In a special Sunday edition of “America’s Got Talent,” Season 9, some outstanding auditions included some danger and some surprises.
- First up were the Psychic Divas of New York, who claimed to be able to tell things about people. The sisters wanted to give the judges a psychic reading. They began with Heidi Klum, telling her that she has another hidden talent and predicting “books would come out in the future.” At this point, Howard Stern buzzed them. They told Howard that, since the age of 8, he had wanted to change the world. They told Mel B. she was going to have another baby, although she insisted she wasn’t. They told Howie Mandel that, from the age of 3, he’d always been afraid of germs. All four judges buzzed them. After being rejected, they also predicted Mel B. would get her breasts enlarged… again. Howie said, “I predict you will be going home.” They were out of there.
- Mike Super of Pittsburgh, a stay-at-home dad, is a “mystifier” but doesn’t like to be called a magician. He said he had a spirit attached to him called Desmond who would be helping him. He asked Heidi to come up onstage with him to help. She was asked to hold a glass pitcher inside a Plexiglass case, and he said his spirit friend Desmond was going to feed off the audience’s energy. She was supposed to be aware of his presence by either a temperature change, the pitcher feeling heavy or an orb of light near her shoulder. In actuality, the pitcher shattered! She said she had no idea what had happened but she loved it. Howard called it remarkable. Mel B. found it “weird in a really good way.” Howie called it different and said he couldn’t figure out how he did it. Four yeses.
- Husband and wife danger act Valo and Bobby had met while working in a circus in Bulgaria. Their young son watched from offstage as they performed. He lifted her on his forehead in an extremely tall contraption, where she hung by her neck and spun and then flipped around and around. It definitely looked very dangerous, given the height. The crowd loved it. Howard said he’d been caught up in the drama and thought they’d done a sensational job. Heidi had been worried for the wife. Mel B. called it “brilliantly dangerous.” Howie joked, “Is this your first wife?” implying the dangerous act could make his wives expendable. Four yeses.
- Then we saw a small snippet of some other acts: Mothmen, dancers who combined wire work with contemporary and jazz moves. Howie told them, “You’ve got to have mothballs to do that!” Four yeses. Robert Tanning is a speed painter, and he painted on what appeared to be a completely black canvas, then threw glitter on it, revealing a portrait of Howard Stern. Nice! Another performer did a balancing act on top of a swaying platform, putting everyone on edge.
- Mara Justine, 11, had been singing since she was very little, and she performed “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” from “Showgirls,” demonstrating vocal chops beyond her years. The judges gave her a standing ovation. Howard said it had been a “wow moment.” Heidi said she was “absolutely incredible” and liked that she was a humble girl and then turned into another person while she was thinking. Mel B. said, “You just raised the bar so high in the singing department.” Howie said, “Your life is never going to be the same” and asked her to speak. She said, “I’ve always wanted to do this, and I feel this is it.” Four yeses, in unison.
- Juan Carlos was a roller-blade dancer. Dressed in a red sparkly suit, with dyed blonde hair but a thick brown mustache, he shimmied and vogued as he skated around the stage to “These Boots Are Made for Walking.” He seemed more like a comic character going for humor than someone who was taking it seriously. Howard buzzed him and received an angry pose in reply. Howie stood up and said to Howard, “I love him!” Howard found him funny but was bored during the act. Howie said, “He will win the hearts of America.” Mel B. said, “If it was a Friday night and I was with my girlfriends, I am coming to your show.” She said he was likable. Howie voted yes. Howard said, “The party is over. I’m voting no.” Mel B. voted yes, leaving it up to Heidi. Heidi said, “I was not sure, but I’m going to give you another shot.” He was through to the next round.
- A contortionist, Nina Burri, 36, had started late in life. She wore a gold body suit and folded herself in half, then did a number of other mind-boggling twists. Howard called it spectacular and said it was the best contortion he’s seen. Heidi found it very entertaining. Howie said, “You know what seemed to be missing from that act? Bones.” Mel B. complimented her for “putting a different twist on it.” Four yeses.
- Then a group of four young girls also did a contortion act, including stacking themselves into a pyramid. They were also put through. We also saw the Contortion Sisters, who balanced on top of each other and showed off strength and flexibility. One of them asked Nick Cannon to come out on the stage, and she wrapped herself around him like a belt. Presumably, they also made it to the next level.
