Americas Got talent

[JKeppel]

OK, I give up. Wheres the "America's got talent" thread. I thought sure someone would be discussing the Pendragons appearance tonight somwhere on here.

[Mark Paulson]

I just watched the 'crappy magician' montage. I didn't think anyone was going to make it through the auditions. I was happy to see the Pendragons make it through to the next round. It was a little strange to see Jonathan's scar. That thing was huge!

[Jolly Roger]

It amazes me that Jonathan and Charlotte would wish to be associated with such a dreadful show. The show is all about making the judges look good, and that is it! My friend Magic Dave over in England learnt the hard way! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9EwDP-PHY8

JR

[Dave Egleston]

It amazes me that Jonathan and Charlotte would wish to be associated with such a dreadful show. The show is all about making the judges look good, and that is it! My friend Magic Dave over in England learnt the hard way! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9EwDP-PHY8

JR

Roger,

I don't know you but, you're either on the wrong forum or you've got to be [censored]' us. That was the worst performance ever, in all aspects. To defend him is very noble on your part, but cast doubts on your claim to be a "Comic Magician".

Why he would do something like that on a national stage is beyond reason.

The judges did nothing to support your idiotic claim that the show was just vehicle for their egos.

You lost a lot of the credibility you've built up here in the last year after your well publicized exit from the Magic Cafe.


I hope it's some of the famous British humo(u)r that we Americans just can't grasp, obviously the judges didn't get the joke either and they all seemed to be British.

Dave

[Nicholas Carifo]

Heres the "bad magic" clip you are referring to from AGT.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRkcpvMMW18



And here is the Pendragons Clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XaYdXJiNms0

[MaxNY]

I caught a few acts, but did recieve an E-mail from Brett Amazzeing a few days ago........

We Share Smiles, Inc.

Contact: Nina Fusco (732) 424-0050 or Bret Amazzeing (908) 922-8440

Piscataway Magic Man to Share Skills and Smiles on " America 's Got
Talent"

Local magician Bret Amazzeing and his lion puppet sidekick
Maurice--best known for dazzling and delighting children--and also
adults--at hospitals, orphanages, and parties will play to their
largest house ever audience ever--later this month on national
television.

Bret. 25, and Maurice, both of Piscataway, will compete against other
contestants, including singers, dancers, impressionists, and
ventriloquists, for a $1 million grand prize and a shot at stardom on
NBC-TV's reality variety show "America's Got Talent," on June 24th .
Now starting its third summer season, " America 's Got Talent,"
co-produced by "American Idol" creator and judge Simon Cowell, airs
locally at 9 p.m.

During the taping of the show this past spring in New York City ,
Bret performed numerous slight of hand tricks involving the movement
of inanimate objects and working with the kinetic energy he gets from
the audience. He also danced a routine with Maurice, a mute, yet
expressive lion dressed dapperly in a variety of costumes.

After auditioning initially via videotape, Bret and Maurice were
invited to the show's taping in Manhattan where they performed before
"America's Got Talent" host Jerry Springer and the celebrity panel of
judges consisting of Sharon Osbourne, David Hasselhoff and Piers
Morgan. Each week, viewers vote for their favorites until finalists
are chosen.

Though Bret hopes he will be spotted by a talent agent who can help
him advance his career, he is even more passionate about creating
greater public awareness for "We Share Smiles," a non-profit
501(c)(3) charity he founded in 2005. With the monetary donations
raised, Bret and Maurice have traveled up and down the East Coast to
entertain abused, underprivileged, special needs and hospitalized
children in various locations.

A magician for 15 years, Bret brought Maurice into the act seven
years ago. Maurice symbolizes strength and courage, as a means of
inspiring unfortunate children in hospitals, orphanages or other
institutions. "We noticed how much of a difference Maurice made,"
Bret said. "The kids got attached to him."

The funds raised through "We Share Smiles," enable Bret and Maurice
to reach out to as many children as they can and to leave them
laughing and smiling. Those donations also make it possible for each
child to receive their own Little Maurice hand puppet which becomes
their new best friend. "We're able to take away their painful
memories and leave them smiling," Bret explained.

Bret has dedicated his appearance on " America 's Got Talent" to the
memory of his father, the late Jesse Fusco, who died following a
massive stroke in November. He credits his deceased father and his
mother, Nina Fusco of Piscataway as his strongest supporters and
guides in both his magic and in "We Share Smiles." Maurice is part
of the family, Bret said.

For more information about "We Share Smiles," contact (908) 922-8440
or go to www.wesharesmiles.com.

[Jolly Roger]

"The judges did nothing to support your idiotic claim that the show was just vehicle for their egos."

