Americas Got Talent - Top 31 Magicians (Part 3 - The Top 10)

For the introduction to this countdown, click here.

For Part 1 of this countdown, click here.

For Part 2 of this countdown, click here.

It's now time for the conclusion of this countdown, as I reveal who I think are the best magicians to have appeared on Americas Got Talent in the past nine years.

Part 3 (The Top 10)

10. Smoothini (Series 9)

There have been several mentions on this countdown of the shift from illusions to close-up and mentalism in more recent series of AGT, with several more to come as magicians representing the latter two styles appear in the Top 10. However, the magician that most epitomises this major change is Smoothini. Named because of his aspiration to be the "Ghetto Houdini", Smoothini performed basic close-up magic at the judges' table during his audition, using sponge balls, cards and a saltshaker. It was mostly beginners magic, but performed like a true pro. The performance went viral, and the official video of it on the Americas Got Talent YouTube channel has almost 26 million views, compared to the 3 million views for the official video of Mat Franco's first audition. Therefore, it was no surprise that Smoothini was put through to the Live Shows automatically. If he was able to blend his "Old-School" style and fast-paced close-up approach with more unique and creative tricks, then Smoothini could have easily won. However, in the Live Shows, he lost focus on what made his act stand out by performing close-up tricks (generally involving dollar bills) on stage. This reduced the connection with the judges and audience that Smoothini had demonstrated in his audition, and made his performance less impressive. However, he still got through due to the fanbase he had accumulated as a result of his audition. In the Semifinal, Smoothini returned to the judges table, and performed some tricks with a ring and shoelace that were pretty strong, and emphasised his speed and energy. Unfortunately, Smoothini was in the same Semifinal as Mat Franco, and was overshadowed by a rival who could provide routines that were far more spectacular and original. Therefore, Smoothini became the only magician in the Live Shows of Series 9 not to make the Final 12, although he was only eliminated after losing the Judge's Choice. This level of success demonstrates how amazing all the magicians from Series 9 were, and even though Smoothini was probably the weakest magician in the Live Shows that year, he has still earnt the tenth spot on this countdown.

9. David & Leeman (Series 9)

In their audition, David & Leeman provided a trick that was funny, clever and completely unique to AGT. They got judge Howie Mandel to join them on stage, and appeared to take away his ability to read cue cards by using "Pressure Phrenology". The performance was so good that they got to bypass Judgement Week and go through to the Live Shows automatically. However, David & Leeman's subsequent performances did not quite live up to the standard of their audition. Their Live Show performance was a selfie-themed book trick in a style similar to that of Collins Key, and it was marred by mistakes, including one where David & Leeman appeared to be a bit too blatant in guiding Howie towards selecting the chosen word they wanted. Their Semifinal performance did not suffer from any of these problems, but their Spike Under Cup routine lasted too long, and did not provide enough twists on a frequently-performed trick. David & Leeman advanced to the Top 12 as a Judge's Choice, where they performed a lottery-themed mentalism trick. It was their best routine since their audition, but they were up against BOTH Mat Franco and Mike Super, and were unable to surpass two magicians who had been consistently impressive throughout the competition. Apart from their magic, David & Leeman were also defined by their energetic personalities, and they were easily the funniest magicians ever seen on AGT; In fact, they were probably funnier than most of the comedians who appear on the show. This ensured that they were always fun to watch and encouraged viewers to vote for them even when their performances were below-par. Though their tricks weren't always the strongest, David & Leeman were consistently entertaining and enjoyable to watch.

8. Murray Sawchuck (Series 5)

It takes more than a grand illusion for a magician to make their audience notice them, as Scott Alexander and Taylor Reed found out the hard way, and showmanship and energy are needed to excite the viewer as well. Murray Sawchuck provided some of the most impressive illusions AGT had seen at this point, and did so with a unique look, involving messy blond hair and Armani sunglasses, and a charismatic personality. His audition, an amusing spin on the Bo-Staff illusion, was only shown briefly on TV, but he broke through in Vegas Week by making a sports car appear. From this point, Murray provided a number of memorable Grand Illusions. In the Live Shows, he made an assistant vanish from a box, with a tiger appearing in her place. However, the assistant, wearing judge Piers Morgan's jacket as a means of identification, reappeared behind the judges. In the Semifinals, Murray came up against fellow illusionist Michael Grasso in a highly competitive Semifinal. He chose to perform a routine paying tribute to his family, but unlike Drew Thomas, did not compromise on the quality of his magic, instead making an old-fashioned steel train vanish in midair. The trick was great, but unfortunately, so was Michael's, and the judges and viewers believed that Murray's performance was a little too slow in comparison to Michael's more energetic routine. Therefore, Murray missed out on a place in the Top 10, but he still stands out as one of AGT's most memorable illusionists.

7. Eric Dittelman (Series 7)

(Note: Eric Dittelman was simply credited as "Dittelman" during the Semifinals, so he shall be referred to as "Dittelman" throughout this entry.)

