'America's Got Talent' Season 15: Judge Cuts end with laughter, tears and five more finalists through
The Judge Cuts for Season 15 of 'America's Got Talent' has come to an end and out of the performing acts for July 28 night, only half ultimately made it through to the finals, which are set to air later this year.
Early on in the episode, fans got to see some of their favorites get put straight through, including Archie Williams, a singer who was wrongly incarcerated for 37 years, drag rock n' roll star Bonevega, aerialist Alan Silva, sword swallower Brett Loudermilk, insult comic Alex Hooper, puppet dancer Noah Epps, and many others. But not every contestant had managed to convince the judges they belonged in the finals just yet, and so, ten of them were asked to return for the night and give one more performance to prove they have what it takes to be the next AGT winner. Sadly, harmonica duo Brothers Gage, hula hooper Craig Reed, dancing singing duo Ninja Twins, stand-up comedian Ty Barnett and magician Ryan Tricks did not make it through to the finals. Here are the five acts that did.
Simon & Maria
Colombian salsa dancers Simon & Maria performed a fiery routine, upping the ante from their audition performance. The duo impressed judges the first time around with their high energy routine with moves so fast you'd miss them if you blinked. While all four judges were obviously fans, it was Sofia Vergara in particular that truly connected with the duo because she was so proud to see young talent from her own culture being represented on such a massive platform. Howie Mandel called them "a ray of sunshine" following their first act and the duo made sure to bring all that and more in their effort to prove they belonged in the finals. And clearly, it worked!
Shaquira McGrath
McGrath stunned audiences with her rendition of the country hit 'Redneck Woman' by Gretchen Wilson during the audition rounds. Not many expected the young singer to belt out the country banger, but once she started, she had everyone on their feet clapping along. So her choice to slow things down this round with a haunting version of Avicii's 'Wake Me Up' made many wonder if she'd made a mistake. But it was hard to deny her vocals were some of the best to hit the stage this season, and ultimately, the judges voted in her favor.
Nolan Neal
Neal had audiences in tears during the audition round, owing both to his gut-wrenching original song 'Lost' as well as his backstory, which was riddled with lows including losing his father to suicide and a painful journey to sobriety. It's hard not to root for the singer, because in addition to managing to find his way back to music and happiness, he's a pretty gifted singer too. And his acoustic performance of Candi Staton's 'You've Got The Love', sitting by a fire pit with a gorgeous sunset behind him, was clearly a winner.
Max Major
Mentalist Max Major has been a favorite since his audition, which owing to Covid-19 restrictions happened virtually making it even more impressive that he managed to pull off his tricks without even being in the same room as the judges. In his second virtual act, Major once again proved he's amazing at what he does by reading Cowell's mind and impressing the judge so much, he got out of his chair and high-fived the projector screen.
Jonathan Goodwin
Daredevils have always had the respect of the AGT audience. Their flair for drama and grandeur aside, acts like these have performers putting their lives on the line to entertain their audiences, so it's hard not to vote for them even as you find yourself on the edge of your seat, covering your eyes and screaming, much like what the judges were doing as they watched Goodwin nearly get shot by arrows several times, all while blindfolded. If there's one performer that definitely deserved a spot in the finals, it was Goodwin, but not before the judges had him on the edge of his seat for a few minutes as payback.