I am sorry Dave, but I find your post very strange to say the least!! I don't see anywhere in my original post where I said Magic Dave had a wonderful act. I saw his duck act at Blackpool the year before, and it was mediocre, but not wonderful IMHO. He comes across better as a children's entertainer, and that is where he makes most of his bread and butter. He is a good friend, but that has nothing to do with his performance. I actually found the second duckling escaping and running off in to the wings to be hilarious...........I just wish Dave had made it look like it was meant to happen, and maybe made some gag about cloning!!

As far as you saying my claim that the show is a vehicle for the judges egos, I 100% stand by that claim, and I am sorry you consider it "idiotic." These shows are all about making the judges look good, and they, on the whole, show little or no respect for the artists. This is the reason all those magicians were ridiculed at the auditions. I find it very sad, actually. JR

[Terry]

To get back on track -

The Pendragons were great. Jonathan moved like nothing had happened. It caught the judges off guard when he split the curtain for the revelation.

It will be interesting to see what performance piece they choose to use in the next round. I told my wife they have enough material to go the distance without repeating anything.

[Brian Morton]

I for one find it dryly amusing that the Pendragons are being "judged" by two people who have nowhere near the time in grade or record of accomplishment in their own fields as the Pendragons have (someone please tell me what Sharon Osbourne has done outside of managing her husband), and one obsequious British guy whom (like Simon Cowell before him) nobody had every heard of before this show aired.

But good on both Jonathan and Charlotte (especially Jonathan -- I'll bet it hurts like hell to still do that with that wound) for making the cut.

brian :/

[mai-ling]

wait...the pendragons are on a talent competition!?!?!?!

why?

[Edward]

Yes, why? I thought they already had a Vegas act. I know I saw them in Vegas quite a few years.

[fredreisz]

Remember Kevin James was on last year's show and went somewhat far into the competition. Great PR. He made some poor choices of material (in my opinion) and was voted off. It is good for magic to have the pros show their stuff. I thought some of theother magicians shown at the audition did not help the public's respect for our art. Peace...Fred Reisz

[Jolly Roger]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0X2rbfF ... re=related

Check this out on Britain's got talent. You may say what has this got to do with magic? Audiences love the unexpected! JR

[amp]

and......?

[Bob Klase]

The show is all about making the judges look good, and that is it! My friend Magic Dave over in England learnt the hard way! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9EwDP-PHY8

He learned that you can't screw up a trick and win a contest? Did the producers make the trick go wrong?

[Jolly Roger]

I would have to disagree with you, Bob. I think, especially if you do a comedy act, it is quite possible to screw up a trick and win a contest. It all depends on the way you handle the "screw-up." If you had seen my lecture "Making Mistakes on Purpose" at the Blackpool convention in 2006, you would understand where I am coming from. As far as your statement"Did the producers make the trick go wrong?" I feel sure you know the answer! JR

[Jeff Eline]

Remember Kevin James was on last year's show and went somewhat far into the competition. Great PR. He made some poor choices of material (in my opinion) and was voted off.

There's a pretty good interview with Kevin in Reel Magic Quarterly #2 with Jason Alexander on the cover. He states that he was strongly encouraged to do that last trick by Simon Cowell, and in retrospect he wished he went with his own ideas.

[amp]

It amazes me that Jonathan and Charlotte would wish to be associated with such a dreadful show. The show is all about making the judges look good, and that is it! My friend Magic Dave over in England learnt the hard way! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9EwDP-PHY8

JR

A lot of people watch the show.It's the new Ed Sullivan but with the good,bad and the ugly. It's a show.They're making a show.

[amp]

"The judges did nothing to support your idiotic claim that the show was just vehicle for their egos."

I am sorry Dave, but I find your post very strange to say the least!! I don't see anywhere in my original post where I said Magic Dave had a wonderful act. I saw his duck act at Blackpool the year before, and it was mediocre, but not wonderful IMHO. He comes across better as a children's entertainer, and that is where he makes most of his bread and butter. He is a good friend, but that has nothing to do with his performance. I actually found the second duckling escaping and running off in to the wings to be hilarious...........I just wish Dave had made it look like it was meant to happen, and maybe made some gag about cloning!!

As far as you saying my claim that the show is a vehicle for the judges egos, I 100% stand by that claim, and I am sorry you consider it "idiotic." These shows are all about making the judges look good, and they, on the whole, show little or no respect for the artists. This is the reason all those magicians were ridiculed at the auditions. I find it very sad, actually. JR

To me it looks like they are not prepared.

