‘AGT’ Recap: Judges Disagree on Acts as Live Shows Continue
Photo by: Greg Gayne/NBC Reading Time: 3 minutes
America’s Got Talent Season 17 returned on Tuesday night for the third week of live shows, as eleven acts performed for the chance at America’s votes. Only two acts will move on in Wednesday night’s results show, which will feature a performance from Season 14 winner Kodi Lee.
During this week’s show, the judges were in disagreement over several acts. But it’s up to viewers at home to decide who moves on. Don’t forget to vote, either on the NBC website or through the official AGT app, until 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday.
‘AGT’ Judges Disagree on Acts, Including MPLUSPLUS
The first act of the night was MPLUSPLUS, a dance group from Japan that incorporates light technology in their performances. They had to fix a technical difficulty before their performance, which included light-up streamers and glowing umbrellas.
Howie Mandel was not impressed with the performance, saying people could “buy this on the pier at Santa Monica.” Fellow judge Heidi Klum agreed with him, saying she likes the idea of it, but wondering if it was “spectacular enough.” Simon Cowell said he disagreed with them, saying it was a Vegas act.
Mandel and Cowell also clashed during their critique of hockey tricks act the Cline Twins, as Cowell claimed that Mandel didn’t want them to go to the live shows. Mandel called him a liar, telling the twins they’re “so pucking good” and would have won Canada’s Got Talent.
The judges later disagreed about dance duo Funkanometry. Klum compared their act to a “middle school talent show,” and Mandel said it was nothing more than “a viral TikTok.” However, Cowell called them one of his favorite acts.
Celia Muñoz Pays Tribute to Olivia Newton-John
One of the best moments from Tuesday night’s show came when ventriloquist Celia Muñoz paid tribute to Grease star Olivia Newton-John. Celia set her routine at a drive-in movie, and she performed “Hopelessly Devoted to You.”
What makes Celia’s act so unique is that she performs ventriloquism without a puppet. This time, she sipped a drink, blew her nose, and ate popcorn while performing the song, making it seem like it was coming out of a movie speaker and not her mouth. The judges gave her a standing ovation, with Cowell calling it the best act of the night so far.
Another act that had the judges and audience in awe was magician Nicolas Ribs. With Terry’s assistance, he performed a unique routine that combined moving images on a screen with real-life cards and objects. Klum said it was “beyond words,” and Sofia Vergara described it as a “new style of magic.” Mandel predicted that he could win the whole show.
Golden Buzzer Sara James Returns to Sing ‘Rocket Man’
Tuesday’s show ended with a performance from Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer, 14-year-old singer Sara James. She performed “Rocket Man” by Elton John, putting her own haunting spin on it. The performance started out quiet before Sara belted out some incredible notes.
The judges praised Sara’s performance, with Cowell calling her song choice “genius” and predicting that Elton John will respond to it on social media. Mandel called it a “winning performance.” But was it enough to earn America’s vote? We’ll find out on Wednesday night.
Last week, Golden Buzzer Maddie missed her shot at the Finals and was eliminated, so it’s anyone’s game. Don’t forget to vote for your favorites on either the NBC website or the AGT app. Voting is open until 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday morning.
