‘America’s Got Talent’ episode 17 recap: Live shows continue with Semifinals [UPDATING LIVE BLOG]

John Benutty
·8 min read
11

“America’s Got Talent” continues to countdown to the season 19 finale with the fifth live show of the summer on September 11. This semi final will see 12 acts take to the stage. Only six will make the cut and move on to next week’s final where they will compete against the Golden Buzzers from the four Quarterfinals rounds: Hakuna Matata Acrobats (chosen by Sofia Vergara), air-dance group AIRFOOTWORKS (chosen by Howie Mandel), aerial duo Sebastián & Sonia (chosen by Simon Cowell) and singer Dee Dee Simon (chosen by Heidi Klum).

Among the dozen acts performing on September 11 are six that received Golden Buzzers at their auditions: singers Richard Goodall, Pranysqa Mishra and Reid Wilson; dance troupe Brent Street; comedian Learnmore Jonasi; and drone act Sky Elements.

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The other six Semi-finalists are the band Ashes & Arrows, aerialist Kelsey Jane, quick change artist Solange Kardinaly, dog act Roni Sagi & Rhythm, singer Alex Sampson and magician Young-Min.

SEE Where are the first 18 ‘America’s Got Talent’ winners now: Find out what happened to your favorites

Follow along as we recap all the action on “America’s Got Talent” Season 19 Episode 17 in our minute-by-minute blog.

8:03 p.m. – Terry explained that the plan for this round is that only six acts from the 12 performing tonight will advance to next week’s finals, all based on America’s vote overnight and with no judges’ saves via the Golden Buzzer. First up to earn a spot among the top was 10 year old Pranysqa Mishra with a vocal performance of “High Hopes.” Heidi said of her Golden Buzzer act from the auditions that she “gave us such a moment” tonight. Howie said she has “the voice of an angel” with “such power, such poise,” Sofia recognized her amount of confidence for her age, and Simon called it “gutsy, gutsy, gusty” to carry a song like that all on her own.

8:14 p.m. – The next performer was Texan dentist Kelsey Jane with her latest aerial tricks act. On her feet for the performance, Heidi said “it took my breath away” because there’s “so much poetry and grace in your movement.” Sofia agreed that it was “so beautiful, so elegant” and how “connected to the music” she was. Simon still couldn’t comprehend how good Kelsey is in this talent as a hobby while still fulfilling her duties in a whole other occupation. Howie echoed everyone else’s comments, adding how impressive it is that her talent is part-time which is a major difference between her and everyone else in the competition.

8:24 p.m. – Simon coached singer Alex Sampson on song choice leading up to his semi-finals performance. In the end, Alex chose to deliver his original song “Wallflower.” Sofia called him “so adorable” and referred to his song as “beautiful.” Alex gave him a standing ovation and doubled down on his prediction that he’ll “go all the way” and be a big star after the competition. Heidi agreed with Howie and said he “looks like a movie star.” Simon expressed his respect for Alex because he chose this show to introduce himself and Simon hopes that the audience votes him through, despite it not being his favorite song from Alex.

8:35 p.m. – Up next was magician Young-Min who wrestled with a lot of different ideas for what kind of routine he should do for this round before settling on the one he thinks would have everyone talking. Tonight he used sand and lights in a visual magic act that closed with a quick-change trick of his own. Howie called him “one of the most original magicians” even though he was “confused” in moments tonight. Heidi thought the previous performances were “a little bit stronger” and “the magic took a little bit of a backseat today.” Simon said he liked him last time, but tonight “wasn’t very good” because all it seemed to be was him looking for a lightbulb in sand. Sofia loved it anyway and called it “mysterious” even if it wasn’t perfect.

8:45 p.m. – The guys of Ashes & Arrows said that winning the show would be a “game changer” for them and planned on taking Simon’s advice of doing something “more uptempo” this time around while also taking into account what their fans were asking for. In the end they chose a song that Howie admitted was “the best act of the night” and Simon “totally agreed” because he loved the song. Heidi called it their best performance so far this season and Sofia said they “sound great” and “look great.”

8:55 p.m. – Roni Sagi & Rhythm decided to use a prop for the first time this season because they thought it was the best way to show that they can challenge themselves. The prop of choice was a dance bar that was only incorporated to the very beginning of an 80s themed performance. Still, the judges didn’t hold that against them. Heidi called it a “winning performance,” Sofia think they’re “so perfect,” Simon explained his standing ovation as their act being better than anything like it they’ve seen before, and Howie said “it was better than the movie.”

9:05 p.m. – Reid Wilson said that he listened to “over 300 songs” in a playlist before calling his buddy Journeyy for advice on choosing a Whitney song that could showcase his high notes. Reid took that advice and went with his own slowed down rendition of “I Wanna Dance with Somebody.” Howie called Reid’s voice “pure” and “beautiful,” but didn’t seem sure that he could make it through in the six spots. Sofia appreciated the choice in a difficult song, Simon applauded him for not playing it safe, and Heidi said it’s “been such a beautiful journey watching you blossom on the stage.”

9:15 p.m. – Next up was the super-sized dance crew Brent Street from Australia with a hip hop routine using large blocks as props moved around the stage to create varied stages for the dancers. As another one of Howie’s Golden Buzzer choices, he was more excited than anyone else, exclaiming that their energy and choreography “should win.” Simon called it “unbelievable” and “stunning, stunning, stunning” before apologizing for not giving them enough credit so far this season. Heidi loved it because they “keep reinventing” themselves.

9:25 p.m. – High school janitor Richard Goodall earned one of Heidi’s Golden Buzzers earlier in the season and then progressed to tonight for the chance to sing “Eye of the Tiger.” Heidi thought it was an “epic performance” and says he topped his previous performances. Simon called the song choice unexpected, but it “doesn’t matter because people love you.” Sofia also loved the song choice and acknowledged how much the audience clearly loves him. Howie referenced how big Richard’s heart is and says that they can feel his love.

9:35 p.m. – As the only comedian left in the competition, Learnmore Jonasi had a lot of pressure on him to become the first stand up comic to win the series. In tonight’s set he referenced American movies and dogs in relation to their comparisons to African life. Howie commented on Terry’s Golden Buzzer act as “epic” because he “puts in the work” to make his set come across as natural. Heidi says that Learnmore puts her in a good mood, Sofia thinks he deserves to be in the competition because he keeps “getting better and better,” and Simon thought it was “so funny” and likes him as a person.

9:43 p.m. – For the next Sky Elements performance, the drone artists wanted to tell the story of the daughter that one member lost a few years ago. With the drones they created images of a rose, butterflies, and a father turning one into a soaring phoenix with the touch of a finger. Touched by the emotional storytelling, Simon had a tough time finding words, Sofia called it a “surprise” and “heartfelt,” Howie called it “absolutely beautiful” and a great tribute for 9/11 as well, and Heidi said it was “absolutely amazing.”

9:54 p.m. – The final act of the night was Solange Kardinaly who did not have as much time as the other acts to create a brand new production for this week and so she was banking on “good vibes” in her latest quick-change performance. Simon predicted she’ll have a “life-changing year” after the show, Sofia called it “spectacular” and thinks she’s “special,” Heidi said she “gets more amazing every time we see you,” and Howie closed by adding how much work she puts in to create something so great in only a week.

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