America's Got Talent returned for a fourth season on Tuesday night, and it was less than 30 seconds into the opening montage before there was a Susan Boyle sighting.New host Nick Cannon, replacing Jerry Springer -- who'd replaced Regis Philbin two years ago -- promised the biggest and baddest season to date, and we got started with a two-hour season premiere. The stakes once again are a $1 million grand prize and a chance to perform in Las Vegas.The unruly crowd was back for the audition round, which started in New York City. A singer and dancer named Ray Schwarz got it all started for the summer season. Poor Ray was doomed from the start, hitting notes that were as wobbly as his dance moves. A montage of bad performances followed, ending on a hot note when a fire dancer's hair went up in flames and stage hands had to run out on stage with extinguishers to put out the blaze.Just like that, we were whisked away to Chicago, where we found Moses Lam, who claimed to have a talent that ...

The search for America's greatest new act continued Wednesday night on America's Got Talent, and the second night of the fourth season started in Seattle.Manuela Horn, a mother of two, said she wanted to show her kids what mommy could do besides washing clothes and taking care of them. Then she walked on stage in a patent leather suit and a whip, saying she was going to dominate us in a very special way. The singing started very ominously, but kicked into an odd bit of yodeling that the crowd didn't seem too keen on the act but also didn't boo. The judges let her finish and, somewhat surprisingly put her through to Vegas.A trail of yes votes followed, including the Comic Bots, a robot group variety act; Tom Durnin, a retired firefighter turned dancer and magician; and G-Force, an all-girl rock band trio, ages 7 to 11.Rafael Serrano, a 40-year-old bouncer who talked about having to be tough to do his job, wanted to show the world what he could do. When it came time to sing his ...

The America's Got Talent auditions headed back to New York City on Tuesday night in search of the country's greatest new act and the eventual winner of the $1 million grand prize.Carol Lugo, a 62-year-old supermarket cashier from Jersey City, N.J., who said dancing was her soul, was ready to prove you're never too old to follow your dream, gave some kind of mish-mash collection of dance moves that sent the crowd into hysterics. The Hoff said she had amazing talent and that she was terrific. Piers Morgan was ready to crown Carol the savior of Americas recession. With three yes votes, Carol was heading to Vegas.A montage of green lights followed, including a 21-year-old yo-yo spinner named Yo-Yo Joe, a group of drag-queen dancers called The Diva League and a guy named Coney Island Chris.Jay Mattioli, a 27-year-old guy who was hanging on to his dream of becoming a famous magician, dazzled the crowd and the judges with some illusions in which he made the microphone stand float ...

The journey across the country to find the next great act continued Wednesday night on America's Got Talent.The show ventured deep into the heart of Texas for the first time, landing in Houston to see what the south had to offer this year.Divani, a 29-year-old Russian who now lives in New York, brought her unique voice to the stage with a rendition of Whitney Houston's Queen of the Night that sent Piers Morgan reaching for his buzzer. Divani was quickly on her way. Host Nick Cannon said Houston's record turnout didn't make for record talent, kicking off a montage of bad performers that included a guy balancing a running lawn mower on her his chin while Nick tossed produce into its blades.Lake Houston Performing Arts Center, 27-member dance team from Houston, all girls from 8 to 14 years old donning big, puffy, orange wigs, wowed the judges and the crowd with their high-energy group routine. The choreography was impressive, and the judges loved it. The Hoff called them an ...

A third week of America's Got Talent auditions kicked off with the show's typical, odd approach of having its host inflate the show's viewership numbers, with Nick Cannon saying that 46 million people have watched the show since the start of the season. That, of course, adds the audience from show to show, which is likely the same 11 million, or so, people every time.The auditions touched down in Los Angeles, where they were sure to find some talent -- right?Nasty Nate Watkins was the first to try out, and he promised charisma and sex appeal, which was a bad sign from the outset. He said he stays at home with my mother for a living. As soon as he started singing Tina Turner's Simply the Best, the crowd hit him with a chorus of boos, letting him know he wasn't. The Hoff called it simply the worst.A group of bad acts followed, including a one-man instrument, a mime (who used a piece of paper as a prop), and the world's fastest poet. The first batch of contestants were ...

