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America’s Got Talent Season 12 Champion Crowned, Vegas Show Line-Up Announced, and an Interesting Observation…

A huge CONGRATULATIONS to the newly-crowned America’s Got Talent Season 12 champion, Darci Lynne Farmer! Check out the Access Hollywood interviews from last night and this morning below! (Love how Terry Fator pops in to congratulate Darci!)

Darci will be headlining this year’s AGT Live! On Stage show in Las Vegas this November 3-4. The pre-sale for tickets is happening now with the code TALENT. Darci will be joined in the show by Season 12 runner-up Angelica Hale, third place finisher Light Balance, and top 10 finalist Preacher Lawson.

Can’t make it to Vegas? Tomorrow I’ll be doing a roundup of other upcoming performances from some of the Season 12 contestants, in addition to a countdown of what I thought were the very best performances of the season. But for now, something has come to my attention I think might make for some interesting discussion. Right after the Season 11 finale last year, Sophie (who you may remember from the livestream we did together last week) posted the following theory on Reddit:

Now, ventriloquism – let alone singing ventriloquism – is not the most common talent. Yes, it’s the second-most common winner category on AGT, but we haven’t had nearly as many ventriloquists on the show as, say, singers or magicians. I think the rarity of it might be the reason people tend to latch onto the ventriloquist acts on AGT, since it’s one of those skills we don’t see many other places in mainstream entertainment. Still, Sophie correctly predicting such a niche act winning Season 12 (before auditions for the season even started) makes me wonder if this “10 year cycle” theory may prove to be true. Let’s look at the winners from Seasons 3-10 to see what might be in store for the next eight years! (And yes, at this rate I do think the show has a good chance of sticking around for that long. Ratings were UP this season; that almost never happens in television these days!)

Season 3: Neal E. Boyd (Pop Opera Singer)
Season 4: Kevin Skinner (Country Singer)
Season 5: Michael Grimm (Singer-Guitarist)
Season 6: Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. (Jazz Singer)
Season 7: Olate Dogs (Dog Act)
Season 8: Kenichi Ebina (Dancing Mime)
Season 9: Mat Franco (Magician)
Season 10: Paul Zerdin (Ventriloquist)

If the pattern continues, it looks like we’re in for a few more years of singers winning, which I’ve kind of been expecting anyway, since so many people are itching to sing for Simon and possibly get signed by SYCO. I think as long as he’s on the judging panel, there will continue to be a lot of singing acts who audition for AGT. At least it’s looking like they’ll come from different genres for the most part. 😛

After that we’d have a dog/animal act win, which would also make sense; Sara & Hero were one of the biggest underdog acts (hehe) going into the live shows this season and they made it all the way to 5th place. And then we’d have a really unique and “out there” winner, followed by another magic act (I seriously can’t believe we’ve only had one win the show so far) and then a fourth ventriloquist champ (I guess by that time the cries of “ventriloquists always win!” will have died down).

Of course, this is all speculation, but it’s kind of an eerie coincidence Season 12 played out just like Sophie said it would! What sort of acts do you think we’ll be getting on AGT in the coming years, and which types do you think the audience might get behind to win?

September 21, 2017 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

America’s Got Talent Season 7: Second Semifinals Top Three

Since I am overseas at the moment… this is why this particular post is particularly late. 😉

Just as I have done in the previous semifinals post I will simply post what I originally thought of the three acts that have made it through into the finals and what I would like to see happen.

But first the following acts that have made it through to the finals:
1: Olate Dogs
2: The Untouchables
3: David Garibaldi and his CYMKs
Read more..

September 9, 2012 I Written By

America’s Got Talent Season 7: Fourth Quarterfinals Top Four!

Wow, Katie’s on a roll this season. From her Power Rankings and Poll she correctly predicted the acts that were moving on to the Semi Finals.
1. William Close
2. Joe Castillo
3. Olate Dogs
4. Eric Dittleman

In a change from the Third Quarterfinals where I thought the talent was largely underwhelming, the Fourth Quarterfinals turned out to be one of the more difficult evenings when it came to talent. Sure there were low points and there were high points but there were a lot of high points in last night’s performances and I for one only knew of two acts that I thought stood a strong chance of making it through to the Semi-Finals but the other two were relatively up in the air.

