Night two of the Judges’ Callback Round aired during the August 11 episode of America’s Got Talent. This time, the 11 acts that Howie Mandel (six) and Sofia Vergara (five) selected to perform again were in the spotlight. The judges were left with tough decisions, as only eight of the performers could move on to the Live Shows.
Mandel enlisted the help of Nikki Glaser as a guest judge, while Vergara was joined by Lele Pons and Sebastián Yatra. The contestants that they selected to move on will join the 10 Golden Buzzers and 18 judges’ deliberation picks, as well as Simon Cowell‘s five callback picks and Mel B.‘s three, in the Quarterfinals.
Scroll down for a recap of the night’s performances and to find out who’s moving on in the competition, along with which three acts were eliminated.
Nene Royal
Mandel’s first act to take the stage at the Laugh Factory in L.A. was Nene Royal. The teenager jammed out on guitar and sang Muse’s “Hysteria.” Before she performed, Mandel warned her that she “has the talent,” but needs to work on showmanship.
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“It seemed like you had even more confidence than you had originally. It seems like you’re having more fun,” Mandel told her after the performance, while Glaser added, “You got us all really amped up. You didn’t have an opening, so to have that much energy and get us all feeling like … I want more!”
Cris Sosa
Up next was one of Mandel’s comedic acts, Cris Sosa, who performed another stand-up routine.
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“You have just some great observations,” Glaser told the comedian. “The only thing I would say for you … [there] are crutches that you use when you’re coming up in comedy. You don’t need that anymore. You’re good.”
Mandel agreed that the “crutches” Cris used made him take “so long” to get to the jokes, but overall loved the performance.
Naimana and Daniele
Opera ventriloquists Naimana and Daniele met with Mandel before the show, and he urged them to go in a more pop music direction with their callback performance so the audience would relate to it more. This was a bit of a struggle for them, and they decided to go in “the middle between pop and opera.”
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Unfortunately, Mandel didn’t feel like the direction they chose was relatable enough, but he still told them, “You were wonderful. I don’t know that you veered from opera, but you were really memorable.”
Daniel Alvarez
Another comedian, Daniel Alvarez, was the next performer. He once again performed an authentic stand-up routine about his life in a wheelchair.
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“You’re just so likable,” Glaser told Daniel, although she urged him to tag back to other comedians’ sets if he moves forward in the competition, using a joke from Cris’ set as an example.
“I feel like I came out, like, I’m not ready,” Daniel feared afterwards. “Compared to Cris, I think he said he’s been doing it 14 years? I’m still new.”
Rynia Kando
Comedic impressionist Rynia Kando was up next. While she hoped to take her performance to “the next level” compared to her audition, Mandel didn’t love that she did some of the same impressions he already saw.
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“You are just so talented,” Glaser raved, while also telling Rynia she has a “future” that could resemble past AGT impressionist Melissa Villaseñor.
“She’s got some tools that other people don’t have,” Mandel said afterwards. “It’s music, impressions, and comedy. I actually don’t know that she stepped it up [though].”
Bird and Byron
Musical duo Bird and Byron admitted they were still out of their “comfort zone” performing on such a big stage. Mandel urged them to have more “showmanship” this time around.
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Unfortunately, the nerves were still on display. “He won’t open his eyes,” Glaser pointed out during the performance. “He’s closing his eyes the whole time.”
Mandel said, “I think you’re great. The voice and the music is so distinctive. But we’re talking about the showmanship…” He then had Glaser express her doubts about the frontman not opening his eyes. “You’re scared of seeing something that isn’t even happening,” she said, while Mandel admitted, “I agree. You’re closing us off. Share the vibe. Share the vibe with America.”
Vahtang
The first act to perform for Vergara’s callbacks was beatboxer Vahtang. He went into the performance not knowing if his sound would translate outdoors like it does indoors.
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“That was amazing,” Vergara gushed, while Yatra admitted, “It’s one of those things you see on TV where you’re like, ‘This can’t be true,’ until you actually see it live in person…”
Vergara said Vahtang is one of her favorite acts and noted that he’s even more impressive on a big stage with lights.
Kameron Marshall
Kameron Marshall, one of Vergara’s two magician callbacks, performed another close-up card trick that had the trio of judges left in shock.
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“Amazing, Kameron,” Vergara assured him. She later told her co-judges, “He’s so good. I love it. The way he does it is so natural and interactive. We’re part of it.” However, she also noted, “There’s too many magicians, that’s the problem.”
Olivia Befus
Olivia Befus returned to perform with her dog, showing off her impressive dog training skills once again.
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Yatra gave Olivia a standing ovation, but noted, “She had a little bit of trouble at the end there.” However, Pons couldn’t help but gush, “I just love her so much!”
Brook Lynn
Brook Lynn came all the way to Vergara’s home from the Netherlands and battled her social anxiety to return for another performance. She was filled with nerves as she dealt with vocal issues the night before she was due to perform.
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Brook performed Evanescence’s “Bring Me to Life” and before she was even done singing, Vergara smiled, “She is so good.” Pons admitted, “She is nervous. But so talented.” Vergara worried how Brook would fare during the Live Shows, which would be on an even bigger stage.
“She has what it takes to be a global superstar,” the actress added. “She has to believe it.”
Darrell Moten
When Darell Moten, another magician, saw where he would be performing, he worried his act would not translate, and re-worked the entire thing the night before. He didn’t even show up to head to Vergara’s house when the van picked up the contestants from the hotel.
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Vergara was surprised when a producer gave her an iPad with a FaceTime call from Darrell, who asked if he could perform his act from there. After they had a full conversation, the video froze, and he popped up in another clip to tell her the footage was entirely pre-recorded and that he knew exactly how the conversation was going to go.
He then appeared in Vergara’s driveway in a yellow Lamborghini after predicting the judges would choose that vehicle in the previous segment. “That was amazing!” Vergara said.
Who made the Live Shows?
Of Mandel’s acts, the performers that made the Live Shows were: Nene Royal, Cris Sosa, Daniel Alvarez, and Bird and Byron. Vergara sent Kameron Marshall, Olivia Befus, and Brook Lynn through to the Live Shows.
Who was eliminated?
Mandel eliminated Rynia, telling her, “I believe that your audition set was better than this set. The fact that I heard two of the same impressions disappointed me. I feel like you need to develop more voices. You need more. What you need more of is time.”
Vahtang was sent home by Vergara, and she told him, “This has been a very difficult day for me. All the acts are so special for me, that’s why you guys are here. I see the talent that you have. I think something happened. It was more special during the audition, and unfortunately, it’s going to be a no for me today.”
She also eliminated Darrell. “You definitely showed us a different style of magic, but it got a little confusing,” Vergara admitted. “I think you have a great future in front of you, but I’m going to have to say no to you today.”
America’s Got Talent, Season 21, Tuesdays, 8/7c, NBC
America’s Got Talent, Season 21, Wednesdays Beginning August 19, 8/7c, NBC