“America’s Got Talent” Recap: Wild Card Show

Life is full of second chances. On last night’s America’s Got Talent, the Wild Card show gave those acts who didn’t make it into the semifinal shows another shot at advancing. Each judge picked four acts to return and vie for America’s votes. It was a fantastic night for talent. These acts know this is the final time they can woo the home audience. Halfway through the show, I already knew it would be difficult to narrow the field down to four. There were several acts that had me on the edge of my seat, holding my breath. There were some that made me laugh. There were also performances that made me stand up and applaud. This isn’t going to be easy.

Last week, our predictions came true again. These YouTube acts advanced in the competition:

The Magic of Puck – Magic act
Bria Kelly – Singer
Academy of Villains – Dance troupe
Clint Carvalho and His Extreme Parrots – Parrot stunt act

First off, Andrew De Leon. His audition blew away the judges. In the Las Vegas rounds, he didn’t top the previous performance. De Leon agreed with judge Howard Stern when he summed up his Vegas performance by saying, “You tanked. You were horrible.” Last night, De Leon delivered. Big time. His voice is absolutely stunning. It was a remarkable performance that really does solidify the classic idiom, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” De Leon has been one of the most talked about acts of this season, and I think America is thanking judge Howie Mandel for bringing him back.

Next, here is Spencer Horsman. His acts in the past have been exciting and fun to watch. Yes, the element of danger existed in those performances, but last night’s was the most dangerous. Horsman is locked up in a glass case. His goal is to escape before the cement being poured in suffocates him. I was expecting Horsman to escape before being submerged. Nope. Let’s just say it was too close for comfort. Horsman could’ve died right there on stage. When you’re on the wire-thin line of success and failure, with failure meaning you die in this instance, the audience just stares in amazement and silence.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEszDjhy3eg

This is Ben Blaque. He loves using his crossbows to shoot at beautiful women. Last night, he turned the tables on himself. Blaque’s act was vaguely similar to that of last year’s performer, Frank Miles. Miles used more comedy in his performances; Blaque is serious. Last night saw Blaque triggering a chain reaction of crossbows on stage, in the hopes of impaling an apple above his head and not himself. Again, Miles did the same kind of routine last year. Blaque’s act has two big differences. First, he set up all the crossbows on stage live (Miles had them preset). Secondly, Blaque was blindfolded and used a bell to position his aim (Miles didn’t). From those instances alone, Blaque’s performance was more exciting and thrilling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq_-rn1lIYs

Finally, here is Todd Oliver and his canine friend Irving. His act is very unique. It’s a ventriloquism act, an animal act and a comedy act. When Oliver performed last time, his act was overly complicated. Sure, adding a second dog into the mix was a nice touch, but the material was lacking. The act just works better with him and Irving. Mix that with a solid set of jokes, and it’s hilarious. Oliver’s first joke was the best. What worked in his favor was that he stuck with topical humor that the audience can relate with.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5v44m4w8y4

Tonight is going to be interesting. I’m sure there will be some surprises. Either way, this year’s semifinalists are the best yet. Also, I will be at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center tonight as I bring you live tweets and pictures from the AGT set. It should be a fun show. It starts at 9:00PM ET on NBC.