By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Gabrielle Union decided to bring her husband to work! Iconic basketball player Dwyane Wade joined his wife, Simon Cowell, Julianne Hough, and Howie Mandel at the Judges’ Desk. He had the opportunity to send one act directly to the Dolby Theatre.
Which act received the opportunity to join Kodi Lee, the Detroit Youth Choir, and Sophie Pecora at the Dolby Theatre? Whose dreams came crashing down? Who will perform live for America’s votes? Read on to find out!
After the retired NBA legend made his entrance and tested out the Golden Buzzer, it was time to get down to business. Danger act Bir Khalsa returned for their chance to compete on the Dolby Theatre stage. The audience was stunned when the group’s tallest member (he was 7 feet 6 inches) dwarfed Dwyane Wade. The trio stood in a triangular formation, and a sharp spear was in the middle of it. Next, one member balanced himself on the spear’s point. Finally, the group’s tallest member sat down on the stage floor as production assistants put a gigantic ice block on top of him. After the production assistants left the stage, the second man brought out the silver sledgehammer and smashed the ice block onto his body. Next, the group switched out members as they hit coconuts on the shortest member’s head. Thankfully, he was okay! The basketball player called their performance entertaining, while Julianne was scared about the members’ safety.
Girl group GForce rehearsed to face Simon. The girls wanted to follow in One Direction and Little Mix’s footsteps. The girls performed an original song called “Simon Says,” which received a quizzical look from the Got Talent creator. While the beginning was boring, the girls shifted into high gear with the chorus. GForce elevated their performance and received a standing ovation from a majority of the judges. Gabrielle stated that the group was the reason why she became a judge on the show and Dwyane Wade loved their swagger. However, Howie did not like their performance. Meanwhile, Simon stated that their Judge Cuts was a massive improvement from their first audition.
Singer Olivia Calderon delivered a stunning aria that received a standing ovation from all the judges but Dwyane Wade. Meanwhile, magician Dom Chambers wanted the NBA legend to like him. He decided to theme his act around cocktails and invited Julianne for a cocktail. He asked Siri to assist him in his act. Siri presented him with a seven of hearts and poured Julianne’s tequila sunrise from his iPhone. She corrected stated that it was the correct drink. While Dwayne, Gabrielle, and Julianne gave him a standing ovation, Simon noted that Dom did not step it up from his first audition.
Magician and danger act Mat Ricardo brought his smooth and debonair showmanship to the judges. Singer Lamont Landers returned to face off against Simon Cowell after his explosive first audition. Lamont sang a bluesy take on P!nk’s “Walk Me Home,” which was average at best. Gabrielle loved that Lamont showcased a different side of him, while Dwyane Wade wanted him to reach another level. But Simon was disappointed with his performance and warned him that he might not move forward to the next round.
Victor/Victoria inspired act Adeline Bates failed to make a mark on the judges with her rendition of “Endless Love.” Ventriloquist Michael Paul brought out the world’s oldest Olympian which received an “X” from Simon. Drag queen Gingzilla channeled Madonna for an off-key version of “Material Girl.” Meanwhile, Light Art Show (Alex Dowis) had to prove himself to Simon as he only received three “Yeses” to the Judge Cuts. He paid tribute to JFK and Apollo 11’s trip to the moon. I got chills watching this epic performance. I truly enjoyed how he spectacularly mixed audio and art. Dwyane Wade called him a fantastic storyteller, and Simon called the performance “one of the best acts he has seen today.”
Mumbai, India-based acrobatic dance troupe V.Unbeatable returned for a chance to perform at the Dolby Theatre. They dedicated this performance to their fallen teammate who passed away. From the moment that the first note of their backing track played, V.Unbeatable delivered a spectacular performance from start to finish. This was a Vegas-caliber performance. All the judges were on their feet and only Julianne could say: “Wow!!!” Dwyane Wade praised their performance and gave them his Golden Buzzer!
Contemporary dance act Izzy and Easton performed a warriors routine that received praise from both Gabrielle and Julianne. Meanwhile, Adem Show transported the AGT audience to A Night in the Museum. However, Ukrainian shadow dance act Verba Shadow delivered the best performance out of the dance acts that paid tribute to Harry Potter. It was a fantastic good versus evil battle that blew me away. Verba Shadow received a standing ovation from Simon and the judges. Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade said that it was the best three-minute movie he has ever seen.
Blind Blues singer Robert Finley hoped to headline the Season 14 live shows. The 65-year-old Louisiana native performed another original song. The song called “Medicine Woman” gave me chills and Robert brought energy to the Universal Studios Hollywood soundstage. He is one phenomenal showman that made me smile throughout his performance. Dwyane Wade wanted to adopt him into his family, and Simon wished that he could be as cool as Robert.
Hand-balancing act Duo Fusion returned to face the judges! The Orlando, Florida residents believed that they could win the whole series. The duo performed a heated routine that had both Gabrielle and Dwyane Wade exchange glances. Howie and the ladies gave them a standing ovation. Meanwhile, Valerie Sassyfras made her AGT debut. She brought out two backup dancers, and she performed the same song as her audition. Simon and Howie pressed their buzzers, and the NBA legend called her his wife’s spirit animal.
Comedian Ryan Niemiller was the last act of the evening. The stand-up comedian revealed that it was a rough road to make it to the Season 14 Judge Cuts. However, once he stepped onto the stage Ryan owned the room. His monologue focused on roasting United Airlines, his disability, and drive-thru restaurants. He made me smile throughout his routine and received the final five judges standing ovation of the evening.
After a rough deliberation and saying goodbye to Dwyane Wade, it was time for the judges to reveal the results. Joining V.Unbeatable at the Dolby Theatre live shows were Dom Chambers, GForce (over Verba Shadow? WTF!), Robert Finely, Bir Khalisa, Ryan Niemiller & Alex Dowis!
Next week, Ellie Kemper joins the show!
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