The AGT Semifinal has arrived at the point where being good is no longer enough.
With the America’s Got Talent finale just one week away, 12 acts returned to the stage Tuesday night knowing that only six would survive America’s vote and earn a place in the Season 21 finale.
There was no Live Golden Buzzer to save anyone this time, either.
That meant everything came down to one final AGT Semifinal performance. By the end of the night, viewers had seen everything from dogs and aerial danger to comedy, dance, emotional music and plenty of magic.
And one magician left Mel B especially impressed.
Geno Ploeger makes a big impression in the AGT Semifinal
Three magic acts entered the AGT Semifinal, but Geno Ploeger may have done the most to separate himself from the pack.
Ploeger has spent part of his career working behind the scenes with America’s Got Talent alum Mat Franco, but this season has been about stepping out on his own.
His semifinal performance mixed cards, close-up magic and a sports hat that somehow ended up matching choices being made by the judges as the routine unfolded.
Howie Mandel praised both his magic and personality, while Sofia Vergara once again seemed thankful that America, rather than the judges, gets to make the final decision.
Then came Mel B.
She called Ploeger her favorite act of the night and described what he had done as some of the best magic she had seen.
That is not a bad reaction to get when six AGT finale spots are on the line.
Luke Taleno turns his story into an AGT semifinal performance
Luke Taleno took a much more personal route during his AGT Semifinal performance.
After coming to America from Cuba, Taleno has talked throughout the competition about his life, his dreams and becoming a U.S. citizen.
This time, he put that journey directly into his music.
His original rap told his story on one of the biggest stages of his life, and the judges clearly felt the emotion behind it.
Howie Mandel told Taleno that he represented the American dream, while Mel B praised the heart and passion behind the performance.
Sofia Vergara went even further, telling him she already sees a superstar.
At this stage of America’s Got Talent, connecting with the people voting at home matters just as much as delivering technically, and Taleno gave viewers something personal to remember.
The dog acts battle in the AGT Semifinal
Apparently, one dog act was not enough for the AGT Semifinal.
Viewers got two.
Acro Canine Crew, which received Terry Crews Golden Buzzer during the auditions, returned with a sleepover-themed routine set to Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.
It was energetic, chaotic in the best possible way and filled with the kind of tricks that have made the group popular throughout America’s Got Talent Season 21.
Then Olivia Befus took the stage with her own dogs for a tennis-themed performance.
The major difference is that Befus is handling everything herself, something Mel B pointed out while discussing how difficult the act really is.
Howie Mandel also acknowledged the obvious problem both dog acts now face.
America is going to compare them.
That creates one of the more interesting battles heading into the AGT Semifinal results because there may only be room for one of them in the finale.
Or maybe America really loves dogs.
We are about to find out.
Young & Strange divide the judges
Not everybody left the judges completely convinced.
British magic duo Young & Strange have spent 16 years working toward their dream of landing a major Las Vegas show, and their semifinal performance brought two children from the audience onto the stage to help guide the illusions.
Howie Mandel enjoyed the comedy and thought involving the children added another layer to the act.
Sofia Vergara, however, felt the performance leaned more toward comedy than magic.
Mel B was even less impressed, making it clear that the routine did not do enough for her.
With America controlling the AGT Semifinal results, though, the disagreement among the judges might not matter at all.
Come Here and Royal Lasers bring different styles of dance
The semifinal also showed just how wide the definition of an America’s Got Talent dance act has become.
South Korean group Come Here performed to Olivia Rodrigo’s Vampire, combining different dance styles with contemporary influences the group has embraced during its time on the show.
The judges were impressed.
Mel B praised their energy, Sofia Vergara called the group mesmerizing and unique, and Howie Mandel jokingly identified them as his favorite human dance group.
That distinction matters during an AGT season that also has robots dancing.
Royal Lasers, meanwhile, went in an entirely different direction.
Their act once again combined choreography with technology, lighting and a large-scale visual presentation.
The judges praised both the precision of the dancing and the work involved in putting together such a technically complicated production.
Veronika Goroshkova raises the danger again
There is something slightly terrifying about watching Veronika Goroshkova perform because every time she advances, she apparently decides the next act needs to become even harder.
After admitting that one of the drops in her quarterfinal performance nearly pushed things too far, the aerialist returned for the AGT Semifinal and increased the difficulty anyway.
Sofia Vergara praised how much more challenging the routine had become, while Mel B described Goroshkova as elegant and effortless.
Howie Mandel focused on the combination of speed and height.
The fact that she can make something genuinely dangerous look easy might be the most impressive part of the act.
Daniel Alvarez keeps finding laughs
Daniel Alvarez faced another challenge that every comedian eventually encounters on America’s Got Talent.
You cannot simply repeat the jokes that got you there.
Alvarez once again used his own life and disability as material, even finding a way to bring the other semifinal acts into the routine by wondering why none of the magicians competing against him had managed to fix his legs yet.
Howie Mandel praised the personality Alvarez brings to the stage and said watching him feels like spending time with a friend.
Mel B thought the set took a little time to find its rhythm, while Sofia Vergara acknowledged how difficult it is for comedians to continually create fresh material through multiple rounds.
Cesar Dias keeps the chaos coming
There may not be another AGT act quite like Cesar Dias.
The Portuguese singer returned with his intentionally clumsy performance style, this time tackling Louis Armstrong’s What a Wonderful World while everything around him seemingly refused to cooperate.
Howie Mandel admitted that audiences now understand the joke behind the act, meaning some of the surprise has disappeared, but he still finds Dias entertaining.
Sofia Vergara appeared to agree.
Mel B wanted more, suggesting that Dias needs to push the concept further if he continues.
Whether America wants one more round of musical disaster is now up to the voters.
Kameron Marshall makes his semifinal magic personal
Kameron Marshall continued his strong run with a routine inspired by his love of tattoos.
The AGT Semifinal performance used drawings from audience members and choices made by the judges to build toward the final magical reveal.
Sofia Vergara praised how much Marshall has improved during the competition, while Howie Mandel also noted that each appearance seems stronger than the previous one.
Mel B summed it up more simply.
She thought the whole thing was slick.
With Marshall, Geno Ploeger and Young & Strange all competing on the same night, magic fans have some decisions to make.
Travis Garland closes the night with Billie Eilish
Travis Garland entered the AGT Semifinal still looking for the breakthrough that could change his career.
For what could be his final America’s Got Talent performance, he chose Billie Eilish’s when the party’s over and put his own spin on it.
Mel B respected Garland’s willingness to take chances, although she felt the performance became stronger as it went along and wished he had selected a song that allowed him to unleash more of his voice.
Sofia Vergara had a much simpler reaction.
His voice gave her chills.
And now Garland, along with everyone else, can only wait.
Six acts are going to the America’s Got Talent finale.
Six are going home.
The AGT Semifinal results will reveal America’s choices Wednesday night on NBC.
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