(N.B: I've been on holiday the last couple of weeks, meaning that I wasn't able to review the first two Live Shows before the results were revealed. Instead of providing a prediction of the results and an assessment of the competitors as I normally do during the Live Shows, I'm going to reveal the results of the First Live Show in this post as I did when reviewing the Judges Cuts)
The Americas Got Talent Live Shows, which now take place in Holływood's prestigious Dolby Theatre, started last week. With the viewers now able to choose which acts would make it into the next round, it wouldn't be enough to merely gain the support of the judges.
In the first Live Show, the twelve acts competing for a spot in the Semifinals included two magicians - Japanese Illusionist Hara and Close-Up Magician Jon Dorenbos. Only Seven of the acts competing in each Live Show would make it through to the Semifinals, so Hara and Jon Dorenbos had to provide impressive performances in order to win the votes of the viewers.
How Did Hara Do?
For his Live Shows performance, Hara returned to the Videomapping magic of his audition, where the illusions he performed matched up with images projected both in front of him and behind him. Performances utilising Videomapping are almost always beautiful to watch, but in addition to providing unique visuals, Hara used Videomapping to tell a story dedicated to his mother.
Hara's Live Shows routine began with a projection of five doves flying through the air. These doves collided in midair, and transformed into Hara, who floated to the ground and performed some dove tricks, similar to those which he provided in his audition. After this, a projection of Hara's mother appeared and gave him a briefcase. Hara then used projections to show him trying to walk through a forest in pouring rain, making a parasol appear during this sequence.
After Hara had done this, a projection of a dragon appeared, and Hara levitated into the air, appearing to ride on the dragon as it flew through the sky. During this especially impressive sequence, Hara performed some tricks in which he made lights appear at his fingertips, transforming them into projections of stars and fireworks. Hara then landed outside a place called "Harawood", where the projection of the dragon transformed into his mother who, in this instance was real (AND NOT a projection). Hara then finished his performance by opening the case he had been provided earlier. A projection of a flock of doves flew out, before Hara made a real dove appear in his hands.
Hara's Live Show routine demonstrated how excellent visuals and a strong story can make even the most basic magic seem exciting. A magician making lights appear in his hands is not particularly impressive on its own, but when these lights are transformed into stars and fireworks, it is wonderful to watch. All of Hara's visuals enhanced the magic and contributed to the story. This made Hara's performance seem memorable and exciting to watch, as all the best magic should be.
The Judges were full of praise for Hara's performance. Simon said that Hara's routine had "made" him due to the quality of magic. Howie, who gave Hara a standing ovation, praised the story told during the performance, as did Mel B. Heidi concluded by saying that Hara was "a man of many mysteries". In spite of this praise, Hara did not get enough votes to advance automatically, and had to face the Judges Choice at the end of the Results Show. Although Howie and Mel B voted to put Hara through, Simon and Heidi voted for Knife-Throwing Duo Deadly Games, and as Deadly Games received more votes from the public, they went through to the next round, eliminating Hara.
I can understand why Hara did not get enough votes, as he had to deal with tough competition, an early performance slot and a growing lack of interest in Videomapping acts (Sila Sveta, a dance duo utilising Videomapping technology, were also eliminated in this Live Show). However, I think that Hara deserved a Place in the Semifinals, as his act was totally unique, and it is easy to imagine him headlining a show in Las Vegas. Last year, the judges reinstated one act eliminated in the Live Shows as a Wild Card to ensure that there was an even number of acts in the Semi Finals. Hopefully, Hara could be chosen as that Wild Card this year.
How Did Jon Dorenbos Do?
After providing Card tricks in his previous two performance, Jon Dorenbos chose to perform a mentalism routine in the Live Shows. He began his performance by placing a glass bottle (which contained a mysterious Prediction written on a piece of paper ) on the Judges Table. Having used drawings in his Judges Cuts performance, Jon promised to "mix this up" by giving each of the four judges poster boards and marker pens, before telling them to draw an image of their choice on the poster boards without anyone else seeing. After this, the judges were told to turn their poster boards face down, and Mel B was asked to shuffle them until she had no idea of their order. Mel B then chose a poster board at random (still keeping it face down) and gave it to Jon. Jon looked at the picture on the poster board (a small heart) and correctly guessed that it had been drawn by Mel B. Mel B then gave Jon a second poster board. This one had a picture of a sweater on it, and Jon correctly guessed that Howie had drawn it. Jon then received the third poster board, which had a picture of a butterfly on it, and correctly guessed that this had been drawn by Heidi.