In the first six Series of Americas Got Talent, almost all the magicians who competed were stage illusionists, relying on big boxes and impressive appearances or disappearances. This began to change in Series 7, as the best and most successful magician of the series represented a type of magic not seen on AGT before. Eric Dittelman was a mentalist, and began his time on the show with a routine where he correctly guessed the items that the judges had drawn whilst blindfolded. He then performed a routine at Vegas Week where he correctly guessed a significant name chosen by judge Sharon Osbourne. In the Live Shows, Dittelman shifted from the small-scale, intimate approach of his first two performances to a style of mentalism that was suited for large audiences, as he did a lavish mentalism trick themed around Howie Mandel's show Deal or No Deal. He made it through as a Judges Choice (the three acts above him would all make the Grand Final that year) and returned to his audition routine with his Semifinal performance, as he told judge Howard Stern to colour in the self-portrait he had drawn as part of that audition, and correctly predicted which colours he would use on each part of the portrait. Though Dittelman's mind-reading tricks seem a little simplistic compared to those done by the likes of Collins Key, Mike Super and David & Leeman, they were performed cleanly and with enough showmanship to stand out. Dittelman's success demonstrated that it was not the illusions that made the previous magicians on AGT great, but their performance skills and originality. This cleared the way for smaller-scale magicians to take over AGT by providing levels of skill and showmanship that the grand illusionists couldn't match.

6. Nathan Burton (Series 1 and 4)

Nathan Burton was the first ever magician to appear at the audition stage of Americas Got Talent, and it is a real indication of his talent that he is so high up on this countdown almost a decade afterwards. In his audition, Nathan performed his signature routine, the Microwave of Death, in which he got into the titular device and was replaced by a dark-skinned assistant, creating the illusion that he had been badly burnt by the microwave, The assistant did some dancing and a magical costume change, then got back into the microwave and vanished from the box as Nathan reappeared in his place. Although Piers dismissed the audition as "a one-gag act" centred around a basic box trick, fellow judges Brandy and David Hasselhoff were far more impressed, and Nathan made the Live Shows. There, he won over Piers with a routine featuring tricks where he made four women appear in a glass box, was turned into a life-sized sticker of himself before reappearing behind the judges. It retained a great deal of the creativity and energy of Nathan's audition whilst providing more impressive tricks, and he didn't waste a single second of the routine on the comedic dancing that had featured too much in his audition. Although Nathan didn't get through, he qualified for the Wild Card round, and provided a winter-themed routine which featured both the famously beautiful Snowstorm trick, and a final illusion in which he made a snowmobile appear. The fact that Nathan missed out on a place in the finals to David & Dania is still one of the great travesties in AGT history. Between a magic act who kept performing the same routine over and over and one who provided creative and spectacular illusions every time, I know which of them would have been the better finalist. Nathan returned to audition in Series 4, but did not make the Live Shows. Nonetheless, he had already secured his status as the best magician of AGT's early seasons.

5. Mike Super (Series 9)

Calling himself a "Mystifier" rather than a magician, Mike Super aimed to bring the paranormal to the AGT stage. In his audition, he brought along his "Spirit Energy", named Desmond, and performed a trick in which he used Desmond to make a glass pitcher shatter. This performance demonstrated both the strengths and weaknesses of Mike's approach. On one hand, the presence of a "Spirit Energy" is a creative gimmick, and could generate quite an impact if used well. However, if overused or not applied to an appropriate trick, the imaginary friends stop being convincing, and the tricks done with them are less impressive. Unfortunately, Mike used Desmond again at Judgement Week for a slightly convoluted trick involving a magic square that was too far removed from the simple, striking approach of the auditions. His Live Show performance, in which Desmond was used in a Voodoo-Doll themed routine, was better, but by that point, Desmond was a liability that was damaging Mike's act. Mike lost the Judges Choice in his heat, but returned to the Semifinals as a Wild Card. At that point, he changed his act, dropping Desmond whilst providing a spectacular routine blending both illusion and mentalism. The performance was impressive enough for him to make it to the Top 12. However, Mike changed his act again, generally dropping the paranormal aspect (save for a mention of how playing cards were related to Tarot cards) in favour of a routine that could have easily been performed by any other AGT mentalist. Whilst his trick, which involved using playing cards to predict the serial number of a randomly-chosen dollar bill, was impressive and performed well, Mike lost the approach that made his act unique. Therefore, it wasn't much of a surprise when viewers decided that Mat Franco would be the only magician in the Grand Final. In spite of this, Mike was still an excellent performer, and managed to stand out in a season full of brilliant magic acts.

4. Collins Key (Series 8)

16 years old at the time of his audition, Collins Key is the youngest magician ever to appear on AGT, but also proved to be one of the most successful. His decision to style himself as "The Justin Bieber of Magic" (around the time the former teen idol was starting to go off the rails) seemed risky on paper, given that the adolescent males who hate Bieber most of all also have a very cynical opinion of magic acts and are a key viewing demographic for AGT. However, the tricks Collins performed were creative and impressive enough for him to not only impress teenage girls, but win the support of the general American public. At the auditions, Collins provided a piece of close-up magic in which he made a dollar bill vanish and reappear inside a sealed bag of popcorn, then wowed at Vegas Week with a trick where a chosen page from Howie Mandel's book vanished from it and reappeared inside a sealed envelope. However, his best routine was in the Live Shows, where he correctly predicted random Twitter Hashtags chosen by the judges using a scroll held in a sealed box above the stage. It was a routine with a wonderfully modern theme, and proved that Collins could switch from the street magic-type tricks he had performed earlier to stage magic without losing sight of what made him stand out. After these successful performances, Collins seemed like a real contender, but underwhelmed in the Semifinals. His routine, in which he correctly predicted the items of clothing randomly chosen by the judges by choosing an audience member whose clothes matched those selected, was a little too elaborate, with a lot of time being wasted on crowd control. However, with half the acts in the Semifinals making it through, the quality of Collins' first three performances carried him through to the Top 12. There, he tried to provide a simpler performance, doing a spin on the Spike Under Cup trick involving putting host Nick Cannon's watch inside one of three bags, and smashing two of them with a sledgehammer. However, in contrast to other versions of the Spike Under Cup (such as the one performed by David & Leeman, and a version performed in AGT during Series 6 by Frank Miles, who, as a daredevil rather than a magician, is excluded from this countdown), there was no risk to Collins health and safety, and the unusually small number of options was probably intended to reduce the length of the routine. However, this did not work because the judges, rarely the most co-operative volunteers, caused the routine to overrun by spending too long attempting to read the time on Howie's watch (the climax of Collins' routine involved setting Nick's watch to match the chosen time). In spite of the fact he provided another disappointing performance, Collins made the Grand Final, where he performed twice in an attempt to win. His two performances were a Close-up routine, in which he merged two playing cards held between the mouths of judges Heidi Klum and Mel B,and a mentalism routine in which he used a YouTube video to correctly predict photos of volunteers randomly chosen by the judges. These were his best performances since the Live Show Heats, but not quite polished enough for him to earn AGT's million-dollar prize. In the final results show, he came fifth, but not before performing one last trick for Today Show hosts Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, in which he combined elements of his first two performances to create a new trick. A particularly revealing moment came at the beginning of this routine, as Collins stated that he chose to use his Audition and Vegas Week tricks because they were the most popular with his fans on Twitter. Although I think it is misleading to say that those two were his best performances, Collins owes his success on AGT, and his high placement on this countdown, to the skill he showed in the earlier stages of the competition.

