America's Got Talent - Finale Show

Kewl! I didn't do TOO badly. I was surprised that All That and the Millers weren't part of the top three, and even MORE surprised that the Passing Zone WASN'T in the top 5, but ... (At least it was AMERICA voting, and not Piers!)

If you missed it, Bianca Ryan (11yo with "the VOICE") won the Million! (TOLD YA!)

She, Celtic Spring (the family of Irish fiddlers/Celtic dancers) and Tayler Ware (the yodeler) were the top three acts. Add All That (the cloggers/tap dancing troupe) and The Millers (20yo older brother - singer - with 12yo harmonica phenom from Lafayette, Indiana - where I grew up), and that rounds out the top Five. All That and the Millers got a car each, it appeared. (Hmmm... All That is FIVE guys, the Millers are two, with one being 12 years old... Maybe there should be a rethink on these prizes? And I don't recall any mention of what #2 and #3 won... Hope it was better than a car and less than a million!)

Rappin' Granny (70+yo hip-hop rapper), Realis (gymnastic dancers), At Last (a cappella group), David and Danya (magic/quick change artists), and the Passing Zone (funny jugglers) got the fewest number of votes from America.

To NBC and the producers of America's Got Talent:

I wouldn't change the format much. You have a winner, even with Piers. I understand what he's there for... To be the "Simon Cowell" (a creator/producer of the show) of the group. The celebs can "gush" over any act, but he's kinda looking at it from a business standpoint. I understand what he was saying about some of the groups, but David (Quick Change) was right... He's got the right to criticize, and make his points, but not to belittle. Remember, the show's for entertainment, even IF you are going to give a million dollars at the end to one act.

Don't put it off too long, and be careful about which shows you compete with. It made it in the summer, partially because everything else is a repeat. Don't put it up against CSI, or other strong shows. You will lose. Even so, I'd like to see this as a fairly regularly-scheduled talent show.

And the Finale Show was great. I loved that you "brought back" some of the favorites, using the magician.

The only thing I didn't like was using "You're No Good" for the montage of acts that didn't make it. Some of them were! (And some were kids!) Regis should have clarified it meant more that they were "no good" FOR THE SHOW, or something like that.

To ALL of the top 10 acts, and even many of those that didn't make it this far:

Keep it up! There are a lot of people who "make a living" doing what they love. They may never win a competition, but they ... "love their jobs". And, a lot also cannot make a living at it, but keep doing it because they DO enjoy it. It's a money-making hobby. And sometimes, they make enough to "quit their day jobs." Many of you can, too. I hope agents and producers were paying attention to the show, and saw many acts they can use somewhere. See the next paragraph.

To those that didn't make it to TV this year... and even those that did, but didn't win (unless there's a rule against it):

They will do it again. It was a top show. Audition again (I think it's in January), with new/better material. See the previous paragraph. If you love what you do, and can make any type of money at it, or entertain people with it, keep at it.

Now... Suggestions to the acts or their agents/handlers, from my point of view as a former "entertainer" of sorts. (I used to play guitar, sing, write songs and at least ran sound for a few bands - sang some backup from the "board", too - that a friend was in), and graduated from Purdue with a degree in Mass Communications/Radio-TV. I know that doesn't make me any type of expert, but I'm gonna say it anyway! It IS my blog!)

First of all, you (the acts) are ALL good. The judges and/or America thought so, or you'd have never been in the top-10. You all did a great job, but here are some realities, observations and critiques:

For Realis - You have a very unique act. I think that it's just not something that everyone has a taste for. Keep it up!

For Rappin' Granny - As was said on the show, you are a very cool granny. As with Realis' act, not everyone has a taste for rap or hip-hop.

For At Last - You have a very kewl act. The problem, as I see it, had to do with your attempt at "upping the ante" for the Finale show. Adding the drums was too much. If you had stayed yourselves and didn't try to "go bigger" (except vocally), you may have done better. Maybe if the drums hadn't played as much as they did...

For David and Danya - I saw your act on TV, then on the internet a few times BEFORE the semifinals. (Someone had put it on one of the viral video websites.) Except for the first and last outfits, and the music, you did EXACTLY the same act, which was Piers' argument. You are EXCELLENT at it. David, your argument was that singers sing, dancers dance. BUT, they do DIFFERENT SONGS. Yes, if they get requests to do a song, they will sometimes repeat it. HOWEVER, in a competition, they WILL NOT do the same thing. Did you notice that NONE of the other acts did? INCLUDING the "wild-and-wacky" winner - an acrobatic Pavarotti on the first show he was on, and a completely NEW ACT on the Finale. The jugglers, the magicians, etc., CHANGED THEIR ACT for each show. Surely you have other outfits for this act (and if you don't, you SHOULD), and can rearrange things or make it different? Sure, you switched up for the Finale, adding the little bit of magic at the beginning and Brandi in one quick-change at the end, but even with Brandi included - ALL the outfits were THE SAME. When you're working on-stage, with mostly different audiences every night, you can do the same act. But TV eats things like this for snacks. Once you've done it, it's recorded, people watch it over and over, so you HAVE to change it, otherwise, it's stale. Danya, you're beautiful. Don't take the criticism so hard. Piers was being a jerk, but TRYING to give "constructive criticism", and it sounded like most of it was aimed at David, anyway, especially when he told Piers "Don't call me dumb". (And sorry if I spelled your name wrong! I didn't check on NBC for any spellings before doing this.)