[amp]

"The judges did nothing to support your idiotic claim that the show was just vehicle for their egos."

I am sorry Dave, but I find your post very strange to say the least!! I don't see anywhere in my original post where I said Magic Dave had a wonderful act. I saw his duck act at Blackpool the year before, and it was mediocre, but not wonderful IMHO. He comes across better as a children's entertainer, and that is where he makes most of his bread and butter. He is a good friend, but that has nothing to do with his performance. I actually found the second duckling escaping and running off in to the wings to be hilarious...........I just wish Dave had made it look like it was meant to happen, and maybe made some gag about cloning!!

As far as you saying my claim that the show is a vehicle for the judges egos, I 100% stand by that claim, and I am sorry you consider it "idiotic." These shows are all about making the judges look good, and they, on the whole, show little or no respect for the artists. This is the reason all those magicians were ridiculed at the auditions. I find it very sad, actually. JR

To me it looks like they are not prepared.

We all make mistakes. Hopefully they can learn by them. To make their act/show better.

[Bob Klase]

I would have to disagree with you, Bob. I think, especially if you do a comedy act, it is quite possible to screw up a trick and win a contest.

Sure it is. But the issue here isn't what's possible, it's what happened.

It all depends on the way you handle the "screw-up."

Exactly. And he didn't handle it very well. He may be a great performer and he may be able to handle screw-ups very well. But he didn't handle that one well and the performance was hurt by both the screw up and his lack of handling it. So he was judged on what he did, not what's possible or what he could have done.

My point remains. You made a connection between the show being "all about making the judges look good" and pointed to his performance in connection with that. His problems had nothing to do with making the judges look good and what he should have learned is to be better prepared.

[amp]

I believe it was Channing Pollock who said, "You can tell a good magician how he handles his mistakes".

[Dave Egleston]

OK I'll make one more attempt Roger.

I guess you think the only thing that went wrong with "Magic Dave's" routine was the duck escaping and his inability to gracefully cover it.

I think what we're all trying to point out is; it was really bad from the point when the "up close and personal" pre-show interview was concluded.

You were implying that "Magic Dave" was a victim of the hosts' preening, not the case at all, he was his own worst enemy and I actually think the hosts were more gracious to him than I've seen them with other, better performers.

I think part of the problem is, we all want to believe we hate these "talent" shows and are somehow above them morally, but truth be told we all talk about their content the next morning while loudly denying we watch them at all.

I was probably a little more aggressive toward you than was warranted, but after seeing what you used as an example of a well performed trick being unjustifiably skewered by the hosts, I reacted faster than I normally would.

Dave

[Jolly Roger]

"I was probably a little more aggressive toward you than was warranted"

I accept your apology totally, Dave. I also agree with you that the act was mediocre at best! I have been on similar television talent shows myself in both Australia(Pot of Gold) and England(New Faces). I was younger then, and would not humiliate myself again!! JR

[Bill Duncan]

I find it interesting that people feel such hatred for the judges, and assert that they should be qualified in some way to judge the entertainers. What qualification do other consumers of entertainment need? The public decides who is good based on God knows what It seems to me that the judges are as qualified as anyone to decide who has talent. And based on the comments of some magicians here they believe that if someone is doing magic it must be good and the judges are evil for not realizing it.

I really appreciated Pierces comment that the show wasnt about who had the best story but who had the most talent when putting the kids from New Orleans forward to Vegas.

The magic I saw during the last show was classically bad, stereotyped, hack magic. When The Pendragons appeared it was like the art had been redeemed in two minutes. I think we should all send them a big thank you for giving America something else to associate with the word magic.

Jonathan and Charlotte, you made my evening. Welcome Back!

[Charlotte Pendra]

The magic I saw during the last show was classically bad, stereotyped, hack magic. When The Pendragons appeared it was like the art had been redeemed in two minutes. I think we should all send them a big thank you for giving America something else to associate with the word magic.

Jonathan and Charlotte, you made my evening. Welcome Back!

Thank you Bill! This was our goal when deciding to be a part of the show... Contests are the TV genre of our time, and might be for sometime. I would rather embrace them...perform well on them, and keep magic on TV as a variety art as much as possible.

[Jolly Roger]

Hello Charlotte.............

Congratulations on last night! I would be interested in your comments on the choice of judges, and the editing that took place of the other magic acts. Although you obviously stood out above the others as far as talent, do you feel that they selected the worst bits from the other magic acts to humiliate them? Would it not have possibly been more realistic to have had booking agents on the panel of judges, rather than celebrities? JR

[Nicholas Carifo]

Booking agents? Yea.. there is a healthy grasp of what will get tv ratings... hehe. Just kidding Roger. I understand your thoughts but you have to consider that booking agents would never garner the ratings celebrities would. This is television. Entertainment. Ratings are everything.

