America’s Got Talent – Season 18, Episode 16

By: Sammi Turano

This is the fourth week of qualifiers on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent”. Terry Crews hosts, while Sofia Vergara, Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum judge.

Zion Clark—Acrobat: He does his act while talking about overcoming obstacles in life. The obstacle course ends with him playing the drums….making it a trifecta of music, storytelling and acrobats. It’s amazing to see the multitude of talents he can put into one act.

The judges love his positive energy and think he is an inspiration.

Puppet Simon and the Cow Belles—Puppetry: This week, they add a Sofia puppet and sing the score to Hamilton…..but no cowbells…..hmmm….

Heidi feels sad she wasn’t included while Sofia and Simon argue over which of their portrayals was better.

Roland Abante—Singer: He sings I Will Always Love You, which was sung by both Dolly Parton and Whitney Houston. The performance is good, but he sounds like he is coming down with something….poor guy. However, his charisma is off the charts, making it that much better.

All the judges love it and think America will fall in love with him.

Mariandrea—Dancer: Today is her 15^th birthday. Her routine is a combination of contemporary and contortionism….which is like nothing I have ever seen before….she also is able to give it a sinister feel giving it something even more special.

The judges really enjoyed it, but Simon wanted something scarier.

Kylie Frey—Singer/Songwriter: She does another original song that has the audience singing along. She has a sweet, happy personality, which would make her perfect for so many different venues, including Vegas!

The judges love her energy and stage presence, as well as her personality.

Chibi Unity—Dance Group/Group Golden Buzzer: They are incredible…..the moves, the synchronization, the personality….all of it is perfection. There is nothing else to say.

The judges think it was filled with special moments and think it is the best act of the night so far.

Freedom Singers—Choir: They channel their inner Phil Collins and WOW….they are so moving and so beautiful that I am in tears….between this and their backstory, they are filled with emotion and love.

The judges think that America’s going to fall in love tonight.

Orlando Leyba—Comic: He jokes about his wife….which seems to be a common theme in these kind of acts. He does make it work and is actually quite funny.

The judges think he is a natural and love his material.

Anna DeGuzman—Magician: I had no idea she was the first female magician to make it this far. Everyone helps her….and Simon even tries to throw her off. Despite getting a teeny bit flustered, she powers on and is able to do the trick correctly and pick the cards they chose….including Howie’s autographed one that end up in a cake.

The judges live it and think they need more female magicians.

D’Corey Johnson—Singer: He sings Wishing on a Star and WOW…..what a gorgeous rendition of a beautiful classic. He manages to captivate the audience from start to finish. Him dedicating it to his sick sister was icing on the cake.

The judges love it and think he improved from day one.

Shadow Ace—Shadow puppetry: What a way to end the night. The act does the Macreana and performs to I Will Survive and all of it is hilarious….it is quite unique.

The judges love it and think this is a winning act.