For Passing Zone - I don't know what to say. I thought you'd have made it to the top five, at least. (You were in my top 4...) I mean, how many people could juggle PEOPLE, make Hasselhoff a juggler, and do it all with humor, too! LOL. Your banter makes your act. Keep it up. (Maybe the pause in the Finale, to put the dot on the shirt for dropping something was a bit too much/long.)

For All That - You guys are making tap/clogging kewl. Even with Celtic Spring doing something similar, I would have thought you'd have been in the top three. Using the ties as blindfolds was cool, but I almost expected you to strip those outfits down to at least your muscle-shirts. I did like the drums with your act, though I think their frenetic dancing behind you on-stage, distracted from YOUR act. YOU guys should have had At Last's drummers!

For The Millers - I was rooting for you all the way, ESPECIALLY after finding out that you are from Lafayette! ;-) As I said in my last post, I wanted more harmonica. I think the song-choice made a MAJOR difference, here. If you had showcased LD more than the older brother... But a song that had so many lyrics (even though I thought it was one that fit his voice better than the others), and him NOT staying back while LD took over... Piers is right that LD is the "superstar". Big bro probably should have played drums and had someone else sing. AND, it should have been a more "instrumental"/harmonica-friendly song, maybe even a Blues Traveler (Popper's group, for those that don't know) song. I understand the family connection... but for this show, ESPECIALLY in the Finale, there should have been more LD and less big bro.

For Taylor Ware - The song-choice, for me, was wrong. I understand that it might be part of your repertoire, but the super-slow-yodeling wasn't what I would have chosen for you for the Finale. I don't know what it would have been, but not that one. You do have a good "country" voice. I expect to see more of you in the future.

For Celtic Spring - You have a great act. But, again, I think Piers was right about one thing (God, I hate saying that!)... Establish yourself as a group, THEN bring in little bro. Think the Osmonds and Jimmy (or even Donnie, if I remember correctly.) Think of when the Jacksons added Michael. They had established themselves, before they brought in other family members (if memory serves). Again, I understand the family thing, and Mom and Dad in the background isn't going to hurt. I know you have to figure out something for little bro to do, but let him wait to dance up-front until you've become stars, yourselves. It will work as is for local groups and live shows, but not for a jaded television audience, I think that was the problem. Oh, and you guys do an excellent job with "Amazing Grace"... I just didn't think it fit the rest of that song, again, especially for the Finale.

For Bianca Ryan - Excellent song choice. It showed off both your softer and fuller sound as the first one did. I STILL think "Piece of My Heart" should be on the album I'm sure will be coming out soon, if you have other non-ballad/soul songs, but remember, that people want to hear "the voice".

More, for the producers and NBC:

If you are supplying "celebrity coaches", allow them to help with a song-choice, even if it's one of their own. I don't think that Popper would have chosen "Hard to Handle" for the Millers. They (the coaches), may want to get a list of the repertoire, and based on the earlier shows, help. I saw a couple of them simply go in, say "You're gonna win", and leave. If they're to be coaches, LET or MAKE THEM COACH... That's what you brought them in for, right? Not just to give the acts the chance to meet them (and give them TV time)? I would hope that they're savvy enough to have suggested that At Last NOT use drums, or suggest that David and Danya do something else, other than the same act (again, at least change the clothes used!) Their suggestions should be televised more, so the TV audience sees what the act was THINKING of or GOING to do, and what the celebrity coach suggested. (And the coaches must remember that it's the ACT'S final say... They just give advice.)

I'd also suggest to you that you "keep up" with the Top 10, or at least the Top 5. Let's not have them disappear. America's gotten to know them (hell, even Leonid!) Don't do it on the web only. Keep on ET and Inside Edition (and other shows) to keep us updated on them. Besides, it will keep America's Got Talent top-of-mind, right? ;-)

I think that's it... (Like any of those named here will read this!)

I look forward to the next installment, if it's not changed too much, and not on opposite one of ... "my" shows! ;-) (And, if it is, I will have to decide which one to watch and which to record, right? LOL)

Bill