In the Second Episode of the Judges Cuts on Americas Got Talent, which aired last week, 20 more acts competed for seven places in the Live Shows. They had to impress the four regular judges and Country Singer Reba McEntire, who was the "Guest Judge" in this episode.
The 20 competitors included three magic acts: Child Illusionist Kadan Bart Rockett, Singer/Magician Duo Cecile & Mighty and Rubix Cube Magician Steven Brundage.
How Did Kadan Bart Rockett Do?
Child Acts have always been a defining feature of AGT, but they generally tend to be singers or dancers. However, Kadan Bart Rockett is the first Child Magician to appear on AGT in its 11-year history. Kadan is only 10 years old, but specialises in performing the elaborate and spectacular illusions associated with far older magicians. In his audition (Above), Kadan performed what was essentially a homemade version of David Copperfield's iconic Death Saw Illusion He sawed his younger sister Brooklyn Rockett in half inside a cardboard box, then opened the box to show that both her upper body and legs were clearly visible and still moving.Though the the routine had a rather amateurish feel, it was still fun to watch, and I admired Kadan's ambition in performing such a spectacular trick.
However, Kadan's performance for Judges Cuts (Below) was even more elaborate. In a routine set to the B.O.B Song "Magic", Kadan began by laying a large suitcase on a table. He then opened it and took out a basic magicians costume consisting of a black cape, top hat and Groucho Glasses. Kadan then took a suitcase from the side of the stage, and used it as an impromptu step to climb on top of the table. When Kadan appeared on top of the table, he made not one, not two but SIX girls appear from the suitcase, one at a time. The girls then surrounded Kadan and ripped off his disguise to reveal that he had been replaced by Brooklyn, with Kadan reappearing beside the Judges Desk with an air horn.
It is fairly easy to figure out how this routine was done, but Kadan performed all the key moves smoothly and confidently. I especially liked the reveal of Brooklyn, particularly as Kadan had earlier said that she was "still recovering" from the audition. In spite of his youth, Kadan provided a routine which was impressive even by adult standards, and overall, I really enjoyed watching it.
The Judges all praised Kadan's performance. Mel B called it "very, very entertaining" and Heidi Klum praised Kadan's stage presence. At the end of the episode, the judges put Kadan through to the Live Shows. Kadan deserved his place in the Live Shows, and I hope that his next performance will be as spectacular as this one.
How Did Cecile & Mighty Do?
Cecile and Mighty are a duo consisting of singer Cecile and Magician/hand balancer Mighty. Their audition was untelevised, but it was implied that not all the judges liked it, as Cecile complained about the fact she "didn't get a vote from everybody". This meant that Cecile & Mighty had to provide a spectacular performance to stand out, but they instead turned out to be one of the worst acts in the episode.
Cecile & Mighty's Judges Cuts Performance (Below) consisted of Cecile singing "Holding Out For A Hero" whilst Mighty performed some basic magic tricks, such as making a rose appear inside a handkerchief, and did some hand balancing on two sets of blocks. However, Cecile was not a good singer, and her voice was unpleasant to listen to. The small stunts which Mighty performed complemented the song choice well, but in a heat with numerous superior magicians and acrobats, he seemed really amateurish in comparison. The entire act felt messy, and Mighty seemed like a mere backing performer, ensuring that his talents were wasted.
If Cecile & Mighty's aim was to win over the judges, they did not succeed, as Simon Cowell gave the duo an X. The judges did not appear to spend much time commenting on the act, although Reba said that it looked like Cecile & Mighty were "having a blast." However, just because two performers are having a good time, it doesn't mean that they're talented, and it was no surprise to see Cecile & Mighty get eliminated at the end of the episode.
How Did Steven Brundage Do?
Magic fans will recognise Steven Brundage from his appearance on Penn and Teller: Fool Us, where he succeeded in fooling Penn and Teller with a number of tricks involving a Rubix Cube. For his AGT audition (Above), Steven performed two of the tricks he had performed on Penn and Teller: Fool Us, as he managed to magically solve a Rubix Cube inside and empty bag, and changed it to perfectly match a second Cube mixed up by Simon. However, whilst Steven's audition was impressive, I was worried that his focus on one item would lose its novelty in subsequent rounds.
Fortunately, for his Judges Cuts performance (Below), Steven managed to do something creative and original with his signature Rubix Cube. He began by mixing up the cube, before magically solving it in plain sight - twice in a row. Steven then gave the cube to Reba and told her to hold it on her palm, before getting out a deck of cards and asking Heidi to choose one. Heidi chose the Six of Diamonds, and Steven tore a piece from the card. He placed this piece in his hand, and made it vanish. After doing this, Steven promised to make the piece appear underneath the Rubix Cube in Reba's hand. However, when the piece did not appear underneath the Rubix Cube. Steven claimed that it was actually inside the Cube, He took Reba's Rubix Cube and broke off one of the pieces. Steven then opened this piece to reveal a folded-up corner of a card inside. This piece turned out to be the one which Steven had torn from Heidi's chosen card.
Who Made It Through To The Live Shows?
In addition to Kadan Bart Rockett, six other acts made it through Episode 2 of the Judges Cuts. They were:
- Knife-Throwing Duo Deadly Games
- Transgender Stand-Up Comedienne Julia Scotti
- Child Country Singer Kadie Lynn Roberson
- Rock/Soul Singer Moya Angela
- Teenage Contortionist/ Acrobat Sofie Dossi
- Contortionist Vello Vaher
I wish all of them the best of luck in the Live Shows.
No comments:
Post a Comment