AGT’s 20th anniversary celebrations looked perfect — but it took 3 reshoots and nearly fell apart backstage
With its milestone season, 'America's Got Talent' is leaving no stone unturned to celebrate its legacy. In line with it, the talent show invited several past stars of the show in an epic performance. However, the memorable act was not without hiccups. From multiple reshoots to mounting tension, the epic act was anything but peaceful. To add more, the performance was filmed way before the actual filming of the 'AGT' Season 20 even began.
Notably, 'America's Got Talent' celebrated its 20th anniversary with judges Simon Cowell, Howie Mandel, Sofia Vergara, and Mel B, alongside legendary contestants from the show's history. The two-hour primetime special featured magicians, ventriloquists, dancers, acrobats, and singers, while also sharing behind-the-scenes stories and memorable Golden Buzzer moments. Cowell, who joined 'AGT' in 2016 and serves as both head judge and executive producer, appeared emotional while looking back on the show's impact.
However, the big 20th anniversary performance of 'AGT' wasn't as seamless as it looked on TV, with insiders revealing the opening scene was actually filmed three different times due to on-set tension and challenges, as per The US Sun. Though it aired on Tuesday, August 12, the dazzling segment, featuring past fan-favorite acts like Richard Goodall, Avery Dixon, Sara James, Billy & Emily England, and Alan Silva, was shot back in March at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.
Despite the multiple retakes, clever editing made the performance appear like one flawless, continuous shot. An insider revealed, "Additionally, certain parts of it had to be re-filmed in the following days, so it was not all recorded on the same day." Tensions on set were high due to filming delays and a malfunctioning air conditioning system during a Los Angeles heatwave, frustrating hundreds of audience members. "The taping was delayed about 2-3 hours. A big reason was this anniversary performance; it was a massive undertaking," the source added.
The insider further continued, "It was a supersize number, so there are a lot of moving parts. They had been doing rehearsals the whole night before but still had issues the day of." They further added, "Also, the usual security setup was moved due to the 20th anniversary red carpet they set up in front of the auditorium. So yeah, a lot of tension on the set that day." "Every day [on set] is different. The producers are just as anxious as everyone here. The crew is working as hard as possible, but delays are often out of their hands. It’s the powers that be that have control of this ship," the insider said.
The source then added, "Unfortunately, that day was just one of those days where a lot seemed to be going wrong and ended up in delays, but they still got the job done." Talking about 'AGT' Season 20, for his live show performance, Steve Ray Ladson performed another original song, 'Ain't Nobody Got Boots Like Mine,' per Parade. "Being on the Live Shows is living my dream," Ladson said, while adding, "A lot of people don't get any shot, so I am giving it my all. I didn't come this far to sing somebody else's song. My plan is to sing another original. I don't want to be a one-hit wonder. I plan to bring the house down."
Ladson, who hails from Hopkins, SC, did more than bring the house down as he won the Golden Buzzer. "I feel good," Ladson told host Terry Crews of winning. "I feel like James Brown. I'm ready to get down," he said. Ladson further explained his humble upbringing in his video package, saying, "My mom worked at a grocery store, and my dad was a minister. Every day [I was] tending to the animals, making sure their stalls were clean. Music was the only thing we had. I got the chance to play with other bands, but I never got to make it my own thing. I said, "That's what I want to do.'"