3. Michael Grasso (Series 5)

When Michael Grasso auditioned with a version of the Suspended Animation trick, it was certainly impressive, but cynical viewers believed he would continue the tradition of illusionists disappointing on AGT. He initially proved these doubts correct when he was eliminated in Vegas Week after doing a sleight-of-hand routine. Like Shimshi's card trick in Series 3, it wasn't a bad performance, but it was not right for AGT at the time. However, when Sharon Osbourne chose Michael to return to the competition in the Wild Card round, he began one of the most impressive comebacks in Americas Got Talent history. For his Wild Card performance, he did a version of the Spiker illusion and established his trademark style, which was old-fashioned yet energetic and exciting to watch. Once he got to the Semifinals, Michael went up against Murray Sawchuck for the chance to make the Top 10. He did a trick in which he made an assistant vanish from a cage and take his place beneath it, before finishing his performance by appearing behind the judges. In contrast to Murray's performance, he proved that a magic act could have a retro style whilst retaining a fast pace. Therefore, Michael earned a place in the Top 10, where he performed his third transposition trick of the competition. This time, he appeared to trap an assistant in a glass box full of swords to restrict her movement. He then appeared to switch places with the assistant as she escaped from the box, but the person inside was not Michael, but another assistant. Ultimately, Michael was revealed in the costume of one of his masked helpers. It was an incredible illusion, and, like many involving a lot of transpositions in a very short time, is far more impressive to watch than it is to describe. However, only four acts could make the Grand Final, and Michael narrowly missed out. That doesn't take away from the fact that he was the first magic act on AGT to really inspire and impress viewers throughout his period competing on the Live Shows, and he deserves his status as an AGT icon.

2. Landon Swank (Series 6)

Landon Swank auditioned with a rather interesting spin on a conventional Shadowbox trick by appearing to fold up the shadow of his assistant when he made her vanish.He then impressed in Vegas Week with a trick involving making an assistant appear from a levitating cardboard box. After these performances, Landon seemed like a favourite to go far in the competition. However, his Live Show performance was only mediocre, as he did a trick where he walked through an autographed mirror with no real twists or unique touches, and lost the judges choice as a result. In spite of this, Piers Morgan, Landon's most vocal supporter, brought him back for the Wild Card round, where he faced off against Seth Grabel. In the Wild Card round, he performed the Aquarian Illusion, previously performed by Anthony Reed in Series 2. Whilst Landon's version took a little longer, it was definitely more exciting to watch, due to his decision to focus on the escape aspects rather than the climactic transposition. Landon's performance was easily better than Seth's, because the trick was more impressive, and the long set-up was more relevant and exciting to watch. Landon performed another dangerous, showmanship-heavy trick in the Semifinals, where he did a Russian Roulette-type effect where he hid inside one of four giant boxes, and the judges were told to blow up three of them with dynamite. Again, Landon made this trick stand out by providing a sense of danger, and he earned a place in the Top 10. There, he chose to do something different, and did a routine which began with some fish-themed sleight-of-hand and finished with him passing his hand through a fish-tank. Though this climactic trick was not performed flawlessly (some of the water leaked out towards the end), it was a creative spin on the mirror trick that Landon had already performed earlier in the competition. Like Michael Grasso before him, Landon only missed out on the Grand Final due to the quality of his opposition, coming within 1% of making it through in the viewer's vote. Landon's creative illusions and strong showmanship marked him out as everything an AGT magician should be. However, even he cannot compare to the act above him.

