“America’s Got Talent” continues to count down to the finale of the 19th season on Tuesday with the fourth live show of the summer. In this quarter-final round, which consists of four episodes, 11 acts will take to the stage each evening. Only four make it and advance to the competition. One will receive a Golden Buzzer from one of the judges – Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel or Sofia Vergara – and three of them will be at the top of the list in the American election.
On September 3rd, the following will perform: Dance group Brent Streetcomedian Erica Rhodesbalancing duo Illya and Anastasia StrakhovComedy Magician Jonathan BurnsSinging group L6Singer Oscar StembridgeSinger Pranysqa MishraAerial acrobatics duo Sebastian and SoniaQuick-change artist Solange CardinalSinger Stephanie Rainey and Novelty Act Tonikaku.
SEE Where are the first 18 winners of ‘America’s Got Talent’ now: Find out what happened to your favorites
Follow our minute-by-minute recap of all the action from Season 19, Episode 15 of America’s Got Talent below.
20:03 – Tonight, the final Golden Buzzer of the season is in Simon’s hands, but before the performances began, Simon declared that he would be relinquishing control to “me.” And the audience.” Their first look at the hopefuls fell to Australian dance troupe Brent Street. Looking to improve from their first audition, the 31-member group used small stages on wheels to create a dynamic space for a performance, drawing the audience’s eye all over the stage. One of Howie’s Golden Buzzers from the first round, he was thrilled with their routine tonight and urged Simon to press the Golden Buzzer for her. Heidi said she would have pressed the buzzer for her as the choreography was “unconventional.” Sofia labeled them “not a normal dance group” as it felt “a bit dangerous.” When pressed to press the Golden Buzzer, Simon said no as he felt the second half was “too artsy” and “a bit slow.” He at least acknowledged that they are the type of dance group they are looking for for the show.
20:16 – Illya & Anastasia come from a family of acrobats and came to Las Vegas from Ukraine to take their balancing act to the next level on the world’s biggest entertainment stages. This week, thoughts of family were at the forefront as they rehearsed a number that saw Illya balance upside down on two stacked bowling balls and then get a single finger stuck in the top of a champagne bottle right in front of the judges’ table. Heidi was the only judge to stand and applaud the performance, saying they “had us on our toes.” Sofia likes that you can tell how much they want to succeed, and Simon chimed in, saying he doesn’t see them as a Vegas act and he was “really, really disappointed” because it “didn’t feel big enough.” Howie got the crowd back on side by saying they delivered tonight.
20:27 – Tonight, 16-year-old singer Oscar Stembridge returned to the stage with another song of his own. The Swedish teenager had been debating between two possible singing styles the night before, and couldn’t decide whether an emotional song or something faster would be more effective this round. In the end, he went for the guitar ballad and the crowd supported him by shining lights through the audience. Sofia “didn’t like the song that much” but said he was “already a superstar.” Howie agreed with Sofia because he believes he chose the wrong song that “won’t be remembered.” Heidi said he “sings from the heart” but still wants to “unleash his voice.” Simon called him “a little diamond” who believes he “has a really big chance in this business” and would love to work with him.
20:38 – By combining comedy and magic in one act, Jonathan Burns tries to hear the gasps of the audience and make people feel like their inner “five-year-old kid.” He admits his career involves a lot of traveling, which is hard on his family, so AGT is a chance to earn a Las Vegas gig that would give him more family time. Tonight, he performed the escape trick from Houdini’s straitjacket, but instead was wrapped in a sofa bed by Terry. Before the routine was over, Simon pressed his red X-buzzer, later explaining that he “could guess what was going to happen,” and wondered how he came up with something like that when he had so much time to prepare. Howie acknowledged that Jonathan combined two strong acts in one, Heidi said she was surprised, and Sofia said she liked it, although she “wasn’t crazy about it.”
