- Piers says the 2011 Semifinals are the most talented ever. Part 1: Zuma Zuma, Beth Ann Robinson, Sandou Trio, Kevin Colis, Matt Wilhelm, PopLyfe, WSDT, Melissa Villasenor, Team iLluminate, Daniel Joseph Baker, Miami All Stars and Lys Agnes.—Toni Tapola, Finland
- The last time we saw some of these acts, a presidential campaign hadn't started, the NFL season wasn't going to happen, and the east coast hadn't experienced a significant earthquake in over half a century. But we're finally into the next round of the sixth season of "America's Got Talent" is finally upon us and half of the semifinalists are set to perform. Without much delay, we're off...
Zuma Zuma: The acrobatics group that traveled the furthest to get to the competition is aiming to make a former member proud. The brother of one of the group's members, who was once part of the act, fell to his death off a human pyramid after landing on his head and spending three years in the hospital. There's a slight mishap with one of the tricks, but the judges don't seem to mind. Piers says it was "terrific" as it brought excitement to this round of the competition. Sharon says she loves what they do and the enthusiasm they bring, but she doesn't think this performance was as good as the last time they performed. Howie agrees, saying "it didn't have the same energy and exuberance" that the previous performances had.
Beth Ann Robinson: The 14-year-old acrobatic dancer who made it to the semifinals through the YouTube auditions is wary of Piers' concern over whether a solo dancer can make it in this competition. Sharon says she needs to show more personality. She vows to take advantage of having the stage to herself and says she's going to show us what she can do. She uses some visual trickery, using three mirrors on stage to bring some depth to the act. It seems to work. Sharon calls it "another flawless performance" from her. She says she hopes viewers at home realize how hard it is for her to do this act on her own. Howie calls her performance "beautiful" and "mesmerizing." He says she seems to be beyond her years in skill and poise. Piers says America should feel incredibly proud to see someone her age with that "extraordinary talent." He says he doesn't think they've had many "technically better" dancers than her in all the show's seasons.
Sandou Trio Russian Bar: Trying to mix things up, the Sandou Trio Russian Bar is still a trio, but instead of raising the bar they're eliminating it. Instead, the female flipper is going to be playing piano while suspended in the air. Piers has seen enough after about 30 seconds and buzzes them. A bit later, the piano flips upside down (on purpose), but the singing isn't great. Howie laughs a bit and asks if they were "going for comedy." He says the singing didn't reach the level of the other singers. He thinks they made a bad choice because "this does not even compare to anything you've ever done." Piers calls it the "biggest suicide mission we've ever had on the show" because they "didn't vote you through to sing badly upside down on the piano." He says "the act was a Russian Bar act -- and you were incredible at that, you were the best at that I've ever seen." Sharon says "it was disappointing." She says the singer has "a mediocre voice," which makes it worse, but she admires the risk.
Kevin Colis: The singer who got through on YouTube now knows he's up against more singers and says the song he's going to perform "represents the love" that he has for his supportive fiancee. He has a seriously shaky start to the Plain White T's "Rhythm of Love," and Piers shows no love whatsoever for the act, buzzing Kevin about halfway through. He asks a rhetorical question to the singer, questioning whether he was nervous. He says it "just wasn't good enough tonight." Sharon says the performance reminder her of "something like The Wiggles," adding it was sweet and nice, "but bland and forgettable." Howie agrees with Sharon that Kevin has a very good voice, but says Kevin was lucky that he performed originally on the YouTube show, because a lot of his competition that night were amateurs who couldn't handle the pressure of the live show, but now that he's against the rest of the pack, Kevin faltered.
Matt Wilhelm: Another YouTuber, the black-light BMX bike stuntman says he's going to top his last performance "by a million times over." He's telling a story of being bullied as a kid, saying that biking helped him get through the toughest times of his life. He falls at one point while doing a spin, but that only seems to pull the crowd more into it. Sharon says the presentation was great and she's "really sad" that he made a mistake and fell but she hopes it won't effect the voting. Howie says it wasn't really "a thousand times better," and was mostly like the previous performance. Piers says the mistake didn't bother him much because of the level of difficulty, but he says the problem for Matt is how to turn his tricks into an act, because while it's amazing to watch, "after about 15 minutes I'd be bored."
