Is there another Jackie Evancho out there? That’s what America’s Got Talent was hoping for last night, as it gave us a special performance show based on YouTube submissions…
TNC Elite – The choice of a slowed down version of “I Got a Feeling” was weird. I hated the costumes and the fact that there were unnecessary backup dancers. Like normal clogging teams, they were sharp in synchronization, formations, or timing. The solo section without music was the best part, but it defeated the reason for them using contemporary music. My Grade: C
Illusionist Brett Daniels – Brett was a washed out magician who decided to use a 15-year-old trick; it reeked of desperation. The setup took too long and when the curtain almost failed, I expected the worst. The dancing was a waste of time, the book flipping pages was stupid, and the robe setup was too long. While Marilyn disappeared amazingly at the end, it needed better timing. My Grade: C-
Gabe Rocks – Gabe Rocks (above) knows how to flush a toilet, so he wins in my book. The beginning took long, but it was so cute watching him ride a rocking horse; then he peed on Piers. What the skateboard had to do with the whole cowboy motif was beyond me, but that was his trademark. My Grade: B+
Breena Bell – There is something about Breena that reminds me of Toddlers and Tiaras where she has some talent and her mother was directing her from backstage. She had one plus: no backup dancers. The whole routine looked like a pageant talent portion and all she needed was a spray tan. She’s a good contortionist, but not a winning act. My Grade: C
Kevin Colis – Picking “The Lazy Song” wasn’t the smartest choice; it made him seem equally lazy. The props were boring and he didn’t do anything to help, if he was lazy, why was there luggage? He looked like Justin Guarini with a guitar. The performance wasn’t bad, it was just sleepy. My Grade: B-
Beth Ann Robinson – Beth Ann had one picture of her with a crown and a sash, so I was worried that part of the performance was going to be pageant cliché. She clearly had a choreographer help her. There were some steps that didn’t transition well, but her turns and spins were strong. I could see her becoming a So You Think You Can Dance contestant in three or four years. My Grade: B+
Gymkana – The University of Maryland group started off with a routine similar to their audition piece but sharper and with better difficulty. I liked the tumbling, but the real stars were the six girls on the ladders and the three men in the center. My Grade: A-
Kalani Basketball Freestyle – Kalani was the one man Globetrotter with an alien theme. The tricks were interesting, even though the camera wasn’t the best at showing the tricks. The juggling was boring and a waste of time. He dropped the ball when he attempted the double ball spin, but the use of the fire and the dancers was smart. My Grade: C-
West Springfield Dance Team – The dance team likes doing dark intense performances, but their concept looked less scary and more like a Matrix-style performance with contacts. I don’t like Dub Step, and there were too many dancers combined with too many camera angles. I wasn’t scared, but I was impressed by their choice of formations and tutting. My Grade: B+
Matt Wilhelm – There are a lot of BMX-ers with the ability to do tricks, but adding neon and black lights was smart. The performance started as a dancing bicycle and it didn’t translate well on television because it could have been a bike on strings. The performance switched to just Matt on a black bike and it only worked because it looked like he was flying. The performance got good when you saw both parts together. My Grade: A-
Powerhouse – Powerhouse is the definition of a show choir. If you watch Glee, Powerhouse is less of New Directions and more of Vocal Adrenaline. The costumes were distracting and unlike Glee there were too many voices muffling the whole song. I liked the hand fireworks. The solo vocalist wasn’t the strongest and you could hear when everyone was out of breath. It was a bit too Amusement Park performance for me. My Grade: B-