The Americas Got Talent live shows are about to begin in New York's iconic Radio City Music Hall, and the first live show includes not one, not two, but three magic acts: Alexanderia the Great, Colins Key and Special Head.
What should Alexanderia do?
The comments I made about Spenser Horsman last year also apply to Alexanderia the Great. As Spencer did in his audition, Vegas performance and Wild Card performance (but not his quarterfinal performance), Alexanderia should assure the audience that her feats are for real. Furthermore, she should come up with an original and exciting escape-There are only so many times she can escape from a pool (or tank) of water before viewers get bored. Finally, she needs to up her game and come up with more elaborate escapes and more memorable traps for her to escape from.
What should Special Head Do?
Special Head's selling point is his novelty value (Which is why he wasn't sorted among the rest of the magicians in Vegas). How many magicians have incorporated throat singing and Far Eastern spirituality into their act before? However, this novelty value will also turn off viewers who will not see him as a serious contender. Special Head should aim to emphasise his unique nature, but make himself accessible to viewers. He should also play on the unpredictablity that made his audition great, but he should also get to the point a lot sooner (He cannot afford to get an X, even if the judges take it back). To put it simply, Special Head is caught between a number of extremes, and has to strike a balance between them to succeed.
What Should Colin's Key Do?
Colins Key, like Special Head, is caught in a dilemma. Should he up the scale of his tricks for the live shows and risk compromising his niche, or should he stick to close-up and alienate the thousands of people in at the back of the Radio City Music Hall? Colins' best bet is to come up with a close-up trick that is so good that it "plays big" and wows everyone in the audience. However, Colins has one advantage. The majority of the audience will be watching him on TV, and are more likely to appreciate his tricks because of the focus of the cameras. Even with that in mind, Colins still needs to come up with something spectacular, as it can be very hard for magic acts to impress the viewers, especially if their tricks are too familiar.
The Competition
This looks like a very competitive heat. Of the other nine acts, four are serious contenders, and most of the other acts are also talented. Unless a large number of the acts flop, shock eliminations are inevitable.
- Anna Christine- A 10- year old singer with a brilliant voice, Anna Christine is likely to get very far in the competition, but, because of her age, viewers may be reluctant to vote for her. However, that will not really be an issue until later on in the competition
- Branden James- Branden is undoubtedly talented, but there are a number of very similar opera singers in the live shows, including Johnathan Allen and Forte, both of whom are probably better and have more enthusiastic support.
- Hype- Hype are aiming to be the first dance act to win Americas Got Talent, and certainly have the talent and creativity needed to do so. However, they may struggle to up their game as the competition progresses.
- American Hitmen- A rock group made up of former marines, American Hitmen are another highly talented act, but may struggle to stand out against their flashier and more original rivals unless they put on a brilliant performance. However, the judges, particularly Howard Stern, have been very vocal in their support of the group, which will give them an advantage, particularly if the require the judges vote to move on .
- KriStef Brothers- The KriStef Brothers mix of hand balancing and comedy is entertaining and unique, but acrobatics acts have never done as well as they deserve to on AGT. Unless they convince the judges and viewers that they are serious contenders, the KriStef Brothers will be going home.
- Fresh Faces- Out of all the acts in the first heat, child dance troupe Fresh Faces have recieved probably the least exposure so far. Their live performance is absolutely critical, but in such a competitive heat, their best might not be enough.
- TellAvision- A Dance Troupe who use flat screen moniters to tell stories, TellAvision have a strong gimmick, but lack the talent needed to elevate their act to the standards required in this heat.
- Kevin Downey Jr. - It's strange that Kevin was passed through automatically whilst better comedians such as Taylor Williamson and John Wing had to compete for their place in the live shows. Kevin's material was mildly amusing, but the main problem with his performance was his hyperactive manner. Kevin's frequent twitches and shrieks before and after he told his jokes probably put a lot of viewers off him. Furthermore, his lack of screen time wil prevent viewers from getting to know him, which will damage his chances of increasing his fan base.
- Aaralyn and Izzy- The least talented and least popular act in the heat, Aaralyn and Izzy were included in the top 60 solely for novelty value.Seeing two kids "performing" death metal (Aaralyn screams and Izzy Drums) is mildly amusing the first time, but once is enough, and Aaralyn and Izzy should not have advanced over the numerous better acts in Las Vegas.
Predictions
I hate to admit it, but Alexanderia the Great's chances of advancing are pretty slim. Last year, Spencer Horsman failed to make it through a weak Wild Card round despite a faultless performance. Unless she does a one-in-a-million performance, she won't be able to better Horsman's results.
Special Head's chances of advancing aren't much better. He probably won't be able to top the shock value of this audition, his tricks are not as impressive as his rivals, and he seems like a goofy novelty.
Colins Key has the best chance of advancing, but it all hinges on his performance. If he performs an amazing trick, he will probably make it through. If he flops, however, he may lose a substantial amount of support.
One thing is for sure, we should expect to see at least one of these magicians in the Wild Card round, and hopefully, we will see at least one in the Semi Finals.
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