Incroyable Talent Semifinals- The Angels Vs Theo Dari

With Dressing Flash and Alpha having performed (and been eliminated) in the last two live shows, two magic acts were left to compete this week- The Angels and Theo Dari.

How Did The Angels Do?

The Angels were the act I was most looking forward to in the live shows, but they disappointed. The problem was not their tricks, but their timing- they spent too long on their dance routines. Their first trick, making a member appear from inside a pyramid frame, took over a minute when it should have taken ten seconds. Their other illusion, which involved making a motorbike appear from a translucent shadow box was also ruined by a slow build up. If The Angels had cut out about a minute of unnecessary dancing and filled the time with solid illusions, they might have been more popular with the judges and audience, as their tricks, whilst pretty generic, were large-scale and well-presented.

How Did Theo Dari Do?

Theo Dari did what most viewers hoped he would- he upped his game while keeping what the viewers loved about his act- he used more lasers in more creative ways. The best and most original trick he did was at the end, where he created a rainbow of light above the stage and appeared to vanish into it, only to reappear on the platform he was using for his performance moments later. He fared far better then The Angels, and looks like a decent contender for victory.

What did the Judges Say?

The Angels received 2 X's from Gilbert and Sophie - All the judges agreed that they had wasted too much time dancing instead of wowing people with their magic.  Theo Dari, however, received nothing but praise-Even an initially ambivalent Dave claimed he enjoyed watching his act.

Who Got Through?

The Angels were unsurprisingly eliminated, but Theo Dari beat favourites Abkari and Brahem to get through to the final, which will be held later this week.

Incroyable Talent semifinals - Alpha

After Dressing Flash's disappointing performance last week, Alpha was the next magician to perform live, in the Second Semifinal.

HOW DID ALPHA DO?

For his semifinal routine, Alpha did a pirate-themed routine. Beginning with a trick where he made a skull and crossbones appear on a flaming black cloth, he then proceeded to produce a number of birds, caged and uncaged, from under a number of cloths and silks. The birds were pretty and the productions were solid, but Alpha didn't up his game enough. His audition started slowly but ended well. His live performance started well, but ran out of steam as it progressed. The endless bird productions got a bit repetitive, and, in what has been a common problem for many magicians in Incroyable Talent, a number of interesting props stood in the background, adding to the mise-en-scene, but went unused, even though they could have been the basis for some great tricks. The assistant was also kept in the background, merely handing out silks and handkerchiefs. In short, Alpha lacked the scale and spectacle he needed to impress. Whilst I appreciate he's a close-up magician, the best close-up magicians (e.g former Incroyable Talent finalist Florian) are more creative, more imaginative and more professional. Alpha's presentation was good, but there was little imagination or excitement, and many of his productions can be figured out if you think about them for long enough.


WHAT DID THE JUDGES SAY?

The Judges all claimed that Alpha fooled them, but had little else to say.

HOW DID ALPHA DO?

Despite the judge's praise,the viewers were unimpressed by Alpha, and he was eliminated.

Incroyable Talent Semi Finals- Dressing Flash

Dressing Flash were the first magic act to compete in the live shows in this year's series of Incroyable Talent.


HOW DID THEY DO?

Dressing Flash's live show routine was an improvement on their audition, because it had more personality, and incorporated skills outside of Quick Change. However, it was still a weak performance. The duo did a routine to a medly of James Bond themesongs including "Goldeneye" "Diamonds Are Forever" and "You Know My Name". There was plenty of clothes changing, but the majority of the routine was centered around a simple transpostion trick where the female member got into a box covered by a screen, appeared to remove her clothing, and vanished. The male member then appeared to walk through the box, before it was revealed that the two members had switched places- The woman was in the man's clothes, and the man was in the box.It ws a solid trick, but not particularly great. Some of the clothes changes were creative, but the routine failed to convince as a homage to James Bond- why didn't the male member wear the Tuxedo, White Shirt and Bow Tie combination associated with Bond? All in all, their performance was decent, but not great. Dressing Flash showed range and creativity, but not enough to stand out or impress the audience

WHAT DID THE JUDGES SAY?

Dressing Flash  recieved to X's from judges Sophie Edelstein (Herself a magician) and Gilbert Rozon. Sophie felt that the costume changes were unconvincing and that she had seen it all before, whilst Gilbert felt they weren't ready yet. Fellow judge Dave, though, praised their performance.

DID THEY GO THROUGH?

