Magician turns 'AGT' stage into a runway and judges were absolutely mind blown: 'You're the...'
Magicians aren't new to 'America's Got Talent', with almost every season featuring at least one turning up to showcase their skills. There are different kinds of magicians, with each artist showing their own performance art. It's not easy to do magic (or so they say) in front of such a large audience—there's a lot of room for error, and if something goes wrong, the whole act can fall apart. Quick-change magic is one such form, where performers change costumes within seconds using different techniques to wow the crowd.
Solange Kardinaly is one such quick-change artist who auditioned for season 19 of 'America's Got Talent'. Kardinaly's quirky and charming performance had the judges as well as the audience's jaws on the floor. The season 19 contestant changed outfits in mere seconds and rightfully so, since the Portuguese contestant even has a Guinness World Record for the most costume change illusions in one minute. She used various props scattered around the stage to do this as she made the stage her very own playground. The stage was littered with various items; at first it seemed random. However, as her act progressed, it became clear that each item had a purpose.
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At one point she took out a small piece of cloth, transformed it into a full dress, only to switch into it in the blink of an eye. For the final part of her act, she used a dress that hung in a frame above her head throughout her performance, making the audience wonder when that would come into play. She turned the dress into a shower of confetti, and as the confetti rained down, it yet again transformed into the dress as she magically changed into it.
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What followed was a standing ovation by the judges as the entire audience erupted into applause. The judges were visibly in awe throughout the performance and they had some very interesting things to say to Kardinaly as she finished performing. Howie Mandel was the first to speak as he showered her with admiration: "You did it very uniquely. The mixture of magic and your performance made it so much more special and you're the best quick-change artist we've ever seen." Coming from Mandel, this was high praise to get and Simon Cowell echoed this sentiment as he simply said, "I agree."
Cowell, who always had something significant to say, then went on to say, "Sometimes when we have these acts, you have a lady who does the quick change and then normally an annoying guy who does nothing and the fact that you were on your own and did it. For me, it made it so much better." When it came for the judges' turn to vote, Cowell didn’t hesitate: "Well, obviously yes." The rest of the judges followed suit and gave Kardinaly a yes, sending her through to the next round.