Pop Lyfe: The teen singers who Howie labeled the "best act of the night" when they performed in the previous round say they don't just have butterflies in their stomachs, they have elephants. They're taking a chance with a classic, pulling out The Beatles' "Come Together." Howie said "who knew there was a step up" from where they were last time? He says they're stars and calls them a headlining act. Piers says the big challenge in the semifinals is to choose a song big enough "that if you get it right, it really works." He says when he heard they were doing "Come Together," he worried it was too big for them. But he "suddenly realized" they're watching a band that is going to be huge in this country. Sharon calls it a "great, great song choice" and she loved their interpretation of it. She adds, "I honestly think that I'm looking at a winner here."
West Springfield Dance Team: After a YouTube audition and a wild-card save, the intentionally horrific dance group knows they have to bring something special to make it through another round. They get the crowd roaring with a terrifying routine in which one member rips his own face off at the end. Piers says that given the amount of time they had to prepare it, he thought this performance was better than both of the previous two. Sharon says they "pulled it off again" and says the choreographers are brilliant. Howie jumps on board and says he thinks they're going to stay in the competition.
Melissa Villasenor: The comedian and impressionist says she practices in front of her cats, in the bathroom, in her car. Tonight, she says she's going to do what she does in her stand-up shows. She starts with a shaky Sarah Silverman impression, but picks it up a bit with Wanda Sykes, Shakira and Christina Aguilera. Sharon says Melissa "did the impossible" by making Piers laugh. She says Melissa did great. Howie says he's a huge fan and knows how hard it is to do stand-up. Piers says he found it funny, America should find it funny, and she's a "very talented person."
Team Illuminate: The group that combines dance, art and science is going to be using a new technology this time around. They want to bring the audience along for a fun ride this time, as opposed to the emotional presentation they did before. Using a video-game theme, they light up the stage with some cool choreography. Howie says he just watched "a million dollars." He says the only thing that scares him is that people will take for granted that they're get votes from elsewhere and won't vote. Piers says he's got every confidence that America will vote for them. Sharon says she can't believe they're on the show because they "should have been famous, like, forever ago."
Daniel Joseph Baker: The singer says he used to let the bullies get the better of him, and never thought he'd be in this kind of situation, facing the biggest moment of his life. Piers says that at first he worried about the song choice, thinking it was too serious, but the risk was a good one and it paid off. Sharon says she loves him so much and that he's "incredibly talented," and he delivers with a great passion. "Plus the fact you're as camp as Christmas, which is quite fantastic." She wants everyone to vote. Howie says he's thrlled Daniel's piano turned around and not upside down (a knock on the Russian Bar trio's switch-up). Daniel says he's a little emotional with his parents in the audience.
Miami All Stars: The dance group says they're taking a big risk on something they're still working on and isn't completely worked out. They deliver an all-out dance spectacle that Nick calls "bananas" and the crowd erupts. Piers gives a standing ovation. Sharon says she thought she was watching a movie and that every time she sees them she gets "all worked up inside." Howie says there's room for many dancers as that they deserve to go through just like Team Illuminate. Piers says it was his favorite act of the night.
Lys Agnes: The opera singer "who's been through some tough times," Nick reminds us, says she's become more of herself since being in the competition. She says it was like she was in a cocoon before and she's becoming a butterfly and she's transformed now. She's having some voice trouble as the performance night approaches. She gives an operatic treatment to Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life." The judges and the crowd give a massive ovation. Sharon says that just when she thought she'd seen it all, Lys took her breath away. She says it was sensational and overwhelming. Piers says she's "finally" shown him the full range she has. Piers says this was the single best semifinals they've ever had. Howie says there aren't words to describe her beauty, looks, sound and performance and then awkwardly says, "You know what I want to do to you?" Then adds that he wants to get her votes.
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