America's Got Talent revealed its next four fifth-season semifinalist acts during Wednesday night's live broadcast of the NBC reality competition series.
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AscenDance, a quartet of dancing rock climbers from Akron, OH, Michael Grimm, a musician and singer from Henderson, NV, and Alice Tan Ridley, a singer from New York, NY, were revealed to have finished as the Top 3 vote-getters after Tuesday night's performance show which featured the season's second group of 12 quarterfinalists performing for home viewer votes, automatically earning them a spot in America's Got Talent fifth-season semifinals.
America's Got Talent host Nick Cannon also revealed that cheerleading squad Cheer SF, opera singer Hannibal Means, country band Iron Horse, 12-year-old singer Lil Chris, Bollywood dance group Mona Sampath Dance Company, comedic impressionist Ronith, and strength competitor The Strong Man had received the seven lowest home viewer vote totals in the group and would not be advancing.
The announcements then left America's Got Talent judges Piers Morgan, Sharon Osbourne and Howie Mandel with the task of deciding which of the two acts that had received the fourth and fifth highest vote totals -- Antonio Restivo, a fire performer from Las Vegas, NV, or Wreckless, a dance group from Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- should become the fourth act to advance to the semifinals.
"This is always the toughest part of the show for me and I know how much you all want it, and it means so much to either one of you. But I've got to go with my gut, and my gut is telling me Antonio," Mandel said.
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After stalling for a bit, Morgan predictably cast his vote for the opposite act.
"I don't think we've ever had two acts that I think this means more to, than I'm looking at on stage right now. And also, two acts who I thought were two of the best performers last night. So this is an incredibly difficult decision. My head says Antonio because you're such a professional performer now," he said.
[But] having said that, my heart -- like a lot of American hearts, I think -- will look at these kids who come from very poor backgrounds, they haven't been able to have any props, any studios, and you've done it the hard way, the really hard way. I'm going to go with -- I'm actually going to with my heart and say Wreckless."
With the judges' voting tied, it was then up to Osbourne to cast the deciding vote
"I'm looking at both of these acts who thoroughly entertained me last night. They're both very special acts, very different acts, and again, who want it both as much as each other. And I'm going to have to say that I'm going to have to agree with Howie," Osbourne said, revealing that Restivo would advance to the semifinals.
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America's Got Talent's next episode will air Tuesday, July 27 and feature the season's third group of 12 quarterfinalists performing for the chance to advance to the semifinals.
About The Author: Steven Rogers