I mentioned that I was getting tired of his shooting fire, but I liked some of the other elements of his act.
But all of his magic was stuff done (better) by other magicians on the show. He’s really not that good.
The thing with stage magic is that it seems to me there are soooo few tricks. They make things/people appear, they make things/people disappear, they cut women into pieces.
Okay, sure, they are no doubt using many different techiniques to create the disappearance/appearance illusions, and they dress it up with different frills…and yet, from the audience’s pov it way too often comes down to Poof! something is gone and Poof! something appears.
Years ago I was taken to a performance of “Le Grand David” somewhere on the north shore near Boston. It was something like three hours of magic acts done by an aglomeration of magicians. After about 40 minutes I was inwardly screaming ‘Let me out of here!’ because it seemed like a never-ending sequence of the same illusions over and over and over and over.
I think that show turned me off stage magic pretty much for good. I still enjoy card and coin tricks, close up stuff. But the minute they bring out the boxes/cages/chests/shackles…
I am way late to this party because I watch it with someone and she has been sick recently and I didn’t want to watch it without her.
Are you freaking kidding me that those stupid girls who have MARGINAL singing talent made it over Arcattack? And that kite kid actually had a chance?? I really wanted the final judging to be “we all can’t send one of you home so we are sending both…and sending arcattack instead”.
All three singers are fine to go through (especially Poppycock!!!).
Anna and Patryk are just “meh” to me because it’s obvious he is WORLDS better at dancing than she is. I can’t imagine them winning however, nor would I pay money to see them.
Gonna go to hell for this one so I’ll spoiler box it:
If they don’t win does anyone else want the two opera singer to go on tour together as Prince Poppycock and Princess Pussywillow?
The show, and the judges, tried really hard to keep Arcattack in the running, going so far as to move everyone around for their performances.
I blame the bozos that think fire is evil, that our president is a secret terrorist, that books can make a kid worship Satan… Well you get the idea. Fucktards exist, and they vote.
I think that’s an awesome idea.
My pics are:
Alice Tan Ridley
Studio One Young Beast Society
Jackie Evancho
Fighting Gravity
Michael Grasso or Debra Romer - Yeah, this performance wasn’t deserving of moving on, but thinking of her better past performances I’m overlooking this weak one.
The only prediction I have is that **Nathaniel Kenyon **, Maestro Alexander Bui and Murray will be going home.
Alice Tan Ridley and Debra Romer are such great singers, it makes me get all teary-eyed.
Fighting Gravity was really creative and it was very well-executed.
Studio One Young Beast Society was entertaining, and I’m not really a fan.
Jackie Evancho did exactly what we knew she would and will get lots of votes.
Michael Grasso had his best performance so far.
Jeremy VanSchoonhoven kicked ass and is always a thrill to watch.
Michael Lipari & Ashleigh Dejon unfortunately were really good and may have a shot.
Haspop annoys me, but I thought the presentation was very entertaining and he is a contender again.
This will be a heartbreaking night because a ton of talent will be sent home.
NBC did an awful job of arranging the semifinal matchups. Last night’s show featured 3 of the 4 likely favorites (Jackie Evancho, Alice Tan Ridley & Fighting Gravity; only missing Prince Poppycock) and some other acts who would definitely have made the finals if they had drawn into one of the other nights, but won’t because they had the misfortune of drawing into this semifinal.
Either they drew these randomly, or are trying to manipulate the selection of the finalists.
Sub in Prince Poppycock for Murray and Michael Grimm for the male singer, and this episode should have been the finals. I’m not even going to make predictions for who’s going through, partly because nine out of the ten have a shot, IMHO, (with Murray being the lone disappointing one), and partly because my track record for predictions basically sucks.
Heck, I’d even be happy if the piano man makes it through. Everyone brought their A game.
Er…and by nine out of ten, I mean eleven out of 12. Me can’t count.
Well, I am a bit surprised that Jeremy went through and not Alice Tan Ridley, but almost everyone that performed last night was so talented that it was hard to narrow it down to just 5.
And IMO it doesn’t matter anyways, as it seems almost a foregone conclusion that the final two will be between Jackie Evancho & Fighting Gravity.
I am trusting the universe to provide other opportunities for both Alice Tan Ridley and Debra Romer. Of the two of them I prefer Ridley’s style of performance but I think there are plenty of venues that will welcome both of them.
I was sad at the loss of Arcattack. (though I could have lived without the addition of the girl). I’m glad Howie emphasized the point that it’s so different in person. I hope they’ll find opportunities too.
I thought Fighting Gravity did work to make the act a little different for this round but there is only so different it can look. Even my son, who thinks what they do looks cool, has said that it’s never as exciting as the first time when we weren’t sure how they were doing it.
My thing with Jackie Evancho is that I would choose a different path for her. She is undeniably talented and deserves a long and rich career, but for right now I’d like her gift to be a little more protected and nurtured. I’d rather see her join the Met at 12, or better yet 16, and have a fantastic opera career. I can’t see myself choosing a solid show of just her soloing in Las Vegas.
I was about to type that I wouldn’t choose an opera show in Vegas, but Poppycock’s I would. I wonder how he’d manage the time it would undoubtedly take him for costume changes. He makes me want to wear bejewelled feather eyelashes.
I’m sorry the bike guy went through.
He’s got serious injuries from that accident. He said after the last show that it affected his ability to hold onto the handle bars as tightly as needed – that has got to be dangerous for him.
And having just a week to prepare a new routine? That has got to involve a hell of a lot of practice, meaning no real chance for his body to heal.
I don’t want to see him seriously hurt himself just to perform one more time when, really, is there a single chance in a million he’ll be the winner? 
