This week on America’s Got Talent, three magicians performed in the top twelve, but after America voted, only one magic man was left standing. The comedy-magic team of David and Leeman left everyone amazed with their giant lottery ticket trick, while Mike Super put Nick Cannon in a money machine and revealed a secret message he had given Howard Stern earlier in the week. But it was Mat Franco, featured in a previous Chimesfreedom post, who wowed America with his card tricks to advance to the finals.
This season of America’s Got Talent found some excellent magicians, so it was sad to see it narrowed down to one. On the other hand, it is likely that having so many magicians split the vote for magic fans, making it harder for any of them to win with the other ones around. Franco should benefit from the elimination of the other two magic acts when he goes to the finals.
Did America get it right? David and Leeman amazed everyone by using random numbers selected by the judges. (UPDATE: Unfortunately, the videos are no longer available.)
Mike Super gave a prominent role to Nick Cannon and some one-dollar bills to match a prediction made with cards and a special message he revealed with a (malfunctioning) small butane torch.
Finally, Matt Franco incorporated several card tricks into his act, even involving the audience at home. The next night, he would learn that this performance was sending him to the finals while the other two magicians went home.
Was Franco the best of the magicians? All three acts did a great job this week, although none of them probably had their best performance of the season. Franco’s act seemed a little small and scattered compared to the cell phone trick he did last time he appeared, so I suspect his prior work played a role in the vote. Looking just at the night, I liked David and Leeman’s act the best, but on overall strength through the season, the audience probably got it right in picking Franco if only one act could proceed to the finals.
In the finals, Franco will have some tough competition, even though one of our favorite acts, Blue Journey, was sent home. The six remaining acts also include excellent singers like Emily West, Sons of Serendip, and the amazing 12-year-old Quintavious Johnson. So we will have to wait and see whether Franco can pull a million-dollar win out of his hat. (September 17, 2014 Update: He did. Mat Franco won this season’s America’s Got Talent competition.)
Which magic act did you like best on this season’s America’s Got Talent? Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
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