On August 22, 2023 “America’s Got Talent” entered the live qualifier rounds for the first time in its 18th season. Host Terry Crews, wearing one of the best suits I have ever seen in my life, welcomed viewers back to the show along with judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara. But who were the best acts from this episode? And who deserves to advance to the next round of the competition? Below we rank the 11 acts that performed. Do any of Tuesday’s acts have what it takes to win the million dollars this year?
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’: Who was your favorite live act from ‘AGT’ Qualifiers 1? [POLL]
Season 18 Episode 12 Rankings:
11. Lambros Garcia: First and foremost, I want to note that I thouroughly enjoyed every performance from this first live round of the season and also found the choice of acts to be a nice mix of talent. Saying that, Lambros Garcia slayed it in the live rounds and made me smile from ear to ear, but his first audition was a bit more fun. Someone should send this performance to Derek Hough and the professional dancers of “Dancing with the Stars,” both past and present as soon as possible. This young dancer exudes star quality and will no doubt get better with age. Do I think that he will advance further in the competition? No, but he has a very bright future ahead of him.
10. Brynn Cummings: Brynn’s audition was a highlight for me so I expected a lot from the follow-up performance. Who doesn’t love puppets and magic? While this act was impressive, the nerves seemed to kick in. The audience not nailing the photo reveal was not her fault. Howie singling out Sofia as being on the market and being stopped by Terry was ironically my favorite moment of the night. Once again, I think this kid has a great future ahead of her but probably will not advance.
9. Adrian Stoica and Hurricane: This performance was adorable in every way possible. My dog was not as enamored with the performance as his human was though. Saying that, this is undoubtedly a canine that loves to do tricks with her owner and is living her best life. Definitely curious if the same trick is used on the garbage cans at home as that would be super annoying. This act stands a good chance of advancing as it was probably the most fun for all age groups out of the entire group.
8. Mitch Rossell : This performance was a tough one for me and I felt a little conflicted. On the positive side, the vocals were great this time around and it is quite evident that Mitch has a lot of potential. On the opposite side of the coin, this song was nowhere near as memorable as the audition song and I needed more guitar playing, as that is when he is in his sweet spot. As soon as he stops playing you can see some nerves creep into the performance.
7. Ray Wold: The audition scared me and made me wonder if they need the fire department nearby. Naturally, I was not expecting the follow-up performance to make me smile so much or make me oddly happy. This act is a horror movie waiting to happen and I hope Hollywood uses his expertise when the strike is over. No chance on Earth that he will advance to the next round though.
6. SAINTED Trap Choir: This particular act is a great example of “bigger is better.” The audition left me wondering how this was going to work on the live stage, but after seeing it now I get it. There was not a moment of this performance that did not make me happy and I loved the addition of the Barbie pink in the outfits. In a perfect world this act would advance to the next round based on viewer votes, but more than likely this is going to be a major contender for a wildcard spot in the finale.
SEE ‘America’s Got Talent’ winners list: All seasons, plus ‘Champions’ and ‘Extreme’
5. True Villains: In their audition I was not wowed by the song choice but their original song won me over when they really needed the votes. True Villains were in their element and looked confident. Was the fire breathing trick with the torch necessary? Maybe not. He does not strike me as the type that enjoys doing that on the regular. Simultaneously, his mic use was a bit suspect as well, but I chalk that up to adrenaline. The judges loved it but Simon was not a fan of the song in general. Do I think that they will advance to the finals? No, but they gave it one heck of a try on that stage.
4. Maureen Langan: It takes an amazing showing for a stand-up comedian to stand out. Maureen did exactly that as the AGT stage became her own. The material was hilarious and the joke about the Industrial Revolution had me dying. Saying that, there is only a slight chance that she advances as she was quickly overshadowed by the remaining acts after her performance. While I am not sold that she is going to advance further based on audience votes, I really hope that there is a sitcom in her future.
3. John Wines: I was wowed by his guitar skills. He said there would be no surprise since his big secret was already out, but boy was he wrong. Between the addition of the other guitar players on stage and the way that the crowd lost its mind over this performance, there was so much to appreciate. Honestly, he stands a very good chance of advancing to the next round.
2. Olexandr Leshchenko & Magic Innovations: I need to know how they think of some of these ideas because this performance was easily my favorite performance of the season thus far. The more I see of this act, the more I am blown away. Maybe the music was a bit much? But I truly think that this act will advance to the finals.
1. Lavender Darcangelo: Lavender chose a song that would challenge her and she rose to the occasion. This was the best singing act of the night hands down. I honestly cannot see a scenario that does not include this act advancing to the next round as this was an amazing moment that will go down in ‘”AGT” history as one that won over every part of the show’s fanbase.
Which season 18 act is YOUR favorite at this point in the competition? Do you think they can snag the $1 million prize? Sound off in the comments below and with other fans in our reality TV forum. Also be sure to make your predictions to influence our reality TV racetrack odds.
