Americas Got Talent 8- This Year's Magicians

FOR BRITISH VIEWERS, THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS.

With two new judges (Heidi Klum and Mel B replacing Sharon Osbourne), Americas Got Talent has returned for an eighth season. After Olate Dogs' surprise win last year, this series has been dominated by unusual and unconventional talent. The focus on the unusual extends to the magic acts. Of the five shown passing the auditions, only one was a conventional illusionist. Other magic acts may have passed through the auditions as well, but none of the Magic Acts introduced in Vegas  during previous seasons has made the Live Shows, so the five shown below have the best chance of making the live shows. They are, listed in order of appearance.

1. Special Head

Out of all this years magic acts, Special Head was the most surprising. After a terrible start, which consisted of him sitting down on the floor and "Throat Singing" (A strange variety of singing that always gets rejected at the auditions) . Then he levitated into the air, with one hand propped up on a stick, and the rest of his body, still in a sitting lotus posture, horizontal to the top of the stick. It was an impressive, if not completely original trick, but Special Head will be under a lot of pressure to top it. Furthermore, with audiences now knowing what to expect of him, he may lose the surprise value that made his audition so memorable.

2. Collins Key

In the past, close-up magic has never impressed on Americas Got Talent. In series 5, eventual finalist Michael Grasso was initially rejected at Vegas for performing sleight of hand tricks there. But it is a lot harder to figure out then grand illusions, and can be just as, if not more, impressive when performed by a magician like David Blaine or Dynamo. Key's trick, to make a dollar bill vanish and reappear in a sealed bag of popcorn, was very good indeed, but if he wants to compete with the rest, he has to rival the greats of close-up magic with a trick that is both original and amazing.

3.. Alexanderia The Great

Like Spencer Horsman from last year, Alexanderia the Great is an escapologist rather than a magician, but, given that the most famous magician ever is Houdini, best remembered for his escapology, she will be counted among the magicians as Spencer was. Whilst Spencer sold himself on his youth, Alexanderia is a middle-aged mother and wife. That could make her relateable and appealing (Personality counts as much as talent on this show) and give her an edge, but danger acts have never fared as well as they deserved to. Spencer missed out on the Semifinals despite a faultless wildcard performance, and, although her audition was excellent, Alexanderia may fail to get far due to the fact that audiences are uncomfortable with acts who risk their life. (Last year, other dangerous acts such as Ben Blaque and Donovan and Rebecca failed to get as far as they should have, even though they were among the best acts of the season). For this reason, Alexanderia is under extra pressure, as her best might not be good enough.

4. Leon Etienne 

Leon Etienne, the only conventional illusionist whose audition was shown, was seen only in a montage. His main rivals all received far more screen time, putting them at an advantage. However, Etienne made a strong impression during his brief  appearance, performing a number of good, if unoriginal tricks, with flair and energy. To make it far, his tricks need to be more creative. In the series 6 live shows, Scott Alexander teleported an entire choir during his heat, but audiences were unimpressed with the generic nature of the trick, and he finished behind an act that had gained 2 X's. Bigger isn't always better, so Etienne will have to combine the spectacle that has helped him stand out with originality.

5. Nathan Phan

Nathan Phan, like Special Head, initially appeared to be an odd novelty in the vein of the rejected magicians who were shown immediately before him. Escaping from a straitjacket whilst singing Queen's "I Want to Break Free", he initially received 2 X's. Like Special Head, he eventually won the judges and viewers over, in this case with a creative "Sleight-of-mouth" trick performed unrehearsed on the spot. Phan has talent, but from here, there are no second chances. He has to do a clever and creative trick like the one that got him through, or he goes out. Furthermore, he has to up his game. His card trick was good, but it was a lot less impressive then the tricks performed by his rivals. Phan will have to upstage the likes of Colins Key if he wants to succeed.

These are the five magic acts that viewers were introduced to during the audition phase. Next week, we will reveal how they fared in Vegas.