1. Mat Franco (Series 9)

The number one spot on this countdown could not have gone to anyone else. As the first magician ever to win Americas Got Talent, and the third to win a Got Talent series anywhere in the world, (After Charlie Caper from Sweden and Christian Gog from Romania) Mat Franco has become the hero of magic fans not just in America, but all over the globe. In his audition, Mat did a storytelling trick with cards, in the vein of Steve the Bellhop or 673 King Street, but with a unique story tailored to his appearance on AGT. After doing another unusual but creative card trick in Judgement Week, in which he used a picture of Howie Mandel to correctly predict a chosen card , he was under pressure to make ensure his act remained impressive when performing for a far larger audience at the Live Shows. Mat's first performance in the Live Shows was not as technically impressive as his previous two, but it proved that he could make his act suitable for a giant stage. However, it was not until the Semifinals that Mat emerged as a potential winner. Instead of focusing on card tricks, he made cards into a secondary element of his performance. Mat did a routine with Mel B's phone, as he made it vanish and reappear inside a randomly-chosen seat. Whilst this trick is associated with Penn & Teller, Mat's version stood out, and his use of his signature cards allowed him to make his performance unique. In the Top 12, Mat performed the Ambitious Card routine. He did it well, but it was one of his weaker performances because of its relatively conventional nature. However, he still beat David & Leeman and Mike Super to become the only magician in the Grand Final, where, like Collins Key the previous year, he provided three performances, two during the main show and one during the last results show of the season. For the first, he applied his storytelling skills to a Cups and Balls routine, and for the second, he did a version of the classic card trick Out of This World. In both cases, he updated both popular tricks with a slick and energetic presentation. After doing a version of Cards Across in the final results show (with comedienne Rosie O'Donnell as his celebrity guest), Mat was crowned the winner of Series 9 of Americas Got Talent. Mat deserved his victory, and there is no doubting the fact that magicians competing on AGT in the future will have their work cut out emulating his success.

This concludes our countdown of AGT magicians. Come back soon for an overview of this year's magic acts, and a look at the return of Penn and Teller: Fool Us.

Americas Got Talent - Top 31 Magicians (Part 2: 21st Place - 11th Place)

For the introduction to this countdown, click here

For Part 1 of this countdown, click here

Part 2 (21st Place - 11th Place)

21. Jay Mattioli (Series 4)

Out of all the magicians in Series 4, Jay Mattioli provided what was probably the best audition. The highlight of his routine was his opening effect, in which he made his microphone stand float around the stage, then performed a gravity-defying lean in the style of Michael Jackson whilst trying to control it. Based on this performance, Jay seemed like a favourite to do well in the series. Unfortunately, the judges eliminated him at Vegas Week. This led to a considerable outcry from AGT viewers, so when eight Wild Cards were added to the Top 40, it was great to find out that Jay was among them. Unfortunately, his Live Show routine was incredibly disappointing. Though Jay started well by making two assistants appear from a box, his remaining tricks were unimpressive and generic, and he ended up with two X's from the judges. In addition to the quality of his audition and his status as a Wild Card, what made Jay's failure so frustrating was the fact that he was capable of so much more. Anyone who has seen videos of his routines, such as Hair Salon, on YouTube knows that Jay is a excellent illusionist who can provide creative and funny performances. Therefore, Jay is low on the list because he chose to play it safe instead of showing Americas what he could really do.

20. Leon Etienne & Romy Low (Series 8)

During Series 7 and 8 of AGT, the magic acts became increasingly unconventional, and the stage illusionists who had previously dominated the art began to decline. The only traditional illusionists on AGT's Live Shows in Series 8 were Leon Etienne & Romy Low. Blending illusions and card tricks in their audition, and providing a spin on the Broomstick Levitation at Vegas Week, Leon & Romy demonstrated that they had plenty of showmanship, but were a bit too conventional.However, they did something different for their  Live Show performance, and though it was heavily criticised by the judges, I quite liked it. In their Live Show performance, Leon & Romy did a version of Lance Burton's clever and creative Backstage illusion, in which the magician appears to let the audience in on his secrets. He shows the audience the view from behind as he performs a seemingly generic box trick, during which he leaves the box and hides under a nearby table. However, the magician soon vanishes from beneath the table and reappears in the box in time for the climax of the trick. It's very entertaining to watch, but the lengthy set-up for what is actually a pretty simple teleportation effect can annoy viewers, and Leon & Romy found this out the hard way. The judges found the performance confusing, and only enjoyed a final reveal, in which Nick Cannon appeared under the table that Leon had vanished from. Although Leon & Romy were initially eliminated following this routine, judge Howard Stern brought them back for the Semifinals as Wild Cards, in spite of the fact he gave them an X in the Live Shows. Their Semifinal performance was energetic, but all the tricks they performed during it have been seen on AGT before. Therefore, I personally thought it was their weakest performance. Overall, Leon & Romy were slick and energetic, but I would have liked to see them take a few more risks, even if those risks didn't pay off.

19. Jarret & Raja (Series 7)

Jarrett & Raja aimed to blend grand illusion with both comedy and classical music, with Jarret performing the tricks and Raja in the role of his piano-playing assistant. Their audition provided an amusing spin on Sawing A Person in Half, with Raja being bisected in clear view of the audience without a box covering his body. This was followed by an impressive Vegas Week trick in which Jarrett made an entire orchestra appear to accompany Raja. Unfortunately, Jarrett & Raja's performance in the Live Shows was such a failure that a large section of the audience booed them. The idea for their routine, a bathtime-themed spin on the Spirit Pyramid illusion, in which the magician produces spirits from beneath giant cloths, was goofy, but also unique and intriguing, but they performed it in a basic and incredibly amateurish manner. It's a relatively minor problem when the feet of the assistants are visible as the cloths are brought to life, because they are obviously playing the forms under the sheets, but the Spirit Pyramid stands out due to its climax, in which the magician vanishes from the cabinet and appears beneath the final cloth. Jarrett could be clearly seen beneath the final cloth when it came to life, thus ruining this pivotal part of the routine. Jarrett & Raja redeemed themselves somewhat in the Wild Card round, when they made a grand piano vanish in midair. Their performance was not strong enough for them to make it further, but they did go out with a trick that summed up their approach perfectly by being energetic, spectacular, and full of piano music.