America's Got Talent headed south to Houston to see if the talent was as big as the state of Texas. The Hoff made a special, Texas-sized entrance, and away we went.The first act was a trio of cowboys promising to make something big happen. They called themselves The Texas Tenors, and admitted they put the group together about three months earlier. They got the crowd on its feet and clapping along. The Hoff liked it, and Sharon said they were still a little rough around the edges. Piers said he was worried when he heard they'd only been together for three months, but enjoyed it. They could work out the kinks between audition time and the next round in Las Vegas.Bruce Thomas, a 51-year-old handyman-turned-musician talked about his unique talent and promised the judges would be flabbergasted. They were, but not in a good way. Three buzzer hits sent Bruce on his way, and started a string of bad acts, including an urban burlesque dance group that fell all over the stage, and a guy who ...

Another Tuesday night in early summer meant another hour of auditions on America's Got Talent. The tryouts were back in New York City for at least the third time this season.A 38-year-old government contractor named Jeffrey Widom said his singing made him feel good inside. He came on stage rockin' a government contractor-style suit. He took on Shaggy's Mr. Boombastic, but the crowd and the judges weren't having any of it and Jeffrey was on his way home.The requisite bad acts montage followed Jeffrey, starting with a run of the mill trickster who pulled items out of his shit and played a recorder with his nose. It also included a terrible opera singer, a contortionist, a standard bouncer turned bad singer.A 9-year-old guitar player named Tallan Noble Latz was ready to wow the judges and said that if he won the million dollars he'd want his mom to work less so he could spend more time with her. He brought the crowd to its collective feet with his bluesy six-stringing and was a clear...

The America's Got Talent auditions returned to the Pacific Northwest, claiming to be in Seattle but really taking place in nearby Tacoma.Without wasting any time, we were introduced to Keg The Lone Ranger of Rock, who said it was his passion and calling to follow in the footsteps of some of Seattle's rock legends. The crowd showered the stage with boos before the judges even began speaking. He was gone quickly, starting a montage of bad acts, including a bad singer, an indestructible man who did dangerous things with knives, and a stripping pink gorilla.Kari Callin, a 43-year-old woman who'd grown up with a cleft pallet, said she'd never had a boyfriend and people didn't believe she was a singer. She told Piers she once auditioned for a singing gig on a cruise ship and was sent away before she even sang. She sang Somewhere from the West Side Story soundtrack. The crowd and judges rose to their feet during the performance and The Hoff told her to go back to that cruise ship...

The America's Got Talent provided a significant piece of information on Tuesday night: Apparently people still use MySpace. The hour consisted of acts that submitted their auditions on the once popular social networking site.Jerry El Vegas Katz gave the Internet a bad name by coming out and doing a terrible Elvis impersonation. The Hoff said he wanted to see what was going to happen. I didn't know what was going to happen, he said. I still don't know what happened.The first montage of bad auditions followed El Vegas, including a group of jump ropers who kept getting themselves tangled up, a bad singer, a Shakespeare soliloquist, and a flamboyant, bald and glittery man wearing a T-shirt that read I (Heart) Boys Who Sparkle who sang The Pussycat Dolls' Don't Cha.An 18-year-old singer named Ashley who said she had a fan club on MySpace, which didn't bode well. Piers buzzed her almost immediately, followed closely by a bored-looking Sharon. David let her keep singing long ...

The America's Got Talent auditions hit Los Angeles on Wednesday night and things started quickly with a breakdancing act on roller skates calling themselves Break Sk8. The crowd seemed to love it, but Piers Morgan did not. He said the problem with their routine was the skates. He voted no. Sharon voted yes. The Hoff, who said he needed time to think about it, said, I'm going to give you guys a break and say yes.That kicked off a montage of green-lit acts, including an a cappella group, a burlesque dance group, percussionists beating on ladders, a flying-fingers, high-energy pianist, a high-flying dance crew, and a big-voiced singer.An 8-year-old singer named Ciana Pelekai with a smile that lit up the room went out on stage ready to wow the judges. She told Piers she would buy her mom and dad and her whole family a new house if she won the million dollars. With that, she launched into a silky-smooth performance of Etta James' At Last. Piers told him she should start picking a ...

