“America's Got Talent”'s“ ”Sofía Vergara gives 'difficult, dangerous' act first-ever direct pass to the finals
Voters will decide who else moves on.
In the first of season 19's quarterfinals live shows, America's Got Talent judge Sofía Vergara was moved to deliver a historic Golden Buzzer.
The four-piece Hakuna Matata Acrobats had the audience gasping, as they climbed atop one another while balancing in seemingly impossible ways. (See them in the video below.)
“This is definitely one of the most ambitious acts I've seen on AGT," Vergara said. "I mean, I can see the difference from the audition. You guys deserve to be here."
She added that she didn't think they would need help from anyone, but then made the move to ensure the act goes straight to the finals in the competition to win $1 million. Thanks to a new rule, each judge will have one Live Show Golden Buzzer on a designated night in this round, making Vergara's decision the first of its kind.
Related: Simon Cowell leaves other judges howling when he breaks America's Got Talent Golden rule
Related: Grant Ellis named the new Bachelor moments after his Bachelorette elimination
And the Modern Family alum wasn't the only judge impressed by them.
"This was one of the most difficult, dangerous acts we've seen on a live show," Simon Cowell said. "And I genuinely mean this: It felt to me like you've arrived."
Heidi Klum said the "incredible" performers had her attention "to the very end."
Despite all the applause, Howie Mandel offered a mixed review.
"I agree with you, Simon. They have arrived, and three of them are carry-on," Mendel said, referring to the fact that one member of the group consistently held up the others. He also said, however, that he didn't think people understood just how difficult it was to do what the group had just done.
Trae Patton/NBC
The 'America's Got Talent' judges cheer a performanceThe show also featured the return of Arshiya, the teenage contortionist who freaked out the entire audience in the season premiere. And her latest performance was even crunchier and creepier.
Related: America's Got Talent contestant freaks out the judges — and the audience — in season 19 premiere
Just three acts from the night will move forward, based on which of them have the most votes from viewers. (They can be cast on the app or at the AGT website.) Results will be revealed in a live episode on Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. Central on NBC.
Each Tuesday through Sept. 3, a new group of contestants who made it through the audition process will compete in the Live Quarterfinals. Those who survive fan voting will move on to the Live Semifinals, where 12 acts will compete for one of six open finale spots. The final round, featuring the six semifinals winners and the four Live Show Golden Buzzer recipients, will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 17 with results revealed in the show's Tuesday, Sept. 24 finale.
Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free daily newsletter to get breaking TV news, exclusive first looks, recaps, reviews, interviews with your favorite stars, and more.
Read the original article on Entertainment Weekly.
