(For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers)
How Did Piff the Magic Dragon Fare?
After doing card tricks for his previous two performances, Piff the Magic Dragon provided a more spectacular, if less creative, routine for the Live Shows. After beginning with a Game Of Thrones-style intro and getting up from a giant throne modelled after the one seen in that popular fantasy drama, Piff performed a routine in which he put the life of his pet chihuahua Mr Piffles, his "only friend and sole source of income", on the line. Before the performance started, he placed Mr. Piffles in one of four boxes suspended above the stage. He then got Howie onto the stage as his volunteer, then told him to pick two boxes that he didn't think the dog was in. These boxes were dropped onto the floor and destroyed by a female assistant, who stomped on the first box and crushed the second with a baseball bat. This left Howie with two boxes, one of which contained Mr. Piffles inside it. Howie was instructed to choose which of the remaining boxes the dog was in. A woodchipper was placed beneath the box that Howie didn't choose. It was turned on with his (reluctant) help and the rejected box was dropped into it. Fortunately, Mr. Piffles wasn't inside it, and Piff finished his routine by taking down the last box to reveal his pet dog safe and sound inside. Though Piff provided some amusingly dark jokes and the presentation was enjoyable (in spite of the questionable subject matter), he is the SEVENTH act (After Frank Miles, Landon Swank, Colins Key, Rogue, David and Leeman and Wayne Hoffman) to provide a Russian Roulette-type magic routine on AGT. Although he only used cards in his first two performances, the tricks he did with them were far more unique. Given that he has such an original approach to magic, it seems a shame that Piff used the Radio City stage to perform a comparatively generic trick. Furthermore, there was a minor problem when Howie appeared to notice something moving in one of the boxes early on, and that box turned out to be the one containing Mr. Piffles. This may have been just a coincidence, but it makes the trick seem less impressive, particularly if it affected Howie's decisions. Overall, it was a decent routine, but not quite up to the standard that Piff has set so far in the competition.
What Did The Judges Say?
The judges generally felt that Piff's performance was inferior to his previous two. Heidi was disappointed by it, saying that it was "more like Game of Groans" than Game of Thrones and arguing that Piff did not need to provide such ostentatious staging. Mel B felt that only "half" of the routine worked, and Piff's personality was funnier than the performance . Howie was the most positive judge, saying he had nothing to do with the trick and describing it as "amazing", but Howard felt that Piff did not provide enough comedy. As Mel B was making her comments, a man provided Piff with a Chinese Takeaway meal, and Piff continued his habit of eating on stage after his performance. It's a funny running joke, but I'm not sure how far he can take it before it gets too silly.
How Did The Other Acts Fare?
This season has been full of unusual and unique acts, and many of them shone this week. Videomapping Dance Troupe Siro-A were full of energy and creativity, whilst 13 year-old Latino Singer Alondra Santos delivered a solid performance. Contortionist Vita Radionova is very skilled, but her performance felt a bit repetitive. Vocal Trio Triple Threat were the big disappointments of the night, ending up with 3 X's due to the fact their singing was not up to their usual standard. Preteen Dance Duo The Gentlemen were energetic and engaging, but are not as impressive as other dancers still in the competition. Country/Rock Singer Benton Blount struggled at first but got better as his performance progressed, whilst Acrobatic Dance Duo Craig and Micheline showed off their strength but lacked the beauty and grace they needed to truly impress. Stuttering Comedian Drew Lynch is amusing but not always comfortable to watch, whilst Gymnastics Troupe Showproject were interesting, but not as smooth as they should have been. British Ventriloquist Paul Zerdin was one of the standouts of the night due to his skill at bringing his puppets to life. Finally, Singer Samantha Johnson finished the evening with a powerful rendition of "California Dreamin'", but she can turn screechy when going for the higher notes.
What Are Piff's Chances?
Fortunately for Piff, Seven acts go through tonight. Although this wasn't his best performance, it was good enough for him to deserve a spot in the Semifinals, and I think that the quality of his previous routines will cement an automatic spot. Piff has a Very Good chance of making it through, but he needs to provide a far better performance next time.
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