More than 160 acts were given passes to the Las Vegas round on America's Got Talent, and Tuesday night we finally got there. The performers landed at the Las Vegas airport, where it was decided that some of them wouldn't even leave the tarmac. Some of the acts would be cut by the judges as soon as they got off the plane. The rest would continue in the running for the final 40 spots in the Hollywood round.The airport hangar setting made for some increased drama as the judges debated during their flight from Los Angeles to Vegas about the futures of some of the contestants.Host Nick Cannon split the hopefuls into four groups and he said the news they'd get from the judges wasn't going to be good for some of them.A private jet carried the three judges from L.A. to Vegas, and a pair of Hummer limos flanked the jet as the judges disembarked -- and how's your carbon footprint feeling today?David Hasselhoff delivered good news to the first group o f performers, which included the ...

The second day of the Las Vegas round on America's Got Talent would determine which acts would make it to Hollywood to compete among the final 40 for the $1 million prize and a chance to have their own act in Vegas.The first act to see the judges was husband-and-wife dancing duo, Paradizo Dance, who were told they made it through to the next round.Up next were Isharra, the Bollywood dance group made of college friends from Berkeley. Another dance group, FootworKINGz, hoped for a spot in the finals. Piers drew out the drama before telling both groups they were going to L.A.High-intensity pianist Jeffrey Ou and harpist Rashida Jolley had become good friends and were up to see the judges together. Sharon strung Rashida along before telling her she wouldn't be going to the next round. Rashida, stunned, still reached over and congratulated Jeffrey with a warm hug.A montage of acts going home followed, including the husband-and-wife whip act from Christopher and Laura Camp; bald-headed ...

The judges picked the final 40 contestants last week for America's Got Talent, but the episode ended with an ominous phone call from executive producer Simon Cowell, who said, We have a very serious problem here.He sent them a list of the acts he thought they should reconsider. Host Nick Cannon might have given something away in the intro, when he declared that 12 acts would perform Tuesday night. Twelve doesn't go into 40 in any even way. Could we be looking at 48 finalists?For the first time ever in 'America's Got Talent' history, eight acts have been given the ultimate second chance, Cannon said after Simon's full message was revealed.The Diva League and Lake Houston Dance were the two wild cards given another chance. They would compete with singer Thia Megia; the Platt Brothers; dancer Arcadian Broad; AcroDunk; comedian Grandma Lee; singers Mosaic; dancers BreakSk8; Drew Thomas Magic; yodeling dominatrix Manuela Horn; and singer Kevin Skinner.The 12 acts on Tuesday would ...

The first 12 quarterfinalists on America's Got Talent offered up their best on Tuesday, and Wednesday was the night to see which of them made it to the Top 20.First, a little housekeeping. Judge Piers Morgan doubted on Tuesday night that Acrodunk, the high-flying group of trampoline-jumping slam dunkers, missed their final dunk on Tuesday. He stood by his claim Wednesday before host Nick Cannon went to the replay and proved, without a doubt, that the final dunk was nailed just like all the other before it. Piers apologized.Dunking the competition: To add to the dunking crew's elation, they were the first act to learn they were moving into the Top 20. Acrodunk came to the stage alongside BreakSk8, the roller-skating dance group, which was eliminated.Be our guest: Season 2 Talent winner Terry Fator, who signed what the show keeps calling a $100 million contract to perform in Las Vegas, popped by to perform a couple of songs with his dummies and thank the show and Simon Cowell for ...

Another week, another round of 12 quarterfinal performers on America's Got Talent.The Fab Five: The five sisters from Morgan, Utah brought the heat with a firefighter-themed clogging performance. The act was complete with bursts of flames lining the stage. Piers said they were fabulous. Sharon called them absolutely brilliant, and said their technique was really good. The Hoff called the blazing mommas. He said he was going to set his house on fire if they would come pick him up.Charles DeWayne: The piano playing crooner took on Just the Two of Us, to the crowd's delight. About halfway through, Sharon appeared to look at her watch to see just how much longer it was going to last. Sharon said she loved him and that he was a real class act, but his song was a little old-fashioned for this show. I know that you'll be back ... raise it up a bit more for me next time, she added. The Hoff agreed and said he needed to have more intimacy to get viewers to connect with him. Piers...

With the second batch of 12 quarterfinalists having performed on Tuesday, the America's Got Talent results show on Wednesday would provide good news for five contestants and seven will learn their journey has ended.Last night's highlights: Piers criticized a dog act and made a little girl cry.To the results: Host Nick Cannon called the first two acts to the stage: clogging sisters The Fab Five and Memphis' high-flying street act The Beale Street Flippers. The act moving to the semifinals was The Fab Five.Be our guests: Electro-hip-hoppers LMFAO paid a visit to perform their party single I'm in Miami Trick, with modified lyrics to account for the fact that they were actually in L.A. Later, Penn and Teller put their own sick twist on the saw a woman in half trick.Back to the results: The second set of acts to center stage were sibling singers Voices of Glory, and 9-year-old singer and dancer Eleisha Miller, and 63-year-old dancer Carol Loo (formerly Carol Lugo). The next act to go ...