Unsurprisingly, given the judges negative comments, Dressing Flash failed to make the next round.

La France A Un Incroyable Talent- Semifinals Preview

La France A Un Incroyable Talent, the French equivalent of Britain's got Talent and America's Got Talent,  has returned to French screens for its Seventh Series. The Live shows are about to start, and four magic acts are among the thirty who have been selected to compete for the 100,000 euro prize. They are...

1. Theo Dari

Theo Dari is not a traditional illusionist. Instead of cards and boxes, his act is exclusively focused on laser manipulation. It is daring and unique, and Theo looks to be a major favourite at this point. But how can he take the act to the next level?

    2. The Angels

An all-female Magic and Dance act, previously seen of the Dutch version of the show, The Angels are not the first all-female magic act seen on Incroyable Talent (the previous female magicians to make the live shows were Series 5's Julia Webb and Series 6's Amelie And Sylvie, neither of whom lived up to the promise of their auditions), but they still stand out as unique, coming across as a group of assistants taking control of their own act. The tricks they performed at the audition were strong and the delivery excellent. Dads and young women are likely of voting for this act, which could help them do well in the competition, but they need to really deliver in the live shows to earn this support.

   3. Dressing Flash

Dressing Flash are a quick-change duo similar to David And Dania from Americas Got Talent, and Soul Mystique from Australia's Got Talent. Their act is well presented, but Quick Change is not as new to Incroyable Talent as it was to the Aforementioned shows (Amelie and Sylvie specialised in Quick-Change too), and, anyway, Dressing Flash don't appear to be particularly original or exciting. Will they be able to up their game and stand out against bigger and flashier acts?

   4. Alpha

Alpha impressed in his audition with a small-scale but impressive trick involving floating fireballs. Though the beginning of the trick was slow and not very convincing, it improved as it went along, with an excellent finish. The presentation was strong, but Alpha is neither as grand nor as contemporary as his immediate rivals. His live performance needs to be flawless if he wants to compete for the title.

To find out how these acts, plus their fellow competitors, fare in the Live shows, be sure to check out our blog over the next few weeks.

AMERICAS GOT TALENT SEMIFINALS-PUCK

For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers

With Eric Dittelman's failure to make the finals, Puck became the last magic act left in Americas Got Talent

How Did Puck Do?

Puck upped his game considerably for the semifinals. Beginning by having Howard sign his handkerchief from the previous performance, he made it float into his hand, then tied it to his assistant's wrist, proving that the ensuing performance did not use a double. He then did the Asrah Levitation, where he covered his assistant and levitated her, before the cloth fell away and proved she'd vanished. He then simultaneously made her reappear in a box, handkerchief still tied to her hand. It may have not been the best illusion seen on the show this season, but at least Puck no longer looked out of place compared with the rest of this year's semifinalists, or the rest of this year's magicians.

What Is The Competition Like?

In terms of quality, Puck is in the middle of the field.Comedian Jacob Williams, who appeared so impressive in earlier rounds, flopped, whilst Mariachi singer Sebastien "El Charro de Oro" was bland and forgettable. All Wheel Sports made mistakes, but their cluttered act was never likely of going through anyway. Clint Carvalho and his Extreme Parrots did several cute parrot tricks, but never look like serious contenders. Shanice and Maurice weren't at their best, and All That were good, but not great. However, five acts look like contenders for the final. The Untouchables incorporated quick-change magic into their dance routine, whilst Light Wire Theater used Matrix-type effects for their blacklight pupeteering act. Tim Hockenberry is the best singer left in the competition, whilst Olate Dogs gave a high-energy routine that went down well with the judges and audience. Lastly, David Garabladi and His CMYK's did some excellent performance painting.

What are Puck's Chances?

If five acts were to have gone through like in previous years, Puck's chances of advancing would be moderate. However, with only three going through, his chances are fairly slim

Americas Got Talent Semifinal 1- Eric Dittelman

For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers

Unfortunately, Spencer Horsman didn't make the semifinals, despite his near-perfect wildcard performance. However, Eric Dittelman and Puck did make the semifinals. Eric Dittelman (Now simply referred to as "Dittelman" by the show and viewers) was first up, competing in the first of the two semifinals.

How Did Dittelman do?