18. Magic of Puck (Series 7)

Magic of Puck competed in the same YouTube heat as Rudy Coby, but managed to make it to the Semifinals. Whilst that heat was third-rate even by the reduced standards of AGT's YouTube heats, Puck's performance was one of the few highlights. Whilst Rudy had impressive illusions but an over-long routine, Puck livened up a mundane Dancing Handkerchief  trick with a number of interesting touches (such as making the handkerchief fly out of a sealed bottle) and a slick presentation. Given the inauspicious circumstances under which he had qualified, Puck was expected to flop in the Semifinals as Dan Sperry had done previously, but he managed not to embarrass himself. He performed a trick in which he made an assistant levitate, vanish and reappear inside a box, and though he never really had a chance of making the final, Puck proved that he deserved to be in the AGT Semifinals. In spite of this, he was not unique or spectacular enough compared to AGT's best magicians.

17. Scott Alexander (Series 6)

In my opinion, Scott Alexander is one of AGT's most underrated illusionists. The tricks he did were very big and very impressive. After performing an enjoyable levitation trick in his audition, Scott provided his best performance in Vegas Week. He did a spin on the Eclipse illusion, in which an assistant appeared to vanish from one half of a circular box and appear in the other. The Eclipse is one of my favourite illusions because it is beautiful to watch and hard to figure out, and Scott did it justice. Scott then provided one of the most spectacular AGT tricks ever in the Live Shows, as he made an entire choir vanish from a box and reappear on the theatre balcony. Sadly, it was overlooked by the viewers, and Scott finished behind an act who had gained 2 X's. Maybe Scott failed due to his lack of stage presence, but I think he deserved to go further than he did.

16. Seth Grabel (Series 6)

Whilst some magicians emphasise technical skills, there are others who focus on showmanship and presentation. Seth Grabel was a great example of the latter type. Although his routines were relatively easy to figure out. he used an attention-grabbing approach that was both ostentatious and amusing. After a comedic teleportation routine at the auditions, and a more serious, "acrobatic" performance at Vegas Week, Seth blended the two styles for a memorable Live Show routine which began with him trying to escape from a straitjacket whilst dangling over a cauldron of boiling tar and apparently falling in, and ended with him getting shot out of a cannon and appearing inside a water tank. After losing the judge's vote, Seth was brought back as a Wild Card by Howie Mandel, going up against fellow magician Landon Swank. His central trick, in which he made a Deorlean car appear with children representing AGT's judges inside, was entertaining enough, but, as was the case with many disappointing magic routines on AGT, he spent too much time setting up the illusion, and not enough demonstrating his skills as a magician. Furthermore, Seth spent most of the introduction doing acrobatics inside a large hoop, which was little more than a distraction. Sometimes excessive showmanship can make an act great, but it can also ruin it, and Seth should have paid a bit more attention to the problems with his approach. Although I personally preferred Scott Alexander's tricks, Seth's superior presentation and greater levels of success put him higher on the countdown.

15. Spencer Horsman (Series 7)

Presenting himself as the "World's Youngest Escapologist", Spencer Horsman established his dangerous approach from his audition, where he escaped from a straitjacket upside down before a spike trap could close on him. In Vegas Week, he escaped from a tank of water in (roughly) 90 seconds. Although neither stunt is particularly original (Australia Got Talent runner-up Cosentino performed both of them during his time on that show the previous year), Spencer managed to play up the suspense and make his escapes seem genuinely difficult and impressive. However, when he reached the Live Shows, Spencer chose to switch from real escapology to conventional magic, merely doing a magic trick with an escapology theme. Furthermore, a prop malfunction ensured that the routine ended 13 seconds early. This led to Spencer's early elimination, but was brought back for the Wild Card round, and provided a unique, dangerous and memorable performance in which he escaped from a glass box as it was filled with cement. Unfortunately, viewers did not vote for Spencer, probably because they did not want to see him risk his life yet again, so the performance that showed off his full potential as an escapologist, and secured his placement in the top half of this countdown, was also his last on AGT.

14. Drew Thomas Magic (Series 4)

In his audition, Drew Thomas Magic performed the Spirit Pyramid trick later botched by Jarret and Raja, but his version was practically flawless. As a result, he was singled out as a "million dollar act" by the judges almost immediately, and his Live Show performance, which centred around female assistants switching places with male assistants from within a giant packing crate, reinforced their opinion and ensured that the audience voted him through to the next round. However, Drew's Semifinal performance, dedicated to his daughter, was a disappointment as immense as the failures of Jay Mattioli and Kevin James. It relied too heavily on generic box tricks, including one, in which he made an assistant pop out of a toolbox, that didn't feel like a proper trick at all because the box was never shown to be empty. The idea of doing a "sentimental" routine with a childhood theme is interesting enough, but Drew forgot one of the most important rule of magic - you should never assume that a good story can make up for substandard tricks. However, one weak performance does not detract from the fact that Drew was generally an effective illusionist.

13. Antonio Restivio (Series 5)

Magician and fire artist Antonio Restivio stood out at the audition stage, providing illusions with plenty of firepower, both literally and figuratively. In Vegas Week, he competed alongside the danger acts rather than the magicians. This turned out to be an advantage, as he performed a version of the Suspended Animation illusion, already performed by Michael Grasso at the audition stage in the same Series, which was affected by prop malfunctions. However, Antonio's Live Show performance was more successful, and he made it to the Semifinals as a Judge's Choice. In the Semifinals, Antonio performed his most dangerous routine, as he did an illusion in which he was trapped in a box as a row of burning spikes was dropped on it, but vanished from it and reappeared at the side of the stage, completely unharmed. This spectacular performance made up for Dan Sperry's failure in the same Semifinal heat, but did note win over enough viewers for Antonio to make Top 10. Although he never provided a truly great performance, Antonio's showmanship and love of danger ensured that he was memorable for the right reasons.

