‘America’s Got Talent: All-Stars’ episode 8 recap: 11 finalists give their ‘Finale Performances’

John Benutty
·7 min read
1
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

“America’s Got Talent: All-Stars” entered the final stretch of the season on Monday night with the “Finale Performances” from all 11 finalists. Last week we were treated to a “Finals Preview: From the Judges’ Desk” and next week we will get the “Finale Results” where the “AGT All-Stars Champion” is crowned.

In this new spin-off series, former “Got Talent” contestants from America and across the global franchises competed in a six-week audition showdown to determine which acts would advance to finale night. Five of the acts advanced as Golden Buzzer picks from the judges and the other six were chosen by a select group of superfans from across the country. The 11 finalist acts are Aidan Bryant, Aidan McCann, Ana-Maria Mărgean, Avery Dixon, Bello Sisters, Detroit Youth Choir, Kodi Lee, Light Balance Kids, Mike E. Winfield, Power Duo, and Tom Ball.

More from GoldDerby

Longtime series judges Howie Mandel, Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum are back on judges’ panel with Terry Crews on stage for hosting duties, but in this last stage of the competition they hold no power. The decision of who is named the ultimate champion is all up to the superfans. Read our recap of episode 8 below:

8:03 p.m. – Ahead of the performances, Simon told us that when the champion is crowned next week it will be for the sole purpose of that act being named “the best of the best.” He explained there is no cash prize for the winner as in regular seasons and so this time it is for the ultimate bragging rights.

8:04 p.m. – Performing first was Detroit Youth Choir with a bopping version of the Panic! At the Disco track “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” remixed with their own original additions. Heidi told them that they’re the best choir she’s ever seen. She said they have a ton of energy and she created “the biggest party” in the room. Howie said that they always deliver a performance that makes people clap and dance and he also pointed out the two solos as particularly great. Simon agreed with Heidi about them being his favorite choir and thinks they “should be booked to be on the Super Bowl.”

8:12 p.m. – Next was ventriloquist Ana-Maria Mărgean performing “I Put a Spell on You” alongside her puppet Mrs. Know-It-All. Heidi said she’s incredible and called the performance “flawless.” Howie compared her to Ariana Grande and pointed out how impressive it is that she’s been able to impress an English speaking audience in America as a Romanian whose first language is not English. Simon said the performance got “better and better and better” as it went along and that there’s a big market out there for someone with her talent.

8:23 p.m. – The next performance came from the married couple of Power Duo. After their acrobatic dance routine, Heidi said it was fantastic and beautiful to watch them dance together. She asked if they started to cry during the dance and they replied yes because of how moving of a experience it is to be there. Howie added that they make their act seem effortless. Simon said that they were in fact better than their original performance and they lived up to the pressure of the night.

8:34 p.m. – Singer Tom Ball who received the group Golden Buzzer earlier in the season was up next with his rendition of the Radiohead song “Creep.” While standing in ovation, Howie said “that’s surprising” to the other judges. He added later that he “rose up nine levels” after receiving their Golden Buzzer. Simon called it “one of those performances that shouldn’t work, but did work.” He said that it was “powerful and moving.” Heidi called out his ability to evoke the right feelings while he’s performing and that’s what makes him so powerful.

8:45 p.m. – Taking the stage next was young magician Aidan McCann with a surprisingly comedic performance of an otherwise standard predictive card trick. Heidi said that he’s “as confident and as skilled as grown magician,” but that he’s much cuter than they are. Simon called out his confidence as well and said the performance was “quite amazing” because of his personality. Howie agreed with the others, adding that he’s a great comedian with great stage presence.

8:56 p.m. – Acrobatic siblings Bello Sisters were up next, following in the footsteps of their mother who was the first woman on the planet to perform on stilts on the high wire. Heidi complained that it was “over too soon” because they transfix the room with their energy. Simon noted that the staging helped create a beautiful performance and thinks they gave themselves a shot at winning the show. Howie added them to the list of acts that raised the bar with their performance.

9:08 p.m. – Comedian Mike E. Winfield had his sights fixed on becoming the first comic to win AGT with another “parenting flow” set about his relationship to his stepson that he calls “Step Man.” As his Golden Buzzer choice, Simon said that his job tonight was to be funnier than he was then and he thinks he achieved that. Howie would love to see Mike become the first comedian to win the show and thinks he could develop a series revolving around him and his stepson. Heidi thinks he’s a charming performer whose smile wins her over every time he’s on stage.

9:21 p.m. – For their latest performance, Light Balance Kids choreographed a dance with a spooky theme of spiders, haunted forests, and a dark castle. Howie was excited to see his Golden Buzzer choice prove him right with such an excellent performance. Heidi was surprised that they were able to top their prior performance, but they did. Simon did not just like their act, he “loved it.” He really appreciates that the younger group and older performers of Light Balance coming together for “All-Stars” is special and that it’s about time they get their own show in Vegas.

9:31 p.m. – The next performer was saxophonist Avery Dixon who took the stage with an accompanying band for their version of “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire. Simon called it “astonishing,” recalling how shy Avery was when they first met him and seeing how far he’s come since then. Heidi said that he “always rises to the occasion” and that he’s incredible. Howie said that if he had a vote in the show he’d give Most Improved to Avery because he’s a great announcer for himself and the addition of dancing adds to it all.

9:44 p.m. – Singer and pianist Kodi Lee was next to perform with his version of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Howie thought the song choice was perfect for Kodi who himself is a “hero every day.” Heidi said that Kodi is the “ultimate all-star” for the series and that he was fantastic tonight. Simon called the performance “stunning” because he gave the song lyric a whole new meaning, adding that he’s “so cool and so brilliant.”

9:53 p.m. – The final performance of the night was from aerialist Aidan Bryant. At the end of the act, Aidan had Heidi screaming and Simon bowing down to him. Heidi said that he takes her breath away and he’s “in a different league of aerialism.” Howie said he combines so much “danger and strength with elegance and grace” to the point of being something he’s never seen. Simon could barely find the words to explain how impressed he was, explaining that he thinks Olympic judges would give 10 after 10 after 10 to this performance. He said he’s never seen something so incredible.

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

SIGN UP for Gold Derby’s free newsletter with latest predictions

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.