After watching all the acts again below are my thoughts as to whom is a legitimate “Million Dollar Act” and how far I would like to see them go in the competition.
1. William Close – Earth Harp
This one I think is a no brainer. He’s not only a musician, but he’s an engineer and an artist. Granted the instrument is he most known for right now is the “Earth Harp”, however we did get a glimpse of other instruments that he has created. He expanded his act to include a vocalist and those other instruments, now just imagine what he could do if he built an entire orchestra? He mentioned in the package that his love is building his instruments and yes the “Earth Harp” is thus far the biggest draw and that will always be the biggest draw… but if he starts integrating more instruments to show just what else he has come up with and do it well I see no issues with him headlining a show in Vegas with or without the “Million Dollar” prize… he can do it.

2. Olate Dogs
This act was just non stop trick after trick after trick. Granted once in a while there would be one dog that just wouldn’t do the trick and it wasn’t until a second try that it would… but for the most part this was non-stop fun. Though I had a funny inclination that this is set up to be a bit of a circus act as a opposed to a Las Vegas act. Not that it couldn’t be… but how much more can it grow? If this act can grow into something larger and “Vegas worthy” I say they would stand a chance to making it beyond the Semi-Finals. However… as much as I love the act, I am not entirely convinced.

3. Eric Dittleman
This is an act that would wow you over and over again… but how long until you are ready for the next bit? Thus far he has done a little bit of mind reading and a little bit of predicting where else can he go? This strikes me as an act that is meant more for the little intimate settings as opposed to the large Las Vegas stage. To me… even though I would love to see him on the stage, I don’t think it would suit at all… it is just too difficult, but that’s just me. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes it past the Semi-Finals, but honestly I’m not convinced that it would be a good fit.

4. Joe Castillo
If memory serves this is not the first time that a sand artist has come across the AGT stage, but this is the first time that one was able to capture the attention of the audience and judges with his images and storytelling. Very much like Eric, I am not convinced that this is a strong large Las Vegas stage act… this is something I would love to see in a more intimate setting, not only that most Las Vegas shows are at least an hour long. I love what he can do within a couple of minutes but could that actually translate into something over the course of an hour? It’s hard to say.

Since there is a Wild Card show two weeks after the Olympics, below is are the eight acts that didn’t make it through tonight.

July 25, 2012 I Written By

AGT Final Top 48 Performances Commentary – 7/24/2012

I think that many of the best were saved for the last. There were quite of a few acts I really enjoyed, and I’m at a loss for who I think is absolutely staying. I guess it comes down to separating the really good acts, from the spectacular ones. I like to think that my predictions are usually pretty accurate, but tonight, I’m not so sure if I’ll be guessing the correct ones. With that, here’s my thoughts and power rankings on tonight’s performances:

David “The Bullet” Smith: This act was interesting in the auditions. Definitely dangerous. But I always have wondered, what more can he do? Sure he can fly through the air, but there’s only so much you can do with that. I felt like the cheerleaders were a little ridiculous, and the fireworks just were there to make the act seem cooler, but in the end, it was pretty much the same act we saw when he auditioned. I do not think he should go forward after tonight.  The cannon cam was pretty neat though.

All That!: They were cool, but not as good as some of the other dance acts, which, as we’ve been told time and time again, is the hardest category this year. I like the shirt colors. They looked like they were having a lot of fun up there though. I did enjoy them but we will see how they fare against some other acts tonight. It sounded like this was going to be a tough night to be performing in.

Ulysses:  I was shocked when he got through initially, and I’m going to be even more shocked if he gets through tonight. He’s a nice guy…but that’s not what this show is about. I think the triple X’s from the Judges says it all. And the dancers? It’s like they were trying to take away from his badness.

Joe Castillo, Sand Artist: What this man does is very powerful, and he does it with such zest.  I’ve been excited to see his performance tonight, and I wasn’t let down. I loved the images he created, and I feel like the possibilities are endless for his act. This act is something that should be appreciated, and I hope people who do appreciate it will take the time to call in and vote.

Eric & Olivia: An any other night of the Top 48, I think they would have had a good chance. However, tonight, the competition was tough, as I already mentioned. Olivia has a good voice, there is no denying that, but I really don’t think they will get through to the next round. Even though they were good, there were even better performances tonight that I think will push them out of the competiion.

