acts that are performing tonight?
According to NBC, the 12 acts performing are teen singer Amanda Mena, the Angel City Chorale, young singer Courtney Hadwin, teen rapper Flau’jae, the novelty act Human Fountains, dance group Junior New System, escape artist Lord Nil, diabolo artist Mochi, the PAC Dance Team, magician Shin Lim, stand-up comedienne Vicki Barbolak and family band We Three. Several of tonight’s contestants may look familiar as they have appeared on other shows prior to auditioning for AGT.
Magician Shim Lim was actually on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, while the dance group Junior New System was a finalist on Asia’s Got Talent. Young rapper Flau’jae made it to the final four on the reality competition show The Rap Game. Singer Hadwin was a finalist on season 1 of The Voice Kids (UK), while singer Mena actually won season 2 of La Voz Kids. Both Hadwin and Mena were also golden buzzer winners on AGT this season.
Mena was born in the Dominican Republic and Billboard reported that she struggled with bullies in school because of her English speaking. Mel B was the judge who hit the golden buzzer for Mena. Courtney Hadwin amazed the judges with her unique singing skills and she is just 13 years old. A shy girl, one wouldn’t expect for her to be such an outgoing performer and judge Howie Mandel couldn’t help but to hit the golden buzzer for her.
The dance team Junior New System is made up of male dancers, who wear six-inch heels for their performances. The group hails from the Philippines, where they say life is very hard, as many of them live in poverty. They are one of judge Mel B’s favorite acts. Juggler Mochi is passionate and has said on the show that he practices diabolo six hours every day. He said that his family doesn’t support his passion, though he’s made it his life’s work. Mochi’s juggling act blends digital stimulation with music.
Every season on AGT there is a huge variety in the acts when it comes to the performers. Judge Howie Mandel talked about the wide range of contestants to Deadline in recent months, saying, “America’s Got Talent is the last bastion—and the only bastion—of real variety television. Television was created as another way of projecting vaudeville. All those vaudeville shows, that’s where everybody went before there was TV; in between movies, people went to theaters to see the juggler, and the magician, and the singer. Then, there became shows in America like Ed Sullivan, where everybody would gather around on Sunday night. That’s what made Elvis, Elvis. That’s what made The Beatles, The Beatles. And that is what’s happening with America’s Got Talent.”