The third batch of 12 quarterfinalists squared off Tuesday night on America's Got Talent.So far, 10 semifinalists have been chosen, and this week would result in another five getting their semifinal tickets punched.Host Nick Cannon first addressed last week's controversial decision in which David Hasselhoff and Sharon Osbourne picked a Frisbee-catching dog act over soulful singer Charles DeWayne, who Piers Morgan preferred. Sharon defended her choice, saying the show is about variety and that a singer in this show has to be brilliant because Talent is more than a singing show.FootworKINGz: The Chicago-based dance crew came out with glow-in-the-dark sneakers on that highlighted just how perfectly synced they were with one another. Piers said he couldn't decide if they were one of the best dance acts the show's had, or the best. Sharon loved it all. Hasselhoff said it was Hoff the charts and wondered how they would top it next week. Nick noted that one of the dancers hurt ...

For the third time this season, five acts Wednesday on America's Got Talent moved into the semifinals.First, a recap of the previous night's action: Piers Morgan made another little girl cry, a triple-buzzed contestant (Dave Johnson) called the judges old and Piers thought they discovered the next Barry White.To the results: Host Nick Cannon quickly called out the first two contestants to the middle of the stage. The first two: Singer-keyboardist Bri and pianist Jeffrey Ou. The judges loved Bri, but Jeffrey suffered from technical issues that stopped his piano from being heard halfway through his performance. After America's vote, the act moving into the semifinals was Jeffrey Ou. The judges looked shocked at the result as Bri went over to give Jeffrey a big hug. Sharon, whose hand was over her mouth, said, There have been very few times in my life when I have been lost for words. I'm lost for words.Be our guests: High School Musical star turned pop singer Ashley Tisdale stopped...

The final set of 12 quarterfinalists on America's Got Talent took to the stage on Tuesday in the hopes of winning the nation's vote and moving into the Top 20 acts with a shot at winning $1 million and a show in Las Vegas.Ishaara: the modern-day Bollywood dance group from Berkeley said they practiced in a parking garage because they had no studio in which to rehearse. They turned in a high energy routine that had the crowd and the judges jumping for joy. Piers called it a wonderful way to start the show. He said they had a freshness about them that he loved. Sharon said dance groups have to be different and that they stood apart from every other dance act that we've had so far on this show. The Hoff maintained his streak of adding Hoff or Watch to everything, calling the group Bollywatch. He then called them the best dance act of the season.Barbara Padilla: The opera singer who overcame cancer to make it to the audition had her chance to shine on the big stage. She said ...

The Top 20 was finalized Wednesday night on America's Got Talent, as the last of the quarterfinalists learned whether they would be advancing to the semifinals and continue on the path toward the $1 million grand prize.Tuesday's highlights: A guy lit his butt on fire, Piers said an opera singer changed the game and Sharon said her 16 dogs pee on her silk curtains.To the results: Host Nick Cannon first called singer Drew Stevyns and The Eriam Sisters to the stage. Drew, the dark horse who won over the judges on Tuesday, was put through to the semifinals.Nick went over to The Eriam Sisters for their reaction and they were gracious, calling the experience unbelievable and wishing everyone else in the competition good luck. You're so nice, America loves you guys, Nick said. And, you know what? America loves you guys so much, guess what? You're going through, too!The new host pulled of the bait and switch so well, even Piers Morgan smiled and gave him credit for the mean trick....

After several weeks of auditions and quarterfinal performances for America's votes, the semifinals arrived Tuesday night on America's Got Talent. The final 20 acts would perform, 10 at a time, over the next two weeks to try stay in the running for the show's $1 million grand prize and a show in Las Vegas.Judge Piers Morgan called it the biggest night of their lives and said he wanted to see how far they've come and are they worth $1 million? Sharon Osbourne said she wanted to see personalities, noting, we know they've got talent, that's why they're here. But I want to see more of them, get a sense of what they're about. David Hasselhoff said he was Hoff-static, to which the crowd reacted with silence.After a behind-the-scenes look at the pressure-filled preparations for the semis, it was time to get to the performances.Acrodunk: The high-flying dunkers were risking it all to make it to the finals, with an act that was going to include jumping through a loop that was set ...

