FOR BRITISH VIEWERS, THIS ARTICLE MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
How Did Leon and Romy Do?
Leon Etienne and Romy Low disappointed with their live performance. Contrary to the rumours on Twitter, there were no sharks in sight (Leon and Romy probably lacked the time and money to bring one in), and instead we got a less spectacular trick. Leon and Romy performed the "Backstage" illusion, a classic Lance Burton trick. Leon got into a box which had a large number of canes inserted into it. The twist here was that we saw the trick from behind. That meant that we saw Leon get out of the box through a trap door as the first canes were put through the box, and secretly climb under a covered table. However, by the time all the canes had been removed, Leon was back in the box, and AGT host Nick Cannon had appeared under the table. "Backstage" is a great trick, but it was confusing for both the AGT judges and the viewers at home. One problem was that Leon and Romy used a moniter to show the audience and judges appearing to watch the trick from "The Front". This was a problem, as it was not certain whether we were seeing the same things as the audience and judges were. Furthermore, because this was a performance dependant almost entirely on the twist at the end, the build-up felt too slow. Pacing issues have ruined a number of magicians on AGT before (Such as Brett Daniels from Series 6 and Rudy Coby from Series 7), and Leon and Romy lacked the showmanship to make up for this, despite the modern clothing and upbeat music.
How Did Leon and Romy Do?
Leon Etienne and Romy Low disappointed with their live performance. Contrary to the rumours on Twitter, there were no sharks in sight (Leon and Romy probably lacked the time and money to bring one in), and instead we got a less spectacular trick. Leon and Romy performed the "Backstage" illusion, a classic Lance Burton trick. Leon got into a box which had a large number of canes inserted into it. The twist here was that we saw the trick from behind. That meant that we saw Leon get out of the box through a trap door as the first canes were put through the box, and secretly climb under a covered table. However, by the time all the canes had been removed, Leon was back in the box, and AGT host Nick Cannon had appeared under the table. "Backstage" is a great trick, but it was confusing for both the AGT judges and the viewers at home. One problem was that Leon and Romy used a moniter to show the audience and judges appearing to watch the trick from "The Front". This was a problem, as it was not certain whether we were seeing the same things as the audience and judges were. Furthermore, because this was a performance dependant almost entirely on the twist at the end, the build-up felt too slow. Pacing issues have ruined a number of magicians on AGT before (Such as Brett Daniels from Series 6 and Rudy Coby from Series 7), and Leon and Romy lacked the showmanship to make up for this, despite the modern clothing and upbeat music.
In fact, Leon and Romy were the only act of the night to gain an X, from Howard. He said that the performance bored him and criticised the delivery. Mel B shared his opinion, claiming that the only reason she didn't buzz too was because she enjoyed the final reveal. Howie and Heidi, however, found the trick creative and suprising. Both arguments are valid, but at the end of the day, Leon and Romy needed to give a knockout performance if they wanted to get through, and they didn't.
What was the competition like?
The third live show was just as competitive as I anticipated, with six or seven acts deserving a place in the next round. Apart from Leon and Romy, only a couple of performers failed to impress. They were: Dog act Kelsey and Bailey, whose tricks were generic and unexciting, and Dave "The Cobra Kid" Weathers, who brought a 15-foot Cobra on stage but did little with it. AeroSphere added more movement to their act, but it was too short and unfocused, whilst Brandon and Savannah did another cover, and were good but not exceptional. This leaves us with the seven top contenders, who would have easily made it through if they had performed on the last two live shows. Mitisi Dance School were precise and unique, but focused on precision rather than excitement. Chicago Boyz made a few mistakes, but overall, their routine was excellent. Jim Meskimen united his improvised impressions under a common theme and did a very good job. Deanna DellaCioppa gave a very strong performance, as did Johnathan Allen, but the two singers could be overshadowed by their more unique opposition. Meanwhile, American Military Spouses Choir are polarising among AGT viewers, but have an obsessive fan base, which, as we saw with Marty Brown last week, can be all that really matters.
Best of all, however, was Kenchini Ebina, who was singled out as a potential winner by Howie for his exciting and creative video game-themed dance routine.
What are Leon and Romy's chances?
Due to their weak performance and their many superior rivals, Leon and Romy's chances essentially amount to almost Zero. They could come back as a wildcard, but otherwise, they're already out.
What was the competition like?
The third live show was just as competitive as I anticipated, with six or seven acts deserving a place in the next round. Apart from Leon and Romy, only a couple of performers failed to impress. They were: Dog act Kelsey and Bailey, whose tricks were generic and unexciting, and Dave "The Cobra Kid" Weathers, who brought a 15-foot Cobra on stage but did little with it. AeroSphere added more movement to their act, but it was too short and unfocused, whilst Brandon and Savannah did another cover, and were good but not exceptional. This leaves us with the seven top contenders, who would have easily made it through if they had performed on the last two live shows. Mitisi Dance School were precise and unique, but focused on precision rather than excitement. Chicago Boyz made a few mistakes, but overall, their routine was excellent. Jim Meskimen united his improvised impressions under a common theme and did a very good job. Deanna DellaCioppa gave a very strong performance, as did Johnathan Allen, but the two singers could be overshadowed by their more unique opposition. Meanwhile, American Military Spouses Choir are polarising among AGT viewers, but have an obsessive fan base, which, as we saw with Marty Brown last week, can be all that really matters.
Best of all, however, was Kenchini Ebina, who was singled out as a potential winner by Howie for his exciting and creative video game-themed dance routine.
What are Leon and Romy's chances?
No comments:
Post a Comment