12. David & Dania: Quick Change (Series 1)

David and Dania's audition is one of the most iconic AGT auditions of all time. Their routine, which involved several "Quick Changes" (magical changes of costume) in a very short space of time, became an internet sensation. They were also the first magic act to make the Top 10 of Americas Got Talent, a feat that would not be repeated by a magician until Series 5. So why are they not higher on the countdown? The answer is simple; their act became repetitive. Whilst Quick-Change acts are generally limited to a single type of illusion, they can remain interesting if they provide different routines with a wide range of unique and exciting costume changes, as Australia's Got Talent's two-time finalists Soul Mystique did. However, David & Dania performed the same routine again and again throughout the competition, with only a couple of new costumes each time. In the Wild Card round, they memorably got into a heated argument with Piers Morgan when he called them out on their lack of range. Although Piers is famous for being obnoxious and unpleasant, he was generally a competent judge, and his critique of David & Dania was entirely correct. This did not prevent the AGT viewers from putting them through to the final at the expense of fellow magician Nathan Burton and, to no-one's surprise, David & Dania performed what was essentially the same routine again and received the same reaction from Piers. Based on their first audition alone, David & Dania would be in the top 5 of this countdown, but you can't perform the same routine four times in a row and expect viewers to be as impressed after the fourth performance as they were after the first.

11. Kevin James (Series 2)

In his audition, and especially his Vegas Week performance, Kevin James demonstrated why he is one of the most popular and influential magicians in the world today. His audition routine featured him putting together a dummy of Charlie Chaplin, then bringing it to life. The old-fashioned approach could have been boring, but Kevin's lively presentation made it enjoyable, and the trick itself was great. Kevin then followed this up with his iconic performance at Vegas Week. His creative and impressive spin on Sawing a Person in Half, where both halves developed a life of their own, was so good that he performed it again when he made a guest appearance as the head of The Illusionists last year. Unfortunately, Kevin followed one of the best ever magic performances on AGT with one of the worst. His Live Show routine featured him playing around with a disembodied hand, and even the lively presentation could not hide the fact that the routine was too small-scale and amateurish for AGT. Therefore, Kevin's time on AGT ended earlier than it should have, but he still managed to prove himself as a unique and innovative magician.

Come back tomorrow for the final part of this countdown to see the Top 10 and find out which Americas Got Talent magician I regard as the best.

America's Got Talent - Top 31 Magicians (Part 1: 31st Place - 22nd Place)

Yesterday, I set up and introduced this countdown of every magician who has made the Live Shows of Americas Got Talent during the previous nine seasons. Today, I begin it by listing the Bottom 10. As I stated in the previous post, positions are based on the magician's level of success, originality, showmanship and performance skills.

(N.B: Before each magician on this countdown are videos of the performances they gave. If there isn't a video for a certain performance, it's because I couldn't find one)

Part 1  (31st Place-22nd Place)

31. Chipps Cooney (Series 5)

It seems appropriate to put Chipps Cooney at the bottom of the countdown, given that he was a comedian playing the part of a magician, rather than a real one. Instead of doing conventional magic, his act featured him doing deliberately fake and silly tricks in an old-fashioned and serious style. Chipps' act split the judges at the audition, with Howie Mandel (Then the newest judge on the panel) supporting him and resident mean judge Piers Morgan being highly critical. In this instance, I agreed with Howie, as I liked the idea behind the act and found some of the "tricks" funny. However, Chipps soon managed to vindicate Piers' opinion of him. Whilst he gave his Vegas Week performance an amusing narration, he repeated two of the three tricks he had done in his audition, and the fact that he was sorted into the magic category was very annoying, as real magicians such as William Scott Anderson and Michael Grasso (who later returned in the Wild Card round) were sent home at his expense. Chipps then changed his act radically for the Live Shows, and the less said about that performance, the better. Ultimately, Chipps is at the bottom of this countdown not due to his comedic approach, but his failure to make the most of it.

30. Bruce Block (Series 2 and 3)

 

Bruce Block appeared in the second series of AGT, reaching Vegas Week, before finally getting to the Live Shows the following year. He performed a wide variety of acts during both seasons, but primarily focused on magic, which is why he appears on the countdown. Unfortunately, his magic acts were a mess. When he finally performed on the Live Shows, he did a trick in which he turned two halves of a pantomime horse into a real pony. The idea was decent, if not particularly original, but the presentation was terrible, with several vertically-challenged actors serving as assistants, but being given little to do and instead providing little more than a distraction. Magicians on AGT have often disappointed at the Live Shows. so Bruce's failure would not have been as much of a problem if his earlier performances had been strong enough to balance it out (magicians who provided worse performances are higher on the list), but they weren't, which is why he has such a low placement in this countdown.

29. Brett Daniels (Series 6)

The renowned magician Brett Daniels, a former "Magician of the Year" who has participated in shows such as The World's Greatest Magic, competed in the YouTube heat, which featured 12 acts who had applied for Americas Got Talent via YouTube. Youtube heats (a feature of AGT for three series) were notable for their substandard quality, so he should have stood out. However, Brett's Live Show performance was a disappointment. The story behind his routine was interesting, as he made an actress representing Marilyn Monroe appear from a painting and then vanish at the end. However, between these two tricks, Brett and the actress wasted a lot of time walking around the stage without doing anything. If Brett had filled that time with a few smaller tricks that suited his story, then his routine would have been a success, and he would have gotten much further in the competition.