Please, just bow out for health reasons. I’d bet he can still be included on the show tour, and that’s the best he can achieve any way.
I was impressed with Michael Grasso’s performance until I rewound to rewatch it, and even during the rewind it was very obvious when the switch between the girl and the magician took place. VERY obvious. When the cage starts spinning, for a second you see him duck behind the curtain to switch with the girl before the camera cuts to a close-up of the spinning thing. It was still an impressive performance, but the fact I could so easily see how the switch happened is a definite turn off for me.
Jackie is a phenomenal talent, but I don’t see how a 10yro little girl is going to pull off a Las Vegas show. It seems inappropriate and, really, unfair to her.
Prince Poppycock, however, is an act MADE for Vegas.
I think the sister singers, young dude who sings (not the bluesy one with the hat), and the kid dancers have no shot; the dance group has virtually no shot; the daredevil bicyclist and the bluesy singer with the hat have an outside shot. Michael Grasso has a strong shot, depending on what kind of trick he can pull out of his hat (hey Rocky!).
My prediction is Jackie, Fighting Gravity, and Prince Poppycock will be the top 3.
Yeah, which sort of makes it PP vs. FG.
Magic on tv only works if it’s honest. They’re pushing things with some of the editing. When misdirection works, it’s awesome. When the director knows beforehand about when and where the pyro goes off… Meh.
Mountain bike dude is crazy, as most mountain bike/stunt bmx dudes are. He would never quit. He will end up getting hurt quite badly, Vegas show or not. Might as well let him go for maximum glory.
Props to Howie for keeping the focus of the show on talents unlike the ones on every other talent show.
Well, don’t forget, he did love that horrible yodeler lady <shudder>.
Oof. True. Kinda sucks to think you get the inside joke when there really isn’t one.
Nah, I think that applied to Ronith. Howie thought he was purposely doing bad impersonations even after Ronith said he thought he was doing good impersonations.
5 Singers
2 Dancers (or groups)
3 Others
Time for the annual rant about singers. 50% of the show are singers and I know that America votes but the judges need to take that into account when doing eliminations. For example, Christina and Ali over Conner Doran. At best, they were 5th best that night so clearly America did not pick them as the best singer(s) but Connor is the best at what he does (kite flying). Knowing that singers (and maybe dancers) are always a huge number of finalists, the judges need to start with day one saying, “If you’re not extraordinary, you’re out.”
That being said, here are the finalists
America got it right
#1 Prince Poppycock - Great voice and costumes. I would pay money to see him for 2 hours. If you see him, you haven’t seen a great show, but rather a great VEGAS show.
#2 Michael Grasso - Even though I saw (on replay, ty Tivo) how he did the trick, it is still amazing. Probably best for a small club setting like Wayne Brady does in Vegas where the up-close magic would really work. Another I would pay to see.
#3 Jackie Evancho - Due to the bias towards singers, she would be the one I put money on. Reminds me a lot of Charlotte Church, but then again, what has CC done lately?
#4 Michael Grimm - Reminds me of a ton of other singers out there (am I watching AGT or AI) but there is something I really like about him. I can’t put my finger on it, but I would not be overly upset if he won.
#5 Fighting Gravity - Falls further on my list every week. At least Recycled Purcussion was different every week. I can see myself at the show and after 30 min wanting to get back to the blackjack table.
#6 Studio 1 Young Beast - Very good but step/hip-hop groups are a dime-a-dozen. I see this sort of stuff all the time (inner ciy teacher) but America doesn’t so it gets a pass.
America, what were you thinking?
#7 Taylor Mathews - Another singer like everyone else trying to break into the biz <yawn>
#8 Jeremy Van Shoonhoven - A great talent but I saw a similar act from Cirque du Soleil and it gets very old very fast. As for being the best in his talent, ike Conner hes was the best, but there are others that are the best in their talent that got voted out (ArcAttack e.g.)
#9 Ana and Patryk - Did you see that South Park where Michael Jackson was in the kid beauty contest? Did you see the male judges under the table? That’s the vibe I get from Piers. A&P are good, but not great and there are so many more talented acts that should have been in the finals.
#10 Christina and Ali - Just not good. I actually think them getting in raises a point. If all of the singers had to compete on the same show (rather than split up over the two semifinals), would the have gotten in? Is there something to be said for having the same talent compete on the same semifinal night so that we don’t have a sitation where C&A get in on a weak night yet Alice Tan Ridley gets knocked out on a great night where 7 or 8 could have made it in the finals?
Replacements
So if the bottom 4 go, who should replace them? I limited my choices to those in the semis (otherwise the homeless vets would be on the list).
#7a ArcAttack - Maybe not mainstream America, but would be a great Vegas act. It’s different and sparks are cooler than fire. Maybe they can get a gig at Disneyland in the Sorcerer’s Apprentice movie show.
#8a Maestro Alexander Bui - If opera singers can win, why can’t a concert pianist be in the finals? I think he lost because his song was impressive, but only if you knew the technical dfficulty f the piece. Do what Poppycock did and take a popular song and rearrange it into a classical piece and he is golden.
#9a Asspop - Got punished when he tried to take his routine to the next level and it didn’t work. I admire the fact that he realized his bit wasn’t built for 90 minutes and tried to do something a little different.
#10a A tough one. Limiting myself to semifinals, I would have to say Alice Tan Ridley but I don’t reall feel good about that since she is not even the best classical singer (but she is a close second). None of the other acts stand out enough for me to pick one so this is my wildcard pick from the top 48. With that, Hannibal Means would be great in Vegas, but more as a character on the street than a performer so 10a will be
Doogie Horner - the worse he gets, the better he gets