Americas Got Talent 10 Live Shows - Week 2 Preview: Derek Hughes

(For British Viewers, The Following May Contain Spoilers)

Last week, Piff the Magic Dragon made it through to the Semifinals with ease, in spite of the criticism he received from the judges. This week, Comedic Magician Derek Hughes will compete to join him in the Semifinals.

What Does Derek Hughes Need To Do?

The main problem with Derek Hughes is the fact that his personality is better than his magic. He is a likeable performer with an appealing backstory, his energetic delivery makes him very fun to watch, and he manages to avoid conspicuous mistakes. However, Derek's main problem is the fact that the tricks he performs are not that impressive. His audition saw him make a chosen card appear between his butt-cheeks, a trick that had been performed in the auditions the previous year by a magician who did not make it any further. Although Derek's version was better by some distance, the lack of originality made his performance seem less interesting. His Judges Cuts routine, in which he managed to correctly predict items thought of by the four regular judges, was more impressive, but by doing mentalism, he invited comparisons to his competitor Oz Pearlman, who is probably superior. Derek made it through the Judges Cuts in spite of the fact that Guest Judge Piers Morgan was unimpressed by his routine. After Derek received his verdict, Piers told him "Many people have done very well by trying to prove me wrong" . In fact, one of the most memorable acts to prove Piers wrong on AGT was magician Nathan Burton, who competed in Series One. Piers initially dismissed him as "a One-gag act", but later described his Live Show performance as "the most incredible thing I've ever seen". Hopefully, Derek should be be aware of why Nathan was able to win Piers over - In his Live Show performance, he provided more spectacular and creative tricks whilst maintaining his signature style. If Derek can do this, he will fully establish himself as a great magician, but if he doesn't, he could become the first magic act on AGT since Series 7 to miss out on a Semifinal spot.

What Is The Competition Like?

The other eleven acts competing this week are:

• 3 Shades of Blue (Rock Band) - The judges, Howard especially, have been keen to see a great rock band compete on AGT, but I'm not sure if 3 Shades of Blue are that band. I like their unique style, but the vocals of the lead singer are too rough and screechy at times. Their unusual song choice at the Judges Cuts was criticised, leaving 3 Shades of Blue in a dilemma experienced by many bands on AGT. If they go with a conventional song choice, they risk losing everything that makes them stand out, but if they choose another unfamiliar song, they could easily alienate the judges or viewers. Hopefully, they can strike a balance with a that fits their style.

• Animation Crew (Dance Quintet)- Animation Crew's audition routine was interesting enough, but at the Judges Cuts stage, they transformed from a good act into a great one with a spectacular "Robotic Band" routine. Their creativity, speed and precision are remarkable, and as long as they continue giving us unique and energetic performances, they will be in the competition for a while.

• Arielle Baril (11 Year-Old Opera Singer) - Arielle Baril is a great singer, especially for her age, but there she has one problem. One of the most iconic acts of Series 5 was runner-up Jackie Evancho, another child opera singer with the voice of an adult three times her age. It is very hard to say which of the two is better, but some viewers may dismiss Arielle as a copy (After all, she auditioned with "O Mio Babino Caro", the song Jackie performed in her first Live Show appearance) and this could prevent her from doing as well as she deserves to.

• Damone Rippy (Flyboarder) - In the ten years AGT has been on the air, there has not been a single act like Damone Rippy. His "Flyboarding" involves him doing stunts with a device that uses jets of water to propel him high into the air. It is unquestionably impressive to watch, but you can only do so many tricks with a Flyboard, and viewers may wonder if the act's appeal is based on the equipment involved as opposed to Damone's skill using it.

• DM Nation (All-Female Dance Crew) - DM Nation are probably the best dance crew to appear on AGT since Academy of Villains from Series 7. They are skilled dancers, and have provided a number of creative moves during their performances. However, they need to provide that special performance that transforms them from yet another good dance crew into potential finalists.

• Freckled Sky (Videomapping Dance Duo) - Freckled Sky are not as unique as the judges claimed at their audition (Last year's finalists Blue Journey provided a similar blend of ballet and videomapping, as do Freelusion Dance Company, another act in the Top 36) but they are certainly great dancers making use of incredible effects. Out of the twelve acts competing this week, they are likely of going the furtherest, but they will need to maintain the high standards set by their audition if they want to win.

• Ira (Comedic Puppet Act)- Ira is an act centred around the puppet character Ira Fennelbloom, an overly excitable singer with a crush on judge Mel B and an overbearing mother named Miriam (who is also a puppet). The focus of the act is not Ira's singing, which is merely up to standard, but the comedy he and Miriam provide before, during and after his performance. Any act inspired by The Muppets is bound to be enjoyable, and Ira and Miriam have provided some funny lines, but the jokes about Ira's interactions with Mel B will eventually become repetitive, and the act could easily be dismissed as a mere novelty.

• Myq Kaplan (Stand-Up Comedian) - Myq Kaplan is a good comedian, and I like his quick-fire style of comedy, but I personally find him amusing rather than outright funny. There is a risk that he could be overshadowed by more memorable acts, and I wonder if he relies too heavily on jokes about his girlfriend, which were featured in both his audition and his Judges Cuts performance.

• Sharon Irving (RnB/Gospel Singer) - Sharon Irving is unquestionably a talented singer, but there is a risk that the public won't appreciate her. Last week, another powerful female singer, Samantha Johnson, only made it through as a "Dunkin' Donuts Save", in spite of performing last and providing one of the best performances of the evening. Making it through to the Live Shows as Mel B's Golden Buzzer act does not necessarily mean that Sharon is guaranteed to fare better. Therefore, she needs to provide a spectacular performance if she wants to impress the viewers.

• The CraigLewis Band (RnB Vocal Duo) - Out of the eight acts to receive Golden Buzzers in the auditions and Judges Cuts, The CraigLewis Band are probably the weakest. Their harmonies are very strong, and I like their animated performance style, but their individual vocals are an acquired taste. They need to play to their strengths if they want to stand out, especially with three other Golden Buzzer acts competing against them.

• Uzeyer Novruzov (Ladder Acrobat) - Uzeyer Novruzov has the energy and agility that has defined AGT's best acrobats, and his stunts he does are very fun to watch. However, I'm not sure how far he can take his act, and the high risk of injury could be a real problem.

Predictions

Based on his first two performances, Derek Hughes only has a moderate chance of making the Semifinals. He is an enjoyable performer, but his tricks are not up to the standard of those done by his competitors. However, if he provides a memorable routine this week, he could easily surprise the competition.