28. Rudy Coby (Series 7)

The similarities between Rudy Coby and Brett Daniels are striking. Both are illusionists who were popular in the past, and appeared on AGT in the hope of making a comeback. They competed in the YouTube heat, but their performances were heavily criticised by the judges for their overlong set-up. The reason why Rudy is higher in the countdown is because his routine was more creative and complex. He appeared to bring a wooden puppet to life, then turned it into giant, human-sized puppet. This appeared to come to life and decapitate Rudy, but he soon revealed that he was really inside the giant puppet. The main flaw with this routine was the fact that most of the time-wasting set-up was unnecessary. Did Rudy need to use both a sword and dynamite to prove that the small puppet was dancing inside the box without visible wires, and did he really need to spend so much time showing the giant puppet cutting off its restraints before it attacked? Rudy's routine featured some very solid ideas, and it was a shame that they weren't handled properly.

27. Hawley Magic (Series 7)

Compared to shows such as American Idol and The Voice, where the Live Shows feature a small number of acts competing over a long time, Americas Got Talent has a very brutal elimination format, with at least half of the acts in each Live Heat getting eliminated. This means that acts need to be as memorable as possible in order to get the viewers to vote for them. Unlike the acts below them, and even many of the acts above them, Hawley Magic did not deliver a performance that missed the mark during their time on the show. However, whilst all the acts above them provided at least one unique and memorable performance, Hawley Magic's routines were generally forgettable. That's not to say that they were bad magicians, and their tricks, which included a Double Levitation at Vegas Week and a version of the Impaled illusion at the Live Shows, were solid effects which they performed competently.  However, AGT viewers are looking for new and interesting acts, and Hawley Magic were too safe and traditional to stand out.

26. Shimshi (Series 3)

Series 3 was easily the weakest series of AGT for magicians, as the only two to make the Live Shows have both placed very low on this countdown. Shimshi started well, with an audition in which he divided an assistant into thirds, and had little trouble making the Top 40. However, when Shimshi got to the Live Shows, he failed to impress the judges or viewers with a Sleight of Foot trick that he chose to do at the last minute. The trick, in which he found a chosen card with his foot, was actually clever and  enjoyable. If Shimshi appeared on Americas Got Talent today and performed it with no changes in presentation, he would receive a far better reception. However, whilst recent series of AGT have emphasised creative small-scale tricks, the judges spent the first six series looking for grand illusions, and Shimshi's approach felt out-of-place

25. Alexanderia The Great (Series 8)

Due in part to the use of escapology by great magicians such as Houdini, I count escapolgists as magicians, which is why Alexanderia the Great  is on this list. For her audition, Alexanderia escaped from thirty feet of chains and eight padlocks underwater in a performance that took place in a swimming pool, and her routine was memorable enough for the judges to put her through to the Live Shows without needing to see her perform at Vegas Week. However, her live performance was a lot less spectacular. She performed another water escape, albeit in a smaller container and with a straitjacket restraining her as well as chains. In spite of the fact that Alexanderia's husband provided commentary to emphasise how dangerous her performance was, it still seemed boring on TV. Fellow escapologist Spencer Horsman had failed to make it out of the Wild Card round the previous year in spite of giving a far better performance, so it was not surprising that Alexandria also failed to make it to the Semifinals.

24. Special Head (Series 8)

Special Head is probably the most unusual magic act to appear on AGT, He focused solely on levitations, and took a mystical approach, complete with chanting and throat singing. Special Head's audition was notable for its surprise value, as he appeared to be a terrible joke act until he raised his feet off the floor to perform an impressive Indian Fakir-style levitation, in which his only means of support was a cane he held in one hand, without any apparent set-up. With his act (and its limitations) clear by the time he reached Vegas Week, Special Head made it through to the Live Shows by doing a relatively unusual and creative trick in which he bent his upper body backwards above candles without falling over. Special Head attempted to up his game further for his Live Show routine, but it was a failure because it relied on a levitation that was too similar to his audition, a vanish which was not performed properly (his head was briefly visible afterwards) and an unconvincing final reveal. Therefore, it was not surprising when he was eliminated in favour of fellow magician Collins Key. Overall, Special Head was memorable, but not quite impressive enough to shake off his image as a goofy novelty act.

23. Dan Sperry (Series 5)

Since his appearance on Americas Got Talent, "anti-conjurer" Dan Sperry has enjoyed a considerable degree of success, making the final of the German version of the show, Das Supertalent, and headlining the touring show The Illusionists, which also features fellow AGT magician Kevin James. His performances on these projects are far superior to the routines he did on Americas Got Talent. In the YouTube heat, Dan did a trick in which he passed a string of dental floss through his neck. Though he performed it well, the routine was most notable for a moment at the end when Dan threw the used floss towards Howie, causing the judge, noted for his fear of germs, to run off in panic. Dan made it through by default as one of the few standouts from the heat, but his Semifinal routine was a disaster, as his trick, which involved sawing off and then restoring AGT host Nick Cannon's arm, was not convincing enough. Though Dan has certainly recovered from his disappointing performance, this countdown is only based on his time on AGT, which is why he's in the Bottom 10.