- Brothers Emil and Dariel, 16 and 13, had been taught cello by their grandfather and played electric versions of the instrument, surprising the judges with a red-hot version of a rock song, Jimi Hendrix’s “Purple Sky.” Their grandfather teared up offstage, watching them wow the audience. Heidi said she’d never heard anything like it. Howard loved the element of surprise and said they were the “coolest guys on the block.” Mel B. called it incredible and thanked them for auditioning. Howie liked that they had made something old new again. He predicted guys would now be playing “air cello” at parties. Four definite yeses.
- One Voice Children’s Choir, consisting of 100 members ages 6 to 18, sang the Usher song, “Burn,” which sounded very inspirational coming from them. Howard said that in the singing category, “We look for moments. You guys had about 50 of those moments.” Heidi said she really liked it. Mel B. said the first half of the audition “wasn’t good” but that the group came together afterward. Howie agreed with Mel B. Howard called them gold and voted yes. Howie said he was looking for a diamond, and they weren’t one, so it was a no. Heidi said they were one of the best choirs she’d seen, so she voted yes. Mel B. held their fate in her hands. She said that the judges were looking for a million-dollar act, and they weren’t good enough. Howard begged her to give them a chance. He even got down on his knees to ask her to change her mind, as the audience chanted to put them through. She changed her vote to a yes, earning them passage to the next round. The kids were overjoyed, some of them in tears.
- Arlo Pelegren, an entomologist, said he wanted to shatter a record for placing spiders voluntarily on one’s face (the record, according to him, being two). He used Chilean Rose Hair Tarantulas, playing five on his face. He came down to the judges’ table for the stunt. While the other judges edged away, Heidi crept closer. She even agreed to hold one. Howie voted yes. Howard said they belonged in a zoo not an act, voting no. Heidi also voted no. Mel B.’s vote wasn’t shown, but she clearly didn’t like it.
- In a montage of other unusual acts, we saw: a man who put Madagascar hissing cockroaches in his mouth and then spit back into a jar; a woman who generated New Age-style atmospheric music by directing a sensor wand at plants. Howard was bored and buzzed her. Four nos, but Howard suggested she audition for the Plant Network. Finally, we saw another guy, who came onstage and ate some cacti. Um… yes. Heidi and Howard buzzed him, then so did Mel B. and Howie. Four nos. The last we saw of him, he was being checked by the first responders who hang out backstage to provide medical care.
- After a few glimpses of other kid acts, we saw a young knife thrower, Grennan the Green Monster, 8. His dad runs a side show, and Grennan has been performing since age 4. His father held balloons while the kid threw the knife, accurately, including throwing them around his dad’s silhouette. Howie said the act made him really scared and asked what he would do if he were brought back. He said he’d throw knives at his 6-year-old sister! Mel B. asked him if he really enjoyed doing this, and he said yes. Howie said he’d love to see more. Heidi said that she “felt weird about it” but wanted to see more, and Howard agreed. Four yeses. The little guy danced offstage
- Rock Hard Revue, a male revue show from Florida, performed next. They started with some very athletic moves, tumbling and doing hip-hop moves. Then they got into the strip tease portion of it, with two of them coming down to the judges’ table to strip off their shirts for the women. Howie, in a spirit of camaraderie, also took his shirt off. Afterward, he got up onstage with them to dance along. Howard was surprised that Howie shaved his chest and called that revelation the “creepiest thing on the show so far.” Mel B. told the dancers they weren’t as in sync as they should be but “all is forgiven.” Howie joked that he’d do anything for a dollar. Heidi said, “I didn’t mind it at all.” Howard, however, said no, saying it wasn’t a million-dollar talent. Howie also voted no, even though he’d had fun. Both women voted yes, but it wasn’t enough.
- Frank the Singer, 74, had been a bartender for 50 years but really wanted to sing. He did a mean Frank Sinatra imitation. Howie said it was a wonderful moment for AGT. Mel B. said his voice was so smooth and sexy “I think I’m a little bit in love with you.” Heidi liked his singing and that he was humble and nice. Howard called him fantastic. Four yeses.