The first performances from the semifinals were done Tuesday night, which meant Wednesday was when the results would be announced, letting viewers know the first four acts that would return for the final and compete for the $1 million grand prize on America's Got Talent.Highlights from Tuesday night: Piers Morgan made another little girl cry, and she wasn't even a contestant (it was magician Drew Thomas' daughter); David Hasselhoff pictured three cowboy singers on a billboard in Las Vegas; Piers was nice to a dog and gave a 75-year-old woman permission to get in his shorts anytime.To the results: Host Nick Cannon first asked dancer Arcadian Broad, The Texas Tenors, and Drew Thomas Magic to come to center stage. The first of the threesome to go home was Drew Thomas Magic.That left Arcadian Broad and The Texas Tenors waiting to see which of them would get a spot in the finals. It was The Texas Tenors. The Hoff said, America made the right choice!Be our guests: The Muppets visited, ...

The second batch of semifinalists took to the America's Got Talent on Tuesday to prove to the judges and to America that they have what it takes to remain in the running for the show's $1 million grand prize.Judge Piers Morgan defended the judges' decision last week to take five semifinalists into the finals instead of just four. He said all five acts deserved to advance to the next round, and that's why the judges made the twist.The Hoff promised he wouldn't use the word Hoff anymore, but then said he was Hoff-ully excited and that when the finals come around next week, the show will be Hoff and running.Recycled Percussion: the garbage-can bashing drummers who floored the judges with their quarterfinal performance set out to prove it wasn't a fluke. They wanted to show the judges something they hadn't seen before, and came out beating on an old van and anything else they could find. Piers said there were moments where he couldn't tell whether they were incredibly talented or...

As the last set of finalists on America's Got Talent were announced on Wednesday, host Nick Cannon noted that the precedent set by the judges last week -- in which they did away with the judges' choice and sent the fourth and fifth top semifinalists through to the next round -- would continue for a second consecutive week. That meant the finals would be a made up of a Top 10, rather than the originally planned Top 8.Highlights from Tuesday: Piers said he didn't like Lawrence Beamen's audition, and he buzzed 8- and 9-year-old kids. He also made fun of a teenage boy's hair and praised a guy for singing a Wham song. He also told his once-favorite dance crew that they committed career suicide, and the judges gave a standing ovation to an opera singer.To the results: Nick first called FootworKINGz and break dancer and contortionist Hairo Torres to center stage. The act moving on to the finals for a shot at $1 million was Hairo Torres.Behind-the-scenes with the judges: For the first ...

It began three months ago, host Nick Cannon announced Monday night as the America's Got Talent finale week kicked off with the Top 10 acts performing for the nation's vote.Six singing acts, including Kevin Skinner, The Texas Tenors, The Voices of Glory, Drew Stevyns, Lawrence Beamen and Barbara Padilla, were set to face off with comedian Grandma Lee, trash can beaters Recycled Percussion, and dancers The Fab Five and Hairo Torres.One thing's for certain, the judges should have buzzed Nick on his wardrobe choice that included a jacket woven like a basket. But The Hoff was rocking a pink shirt and tie combo, so who's to judge?Judge Piers Morgan said he didn't think there was a clear favorite and that he was excited to see how it turned out on the biggest talent show in the world. Sharon Osbourne said the performers should just think about that million dollars, because it would make her sing, dance and tell jokes better.The Voices of Glory: The young and talented trio that ...

After four months of auditions and eliminations, it was time Wednesday night to finally name a $1 million grand prize winner on America's Got Talent -- after two hours of filler and hype.Would it be the chicken-catching country crooner, the dancing moms of Utah, the sharp-tongued elderly comedian, the opera-singing sensation known as Barbara Padilla, or one of the other six final acts?Before that, though, host Nick Cannon ran through the list of guest performers for the evening, which included Leona Lewis, Rascal Flatts, Shakira and Britain's Got Talent phenom Susan Boyle, making her first televised singing appearance in the United States. Judge Piers Morgan said he normally works it down to one or two acts that could win, but this time he said it was tough to call and that any one of eight or nine acts could win it.In a bizarre bit of packaging, the entire top 10 participated in a performance of Don't Leave Me This Way, which included a surprise appearance by Thelma Houston. ...