  

For his semifinal performance, Dittelman used judge Howard Stern as his volunteer. Using the Self-portrait Howard had drawn in his Audition, Dittelman got him to color various parts of the picture in with marker pens of several different colors. As Howard did this, Dittelman did a brief self-working mentalism trick with his audience, where he got them to think of two primary shapes inside one another and revealed which two the audience were thinking of. After Howard finished coloring in, Dittelman revealed a prediction of which colors Howard would use where. This was another effective and original piece of mentalism. I would love to see Dittelman in the final.

What did The Judges say?

Sharon and Howie both gave Dittelman a standing ovation. Sharon called him "Fascinating". Howie called him "Amazing" and praised him for drawing the audience in. Howard said his performance was more entertaining then his last ones and that he deserved to go through.

What is the Competition Like?

Dittelman has two problems which could hurt his chances of making the final. First of all, this is a very competitive semifinal. Second of all, only three acts can go through instead of the five who normally make the next round. The judges were very critical this week, with favorites like Andrew De Leon, Turf and Academy of Villains receiving negative comments that could really damage their chances. Donovan and Rebecca, Bria Kelly and Todd Oliver fared well with the judges, but aren't likely to gain many votes from those not part of their fan base. Edon wasted his talents on a One Direction song, whilst The Scott Brothers were precise and energetic, but not memorable, and Joe Castillo doesn't look like he'll make it through with such intense competition and such tough opponents. Tom Cotter has a strong fanbase, but I have never found him particularly funny. The best act of the night, however, was instrumentalist William Close, who was a exciting and creative as usual.

What are Dittelman's Chances?

Dittelman fared very well with the judges and viewers and has a moderate-to-high chance of overcoming his tough competition and making the final.

AMERICAS GOT TALENT WILDCARD ROUND- Spencer Horsman Vs. Jarrett and Raja

For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers

In the Americas Got Talent Wildcard round, escapologist Spencer Horsman and musical illusionists Jarrett and Raja were among the twelve acts competing for the last spots in the Semifinals. 

How did Spencer and Jarret And Raja do?

Spencer Horsman went back to doing what he does best-escapology. For his performance, he was chained into a steel-suit restraint by 8 padlocks and placed in a giant glass tank, which was filled with wet cement. He managed to escape before he drowned, and best of all, escaped in style. The threat was real and the escape was genuine.It was a real return to form and I'd love to see what Spencer can do in the next round.

Jarrett and Raja also returned to form, as they did a trick similar to the one they did in Vegas. Here, Raja got into a box with a large piano inside and played it as Jarrett shut the box and it was lifted into the air. After a pause, the box was blown open to reveal that Raja and the piano had vanished from the box and reappeared in the audience. Though it wasn't particularly original or hard to figure out, I liked the creative presentation and I think that they can at least leave the competition with their heads held high.

What did the Judges say?

Spencer Horsman received a standing ovation from the judges. Howard, who chose him, called his act "Entertaining and Interesting",and praised the sense of danger to the performance. Sharon said he "Definitely Delivered" and had clearly improved from last time. Howie said he heeded the criticism he had been given in the liveshows and exceeded expectations.

Jarrett and Raja were also praised for their performance. Howie, who chose them, said their performance was "Great" and said he couldn't wait to see what they would do in the next round. Howard said the duo "Redeemed themselves" and said their trick was "the kind of illusion I'd pay to see". Sharon called them "Spectacular" and claimed they delivered.

What was the Competition like?

The wildcard heat was the most competitive night of the series so far, with no X's given, although some acts can be ruled out right away. Cristin Sandu fell off his Rola-bola tower again, Horse has reached the end of the road , Jake Wesley Rogers was dull and forgettable, and All That and Lindsey Norton didn't really stand out in my opinion. The other six acts all have a good chance of making the semifinals. The Bandbaz Brothers did a very dangerous balancing act that went to plan, but it was too short and too shaky. Todd Oliver blended the topical material Howard recommended with his family-friendly sensibilities, and his political routine had a couple of laughs. Sebastien "El Charro de Oro" did a Mariachi version of "New York, New York", and Ben Blaque shot an apple of his head blindfolded, a trick that has been tried before on Americas Got Talent, but not done this well. The only act certain of reaching the next round is Andrew De Leon, singled out as a potential winner by the judges.

What are Spencer and Jarrett And Raja's chances

Of the two, Spencer Horsman was better. His chances of making the next round are good, but his early performance slot might mean he might have to face the judges. Jarrett and Raja's chance's of making the next round are low, but the fact their performance went to plan is a success in itself.