20:48 – Singing group L6 lives in a house with their large family, where they support each other and train together. After being destroyed by a hurricane following their first audition, the group returned to the AGT stage with their rendition of “Rewrite the Stars” from “The Greatest Showman.” Howie admitted the group can sing, but called them “cheesy” and “out of today” because he didn’t know where they would fit in the musical landscape. Heidi said it was “crazy” that they’re only six people who sound like 40 people and suggested they sing net a cappella. Sofia said they “sure look what they’re doing” and they make her smile. Simon knows AGT audiences will like them, even if it’s cheesy. He also stressed that they came back from disaster and still managed to do something really good.
20:58 – One of the most unique acts to ever grace the stage is novelty act Tonikaku, who uses angles and tricks of posture to appear as though he is naked on stage, only to then reveal his underwear. Tonight, he began his set up up close and personal with the judges before heading onstage to live out a California fantasy involving a surfboard, a mock halftime show and a role in an action movie. Heidi had a sour look on her face as the crowd chanted for him, but she felt it wasn’t “crazy enough.” Sofia said he was “the gift that keeps on giving,” Simon called him one of the “all-time favorites” because no one else does what he does, and Howie said he “has the ability to do so much with so little” as the new “international event.”
21:09 – Before the next performance, Simon explained that he felt none of the artists tonight had raised their game. Hoping to change his mind, Irish singer and songwriter Stephanie Rainey was next up with an original song, “Woman,” which was inspired by her mother’s battle with cancer. Sofia called her voice “so incredible” and her songs “so personal.” Howie agrees that she is a great singer, but doesn’t think this song or performance is as good as her first one. Heidi likes her “powerful” songs and she feels like she really wants it. Simon agreed with Howie that this song isn’t as good because the production and arrangement didn’t produce the desired result, but he feels it’s good enough to get her through.
21:21 – Terry warned us that aerial duo Sebastián and Sonia suffered “a setback” during rehearsals that caused them to rethink their act. During one of their rehearsals, Sonia fell and broke her arm, leaving Sebastián to perform alone while she recovered. His solo performance of “In My Blood” brought everyone to their feet, including Simon, who said he was impressed that Sebastián didn’t give up and then pulled it off “incredibly”. He explained that most people would have abandoned their participation in the show because of the accident, but instead it was “the best reaction we’ve had so far” that night, and so he pressed the Golden Buzzer to allow them to go straight to the final.
21:32 – Sofia was surprised when Terry reminded her that she had called Erica Rhodes her “favorite comedian of all time” after her first audition. During today’s performance, Erica made fun of her own voice, her age, her love life and what it feels like to be called a “lady” in public. Howie gave Erica a standing ovation for being “so real, so relaxed” and “so unforgettable.” Heidi called her a “great storyteller” and Sofia said her “material is incredible” and she wants to see her in a sitcom. Simon received more boos from the audience for not liking it, pointing out that he didn’t laugh at any of her jokes.
21:43 – Next up was transformation artist Solange Kardinaly, whose audition has been viewed nearly 500 million times online, making her the most-watched performance of the season, according to Terry. Tonight, she wanted to “surprise the audience and the judges” by drastically changing her performance from the audition. She still performed transformations, but this time, she incorporated close-up magic, then headed to the roof for a final change while floating in the air. Heidi said she “didn’t disappoint” with her use of props, Sofia called it “perfect,” and Simon stressed that “the numbers don’t lie” when it comes to how many people watched her audition. He added that he sees her as a Vegas performance, calling it one of the best performances of the night. Howie said if she doesn’t get voted through, then “America is crazy.”
21:54 – The final artist of the quarter finals was Heidi’s 10-year-old Golden Buzzer singer Pranysqa Mishra with a cover of ‘Wrecking Ball’, showing off her booming voice. Heidi was thrilled that they had “saved the best for last” and stressed that she was standing there with just her voice and the piano. Simon said that she “sounded incredible” in the hall tonight and he was surprised at how good she is. Sofia thought she made the song her own and applauded her confidence. Howie agreed with the others but wanted to make it clear to the audience that she is only 10 years old and has the talent of someone much older.