22. Elliot Zimet (Series 1)

Hip-hop magician Elliot Zimet got his audition off to a memorable start when he turned his microphone into a dove, then did a routine in which he made more doves and a parakeet appear whilst performing to uptempo rap music. Dove acts are traditionally slow and refined, so Elliot's decision to go for an energetic, urban approach was inspired. However, when Elliot performed again in the Live Shows, with a second routine which retained the emphasis on dove productions, a lot of the freshness and spontaneity of his audition was gone. It was not really a bad performance, but it was too similar to Elliot's debut, so he ended up overshadowed by Nathan Burton.

Come back tomorrow to find out which magicians are between 21st place and 11th place.

Americas Got Talent - Top 31 Magicians (Honourable Mentions)

Americas Got Talent is in the midst of its tenth season, with numerous magicians among the acts competing to win the million-dollar prize and an opportunity to perform in Las Vegas. Last year, close-up magician Mat Franco became the first magic act to win the show, so they will need to be more impressive than ever if they want to follow in his footsteps.

The audition rounds of AGT come to a close this week, to be followed by a round of "Judge's Cuts" that will last for four weeks. Before we talk about the magicians who have made it to the "Judges Cuts", it would be fun to take a look back at those who competed in the previous nine seasons.

Since Americas Got Talent begun in 2006, a total of 31 magic acts have made the Live Shows across all nine seasons. (This figure does not include acts such The James Gang from Series 3 or Christian Stoinev from Series 9, who weren't magicians, but used magic tricks during a performance to help them stand out). Throughout the week, I will be doing a countdown of all of them, from the least impressive to the best. The magicians will be placed based on their level of success,originality, showmanship and performance skills.

Before we start the countdown proper, there are a few honourable mentions. The honourable mentions are magicians who provided impressive auditions, but failed to make the Live Shows. These acts either withdrew from the competition or got eliminated at the Vegas Week/Judgement Week stage, where the judges choose which successful auditionees would make the Live Shows. All the honourable mentions are listed in chronological order and are not part of the main countdown.

The Honourable Mentions

Anthony Reed (Series 2)

In contrast to the other seasons, which have seen at least 40 acts in the Live Shows, Series 2 only had 20 acts, meaning that contestants who would have easily made it past Vegas Week in any other series of AGT were sent home by the judges. One of the most notable eliminations from Vegas Week that year was Anthony Reed. Although his audition routine was fast-paced and fun to watch, it was his performance of the Aquarian Illusion in Vegas that really stood out. The only reason why Anthony failed to make the Live Shows was the fact that fellow magician Kevin James (Anthony's former mentor!) had given an even more amazing performance, and the judges believed they could only put one magic act through to the Top 20.

The Pendragons (Series 3)

The Pendragons, consisting of husband and wife team Jonathan and Charlotte Pendragon, are one of the most iconic magic acts of all time and appeared on numerous magic shows in a partnership that lasted from the early 1980's until 2009. They auditioned for Americas Got Talent in Series 3 with their signature trick, the Metamorphosis, and their performance of it was as impressive as ever - the switch at the centre of the illusion took just four seconds to carry out. The Pendragons were present at Vegas Week, but the viewers did not get to see them in action. It was a shame that they did not progress any further, as they were far better than the magicians that made the Live Shows that year.

William Scott Anderson (Series 5)

Early seasons of Americas Got Talent were dominated by singers, but Series 5 was the first in which large numbers of variety acts began to stand out. Magic acts were particularly successful that year, with all four of the magicians who made the Live Shows in Series 5 making it to the Semifinals. However, one of the best magic routines at the audition stage came from a magician who failed to make it past Vegas. William Scott Anderson, a helicopter pilot for the U.S military, provided an impressive version of the Origami illusion. The trick was great and I liked the way William used his military background - It made him stand out, and provided him with a powerful, assertive image. Unfortunately, Williams' Vegas Week illusion was a lot less interesting, leading to an early exit.

Michael Turco (Series 6)

During his audition, Michael Turco stood out due to his quick-fire, energetic style of magic, as he crammed a large number of impressive illusions (such as making four assistants appear from a single box) in his 90-second performance. Based on this routine, Michael appeared to be a strong contender, but he was eliminated in Vegas Week after his performance there was affected by prop malfunctions.

Taylor Reed (Series 7)

A point that will be brought up frequently on the countdown is the fact that bigger does not always mean better - magicians using big boxes and elaborate props can often be upstaged by ones who prefer ordinary objects such as a deck of cards. Taylor Reed was a good example of a magician who failed to take this into account, as he was eliminated in Vegas Week in spite of doing a trick where he made a helicopter appear. However, whilst he lacked the showmanship of rivals such as Eric Dittelman, Taylor was still able to provide impressive performances in both the audition stages and Vegas Week, and I would have loved to have seen him perform live.

Rogue (Series 9)

Russian Roulette-type tricks are highly popular among magicians on AGT because the threat of severe injury (at the very least) makes them interesting to watch. Landon Swank and David & Leeman are among the iconic AGT magicians who have risked life and limb testing the intuition of the judges. However, another memorable spin on the genre came from Rogue, who did a version with four staple guns, one of which was loaded. He was able to make the danger seem genuine and handled one of the biggest obstacles an AGT magician can face, as he used judge Mel B as a volunteer and pulled the trick off in spite of her panicky, uncooperative behaviour on the stage. Although Rogue's audition demonstrated that he could have easily stood toe to toe with the likes of Mat Franco and Smoothini at the Live Shows, he didn't show up at Judgement Week.


Tomorrow...We start the main countdown, and reveal the AGT magicians who placed between 31st and 22nd on it.