Americas Got Talent 8; Live Show 3 preview-Leon Etienne and Romy Low

,FOR BRITISH VIEWERS, THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS

Americas Got Talent is halfway through the first round, and already magician Colins Key has made it into the semi finals. Can Leon Etienne and Romy Low join them?

What should Leon and Romy do?

Over the eight seasons AGT has been on the air, dozens of magic acts have failed because they forgot to heed a simple rule; All the showmanship in the world won't help you if you do a trick we've all seen before. As I noted in an earlier post, Scott Alexander did one of the most lavish tricks ever seen on AGT in Series 6 (Vanishing an entire gospel choir and making them reappear on the balcony), but finished behind an act who had gained 2 X's. Viewers were too familiar with the method behind his trick to be impressed. Leon and Romy have a similar problem- The tricks they used to make it this far have been generic in nature. For their live performance, Leon and Romy need to come up with, and perform, a trick most viewers haven't seen before. I accept that most magicians on AGT have budget constraints, but all you need to succeed is a little creativity. In the same year that Scott Alexander failed so spectacularly, Landon Swank became AGT's most successful magician to date. He constructed all his props at home, but the tricks he did with them were creative and exciting. Leon and Romy (As well as all future magicians on AGT) should keep this in mind when planning and preparing for a performance.

On Twitter, Leon has implied that his performance could be themed around "Shark week" . This certainly sounds promising, but can Leon make a truly amazing illusion from this creative theme?

What is the Competition Like?

Last week, the quality of the acts was so low that annoying "one-hit wonder" Tone the Chiefrocca made the judges choice. This week, however, looks far more competitive. At least seven acts look like serious contenders, and the others are also good:

• American Military Spouses Choir - Viewers tend to be very supportive of acts connected to the military, but American Military Spouses Choir may be seen as bland, despite their talent.  Their live performance is absolutely critical.
• AeroSphere - AGT was created to showcase acts like Areosphere, an act centred around a performer doing acrobatics tethered to a giant balloon. It's certainly impressive, but it is limited in range. Furthermore, the novelty of the act could wear off very quickly.
• Brandon and Savannah - Brandon and Savannah owe their place in the live shows to the judges bias towards bands. In Vegas Week, they chose to sing a cover instead of the original song that got them through the auditions. They got through, whilst Paul Thomas Mitchell, a more talented singer and songwriter who compromised his niche in the same way, was eliminated. Don't get me wrong, Brandon and Savannah are talented, and I have no objection towards them, But they are caught between a rock and a hard place. Should they do an original song and limit their appeal, or do a cover and lose their edge?
• Chicago Boyz - An acrobatics group specialising in jump rope, Chicago Boyz certainly have talent and appeal, but how can they up their game?
• Dave "The Cobra Kid" Weathers- Snake handling is very dangerous and impressive, but as an act, it is limited. Dave "The Cobra Kid" Weathers is the first snake handler on AGT to make the live shows. He has personality and some unique tricks, but can he convince an audience that has rarely voted for danger acts?
• Deanna DellaCioppa - Deanna DellaCioppa is a great singer, but critics will likely feel that they have seen others like her before. she needs to pulls off a spectacular performance if she is to win them over.
• Jim Meskimen- This year, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the fact that several acts (in particular Marty Brown and Forte) have had professional careers in the past. For that reason, impressionist Jim Meskimen could be in trouble. Meskimen has easily the most prolific career of anyone in AGT's live shows this year,  having appeared on TV shows such as Fresh Prince of Bel Air and Friends and lent his voice to a number of animated shows and video games. He is a very talented impressionist, but his audition was great because of his energy and accuracy, and there was little to it beyond the impressions themselves. Can Meskimen turn his talent into an act?
• Johnathan Allen- Johnathan Allen is a talented opera singer, but he has one problem outside his control. His immediate rival, Branden James, is already through to the Semifinals. Many viewers are sick of the opera singers, or rooting for Branden. To win them over, Johnathan will need to give the performance of a lifetime.
• Kelsey and Bailey- Olate Dogs were controversial winners last year, so it's odd that we should see another dog act this year.  Kelsey and Bailey are above average, but they won't be able to top Olate Dogs, and viewers are already sick of dog acts.
• Kenchini Ebina - Since Series 4, there has been one solo dancer every year that has wowed America. Kenchini Ebina looks set to follow that trend. Of his predesessors, Kenchini is most similar to Haspop from Series 5, due to his use of mime and his creative routines. But he needs to keep up the momentum in order to get further than all the acts of his type before him.
• Mitisi School of Dance- A Chinese Folk-dance act, Mitisi School of Dance are precise and unique, but their appeal is limited, especially against more energetic rivals.

What are Leon and Romy's Chances?

Leon Etienne and Romy Low have a small chance of making it through, but it largely depends on how good their trick is. If it is great, then they could be right up there with the favourites. But in such a tough heat, their best may not be enough.