Ashley After the two-hour premiere of America’s Got Talent on May 31st it’s safe to say that the talent, heart, and compassion this season are at an all-time high! The premiere brought with it the return of Heidi Klum, Mel B, and Howie Mandel and while he’s not new to judging talent, Simon Cowell was welcomed for his first season as a judge on AGT.
From magic to tape face to a young opera singer and an acapella group that brought us to tears – season 11 has absolutely blown our minds already, and the judges were just as affected as the viewers at home.
Nathan, a 6-year-old, was the first to take the stage tonight and after a comedy routine that had the judges laughing and falling in love with him – he was also the first to make it through to the next round. A kind gentleman named Jose and his dog Carrie wowed the judges with a clever dance routine – the pair also made it through this round of judging. A clairvoyant pair, Thommy and Amelie followed up next and blew the minds of the judges, the audience, and viewers as Amelie sat blindfolded on stage and guessed items in Thommy’s hand. She was able to guess a phone – down to the service provider – a shade of lipstick and even eye drops – and their expiration date! The pair were a clear ‘yes’ to make it through.
Next up, a group of four men from the west end of Louisville, Kentucky took the stage. Everyone assumed, as they stood with mics in hand, that they’d be performing a hip-hop number, but Linkin Bridge stunned everyone with a beautiful acapella version of ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ that brought tears to the eyes of everyone who watched their performance. After the audience sat down – the group got a standing ovation – and the judges sang their praises, focus was brought back to the four men on stage and one was in tears as he talked about how hard they worked for this. Linkin Bridge was followed backstage where all members were standing with tears in their eyes taking in the life changing experience they’d just experienced – their humble nature and thankful attitudes stood out above many tonight.
The next acts of talent on stage showcased acrobatics, some karate that ended up with a decapitated Mel B cardboard cut out, and an illusionist who made Howie believe in magic. There was a couple who performed a song and dance number to Elvis, the woman spent a bit of time flirting with Simon, and a young man – who’s name we still don’t know – that did an entire number with his mouth taped shut. There was a type of body contortionist who hung himself from a hook in his nose and a band that dressed up as the Spice Girls as well! These acts made the judges laugh, smile, and at times question what on earth was happening in front of them, but they were all very entertaining.
The show was stolen again, however, by an 8th grader named Laura that was nervous to take the stage after some of what she’d seen already. It takes no time at all for her to shake off her nerves and belt out a famous opera number that left the crowd completely speechless as they rose to their feet and applauded her talent. People in the crowd were crying, the judges were close to tears, and Laura herself was emotional on stage, as the judges congratulated her on her incredible show of talent and courage – Mel B said that Laura’s life was going to change from that moment on and that she was going to change it right now before pushing the coveted golden buzzer pushing Laura onto the live shows.
Season 11 is just getting kicked off and there has already been an incredible show of talent taking the stage proving that this is sure to be one of the stiffest competitions of the show’s history.
Did you tune in for AGT? What was your favorite performance of the evening? Tweet us at CelebMix and let us know!