Also, as someone who has been through the AGT audition process, i can tell you that Charlotte most probably cannot address those questions you posted realistically, without violating her agreement with the production. At least until after the show ended. Just my guess...

But I will...

"Selected the 'Worst Bits' from the other acts? Roger.. they only give the acts 3 minutes. They don't have time to include their worst bits. You saw their best bits, or what they thought would be their best bits for the 3 minute audition. If they screwed up their own acts, its not the judges fault, nor the producers.

One thing you have to consider, is what you might think is good magic, or what many in the magic community might think is good magic.. the real public, the judges, the producers, may not agree.

Nick

[Bill Duncan]

Would it not have possibly been more realistic to have had booking agents on the panel of judges, rather than celebrities?

Yeah, that would work. Booking agents let Terry Fader languish in relative obscurity for how long before he was seen on AGT?

It might have been more "realistic" but I seriously doubt that it would have found anyone more talented. Instead we'd probably see another Lohan...

Booking agents indeed.

[Charlotte Pendra]

"Selected the 'Worst Bits' from the other acts? Roger.. they only give the acts 3 minutes. They don't have time to include their worst bits. You saw their best bits, or what they thought would be their best bits for the 3 minute audition. If they screwed up their own acts, its not the judges fault, nor the producers.


Nick

Nick, performers are now only given 1 minute 30 seconds on stage. This presents quit a challenge to the typical act, regardless if he is a magician or other variety artists. Some type of performances are more conducive to this this timing. Magic can be, and it also offers diversity.

[Jolly Roger]

Thanks for the clarification, Charlotte! JR

[Rennie]

The Pendragons are obviously a class act and do not need to be judged by someone who knows nothing about real entertainment.They are already winners in my eyes.
I saw the Pendragons live in Laughlin Nevada a few years ago and everything in their act is worthy of winning AGT.
After the show they were out side the theater, I got both their signatures on a Genii magazine of which they of course were the cover subject. Jonathan even asked my opinion on whether or not I liked the split curtain or the standard curtain for Metamorphosis,(I like the split), but was impressed he asked me.
Of course the Pendargons could win AGT on Charlotte's good looks alone.
Rennie

[Bill Duncan]

The Pendragons are obviously a class act and do not need to be judged by someone who knows nothing about real entertainment.

And what exactly "qualifies" someone to judge entertainment?

Is there a course offered at The Learning Annex that I coudl take?

[Rennie]

The Pendragons are obviously a class act and do not need to be judged by someone who knows nothing about real entertainment.

And what exactly "qualifies" someone to judge entertainment?

Is there a course offered at The Learning Annex that I coudl take?

That would be someone who is in the entertainment business. I could not judge a cat show, why because I know nothing about cats.
Do you think Sharon Osbourne, Piers (don't even remember his last name) or David Hasslehoff know anything about magic or even the effect Metamorphosis. I would not be surprised that the "judges" did not even realize Charlotte had a change of clothes after the trunk was open.
I really don't even understand your comment anyway. Jonathan & Charlotte are "SUPERSTARS" of magic in my opinion. You be the judge.
Rennie

[Jolly Roger]

Good post Rennie.............and spot on IMHO! JR

[Travis]

Rennie,

It could certainly be argued that the costume change is irrelevant if laypeople (i.e., the judges) don't notice it. Now, I realize that it most certainly goes unobserved by some, but you seem to imply that only magicians are aware of it, and what would be the point of that?

[David Alexander]

I think Jonathan and Char were smart to do the show. Jonathan suffered a tremendous trauma a while back and this was a great way of showing every booker in the country that they were still performing at their previous level....and they made a few bucks in the process.

They'll probably go on to the last large group, but that doesn't really matter because most people in real show business know the truth about this show.

[Rennie]

Rennie,

It could certainly be argued that the costume change is irrelevant if laypeople (i.e., the judges) don't notice it. Now, I realize that it most certainly goes unobserved by some, but you seem to imply that only magicians are aware of it, and what would be the point of that?

No I was not implying only magicians are aware of it, my actual implication was that the judges are not aware what is going on with the acts that they are judging. I think the costume change is a very important part of Metamorphosis, and missing it kind of makes the effect incomplete.
Rennie

[Rennie]

Good post Rennie.............and spot on IMHO! JR

Thank you !
Rennie

[Jolly Roger]

that doesn't really matter because most people in real show business know the truth about this show.

What is the truth? Is it what I suspect? JR