Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC Pictured: (l-r) Gabrielle Union and Julianne Hough
America’s Got Talent returns tonight with a new set of auditions. Some of them will wow the judges and be voted on through, others will be shown the door, and one lucky performer will be the recipient of the Golden Buzzer!
Tonight’s acts include dance troupe Verba Shadow, singer Emmane Beasha, VR artist Phobia VR, and contemporary dance duo Izzy and Easton, just to name a few. Find out which performers get voted through below, and get live updates on the show.
Who Made It Through Tonight?
NICK AND LINDSAY, a knife throwing act, are the first to perform tonight. They impress the crowd with their precise skills, as Nick stands in front of a board and sings while Lindsay tosses knives around him. “I love you,” Gabrielle says. “For every wife who wants to throw sharp things at her husband, I thank you.” Simon says that the singing is bad, and dryly asks Lindsay to throw a knife at him with her feet. “This will turn into a yes if you don’t kill me,” he quips. The judges vote, and duo make it through!
IZZY AND EASTON are the next act to take the stage. The siblings are on fire from the moment they start, as their precise moves and impressive athleticism visibly impresses the judges. Simon is so impressed, in fact, that he starts the standing ovation. Gabrielle calls their act “masterful,” while Simon calls them both “fantastic.” The other judges are in agreement, and they vote them through.
LAMONT LANDERS is a soul singer hailing from Alabama. He sings Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” with a sweet, soulful delivery that instantly connects with the audience. Despite his polished vocals, Simon is quick to criticize him. He calls the song, and the performance, safe. “You don’t take risks,” he says. “[It’s a] wedding song.”
Lamont asks if he can perform a different song, and after a commercial break, he comes back with a fiery rendition of Robyn’s “Dancing on My Own.” He nails it this time around, and the panel is impressed. Howie Mandel says he stepped it up “10 levels” and Simon says “the door just opened for you a little.” He gets voted through.
NDLOVU YOUTH CHOIR – The South African group perform a song titled “Our African Dream.” The group is tender, eloquent and well put together. “This whole place was rooting for you, and you did not disappoint,” Gabrielle pointed out. Julianne Hough praised the choir’s authenticity, saying that they “transported” everyone in the building. Simon simply adds, “This was a great audition.”
PHOBIA VR – This duo helps people get over their fears of virtual reality. They ask Howie, who is afraid of heights, to help them in their presentation. They put the judge in a virtual grand canyon. They help him cross the canyon by himself, where he saves a guy. Howie is definitely freaked out, but he admits he’s impressed with the technology. Simon is tickled because he enjoyed “seeing Howie look silly.” They make it through.
EMMANE BEASHA – This tween singer belts out a rendition of Nessun dorma, and though she doesn’t add anything different to the song, her vocal chops are undisputed. “How does that voice come out of that little body,” Julianne asks. Gabrielle refers to her as a “star,” and Simon calls her “absolutely fantastic.” She is the next performer to be voted up.
LUKAS AND FALCO – Lukas Pratschker and his dog Falco do a cowboy themed routine with a lasso to the song “Footloose.” Howie loved it, Julianne complimented it for being “energetic,” and Simon admits that the dog has great personality. They make it through!
VERBA SHADOW – This Ukrainian dance troupe uses movement to tell the story of couple torn apart by war. leader fell in love with a fellow member, got engaged and then eventually married. It’s incredibly unique, and the way the performers use their bodies to contort to shadows and storytelling tools is impressive. Gabrielle calls it “achingly beautiful and haunting” and Julianne calls it an “absolute treat.” Howie and Simon echo their sentiments, and send Verba Shadow through.
BEN TRIGGER – Trigger comes out, strips down to pasties and a leotard, and begins twirling and dancing. During his obviously comedic routine, he accidentally lays on the table and trigger the Golden Buzzer! While the panel finds him hilarious and agrees to send him through, they do revoke the Golden Buzzer, meaning that there is no free pass to the finals awarded this week.
Who Gets Sent Home Tonight?
DEATH – The first rejection of the night goes to a comedian named “Death.” He delivers a series of bizarre one-liners while wearing face paint and a black hood. “They say the only guarantees in life are death and taxes,” he says during his audition, “but if you walk around all summer in a thick black cloak, thigh chafing is also gonna happen.”
That joke earns an uncomfortable moment of silence until Simon decides to hit his red X. The rest of the panel agrees, and Death gets sent home.