After correctly matching three images to the judges who drew them, Jon had one picture board left over - the one he had given to Simon. Therefore, Jon decided to do something a bit different for Simon. He told Simon to think of his chosen image, and whilst Simon did this, Jon drew something on the back of Heidi's used poster board. However, he appeared unable to predict the item which Simon had drawn. Simon's image was soon revealed - it was a very strange picture of a dog. After this, Jon pointed to the glass bottle he had placed on the Judges Table earlier, and revealed that it contained predictions of the judges drawings. The judges were asked to break the bottle inside a paper bag. Jon pulled an envelope out of the bag, revealing that this envelope contained the predictions he had made earlier. The envelope was opened to reveal that Jon had provided an accurate reproduction of Simon's drawing. However, there was more to come, as Jon revealed a "secret pocket" on the other side of the envelope. Jon told Simon to open the "secret pocket" and revealed that it contained correct predictions of the other three drawings, which Jon had matched to Heidi, Howie and Mel B earlier in the routine
After correctly matching three images to the judges who drew them, Jon had one picture board left over - the one he had given to Simon. Therefore, Jon decided to do something a bit different for Simon. He told Simon to think of his chosen image, and whilst Simon did this, Jon drew something on the back of Heidi's used poster board. However, he appeared unable to predict the item which Simon had drawn. Simon's image was soon revealed - it was a very strange picture of a dog. After this, Jon pointed to the glass bottle he had placed on the Judges Table earlier, and revealed that it contained predictions of the judges drawings. The judges were asked to break the bottle inside a paper bag. Jon pulled an envelope out of the bag, revealing that this envelope contained the predictions he had made earlier. The envelope was opened to reveal that Jon had provided an accurate reproduction of Simon's drawing. However, there was more to come, as Jon revealed a "secret pocket" on the other side of the envelope. Jon told Simon to open the "secret pocket" and revealed that it contained correct predictions of the other three drawings, which Jon had matched to Heidi, Howie and Mel B earlier in the routine
Mentalism routines have become a common feature of AGT in recent years, because they can impress a large audience and are very hard to figure out. However, with so many magicians performing mentalism routines, it is getting harder to provide one which stands out. Fortunately, Jon Dorenbos' Live Show performance was a success. The best thing about Jon is his down-to-earth approach, and his simple props and casual style made his routine seem even more impressive. Jon used a couple of fakeouts, but these were amusing and fitted into the routine effectively. Jon's hesitation before deciding that Howie had drawn the sweater, and his initial failure to guess Simon's drawing made the climax of the routine all the more impressive. Overall, Jon Dorenbos provided an enjoyable performance. It's hard to compare him with Hara, as they have vastly different approaches, but I think that Jon Dorenbos probably provided the better performance.
All four judges gave Jon a standing ovation. Howie said he was "mesmerised" by the performance, and expressed confidence that Jon would get through to the next round. Mel B said she had no idea how Jon was able to predict her drawing. Heidi praised Jon's "super engaging" performance style and "solid" magic, and Simon said that Jon was "A real American Hero". Ultimately, during the results show, it was announced that Jon Dorenbos had received enough votes to gain an automatic place in the Semifinals, which he definitely deserved. To be honest, Jon would have probably got through even if his performance had been disappointing (His likeable personality and moving backstory ensure that he has a very strong fan base), but the quality of Jon's Live Show performance cements his status as one of the acts to beat in the Semifinals.
Who Else Made It Through?
In addition to Jon Dorenbos, the following six acts made it through to the Semifinals, which are due to start in September.
Knife-Throwing Duo Deadly Games
Teenage Jazz/Soul Singer Jayna Brown
Teenage Opera Singer Laura Bretan
Teenage Stand-Up Comedienne Lori Mae Hernandez
Pop Choir Musicality
Mime/Physical Comedian Tape Face
I wish all of them he best of luck in the Semifinals.
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