Eric Dittelman: It blows my mind how he does this. My husband is convinced he has an ear piece in his ear, but I feel like they would have discovered that by now. Who knows. I love it though, and I’m curious to see what else he can do. It seems like it could be a bit repetitive after awhile, but I do like how he switched it up tonight with the mock “Deal or No Deal”. I’m not sure how he did it. It seemed more like he predicted the future though, rather than reading their minds. My friend suggested that maybe he gave the case to the most attractive girl, betting that Howie would pick her in the end. I really hope he goes through.

Horse: I’m sorry, but I hate this act. Ever since I first saw it, I was disgusted. I don’t think he deserved to even make it to the initial auditions. This isn’t a talent, no matter how much he, or the judges, want to believe it. Acts like this just get through to get a rise out of the audience, that I am sure. Maybe I’m missing something, but could someone please tell me what the allure of this act is?

Lindsey Norton: Here’s the thing — I really like her. I think she’s an excellent dancer. However, I’m not sure if I want her to go through. There are SO many dance acts in this competition, and quite a few seem similar to this. The audience seemed to love her though, and maybe what she does is different from everyone else. It was very beautiful, and she has a great presence about her.

Olate Dogs: Well, Britain’s Got Talent just had a dog act win, maybe AGT will too. I think this act is so much fun, and definitely sets it self apart from the other groups. I was watching the show with quite a few family members tonight, and everyone, from my nephew who is almost 2, to my grandparents, were loving it. I’d love to see something so different from the typical singing/musical act win this year, and I think the Olate Dogs could be major contenders in the competition.

Sebastien “El Charro de Oro”: There is sure an abundance of younger kids in the Top 48 this year, hasn’t there? I think this was one of my favorites though, probably because he’s so dang cute. I kind of felt like I was being serenaded in a Mexican restaurant, but that’s okay, because I love when that happens! He has a great voice. I thought the rose at the end was rather classy though. My grandma commented that this little boy sounded like a full grown man — I have to agree. He definitely has an old soul, as Howie said. Was he the best of the night? I don’t think so. But he was adorable!

Unity in Motion: I really, really loved these girls. I feel like dance fans will have difficulty voting between them and Lindsay Norton tonight. They are definitely one of the best dance acts in the competition, and I hope they go through.

William Close:  Another home run act for the night. I love the instruments and vocals that were added to the performance. It was just an over all awesome act. It’s so different from a typical musical instrument act, and he seems to do with it such class and precision. He got a standing ovation, from the audience and the judges. I imagine that it takes a lot of time and talent to play the earth harp. It seems like the judges have already deemed him the winner, what does everyone think?

Staying:

1. William Close

2. Joe Castillo

I could see any of these staying:

3. Eric Dittelman

4. Olate Dogs

5. Unity in Motion

6. Lindsey Norton

I think they are going home, but it could be a surprise: 

7. Sebastien

8. All That!

9. Eric and Olivia

10. David “The Bullet” Smith

Definitely Leaving: 

11. Horse

12. Ulysses

July 24, 2012 I Written By

Katie Clark is a journalism student at Brigham Young University in her senior year. She is originally from Littleton, Colorado, and hopes to move back there after graduation. Reality television is her favorite to watch, and has enjoyed writing about America's Got Talent and A Chance to Dance. She is a stay-at-home-mom who enjoys writing (especially blogs), cooking and sewing (while spending far too much time on Pinterest finding inspiration) and being outside with her husband and son.

America’s Got Talent Season 7: Fourth Quarterfinals Music List

David “The Bullet” Smith

All That
– Ram Jam: Black Betty Black Betty - The Very Best of Ram Jam

Ulysses Singer
– “American Bandstand Tune”

Joe Castillo

Sebastien “El Charro de Oro”

Eric Dittelman

William Close
– The Who: Love Reign O’er Me Love Reign O'er Me - Quadrophenia (Remastered)

Unity in Motion
– Requiem for a dream

Eric & Olivia
– Taio Cruz: Dynamite Dynamite - Rokstarr

Olate Dogs

Lindsey Norton

Horse

I Written By