What’s it wish to audition for ‘America’s Obtained Expertise’? From an 85-year-old magician to a 9-year-old dancer, hopefuls say the present is ‘the largest stage on this planet.’

America’s Got Talent held its first in-person audition within the Los Angeles space for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic. On Feb. 4, keen contestants confirmed as much as the Pasadena Conference Middle in Pasadena, Calif., able to placed on their finest present to attain a coveted spot on Season 19 of the NBC actuality competitors present.

This was the one in-person alternative that potential contestants seeking to be featured on the upcoming season would get to point out off their expertise in entrance of producers.

I went behind the scenes of the audition to get a have a look at the casting course of and the way performers put all of it on the road for an opportunity at fame.

The room the place it occurs

After I arrived on the conference heart, the present’s producers had draped the venue with show-branded banners and stuffed it with its signature star emblems. There was an air of enthusiasm, pleasure and focus as I walked alongside performers into the conference heart.

I used to be greeted by a PR rep who stuffed me in on what was occurring — contestants had been ready to be known as as much as carry out for the present’s producers. As they waited, they practiced their acts for cameras that had been taking pictures footage that will probably be used for the upcoming season when it premieres.

There have been a whole bunch of individuals packed right into a room with numbers stickered onto their clothes that designated their spot in line.

Whereas I didn’t have an opportunity to witness performers in entrance of producers throughout their auditions, the frequent theme contestants shared with me was they had been able to go and weren’t fearful about making errors.

America’s Obtained Expertise — and lots of guts

There’s no restrict to the kind of individuals who apply for AGT. I met everybody from 85-year-old magician Jack Noel from Lewes, Del., to nine-year-old Grace Gerszewski from Tomball, Texas.

It was encouraging to see individuals of all ages auditioning.

“I needed to point out people who though you are 85, you possibly can nonetheless have brand-new desires. Dream them and go for them and simply attempt to make them occur. That’s my greatest objective, it truly is,” Noel advised me.

Of her motivations to audition, Gerszewski stated, “It’s the largest stage on this planet, it will be so cool to be on it.”

“It means all the pieces as a result of I have been doing it for therefore lengthy, since I used to be like two, so I have been dancing for like seven years,” she defined. Her dad, Charlie Gerszewski, was there to cheer her on.

“She makes us proud, she actually does,” he stated.

To audition for America’s Obtained Expertise, prospective contestants must be no less than 18 years previous or have the consent of a father or mother/guardian and be an American citizen or be within the U.S. legally on the time of preliminary audition. Contestants can not at the moment be a candidate for public workplace.

Individuals journey from everywhere in the world to audition, like Luke Ligtenberg, who flew into California from Australia to showcase his expertise.

“My brother really useful I come over right here and I’m right here to win, I’m right here to be within the land of alternative and present the world my expertise. I feel that America’s Obtained Expertise is a good platform for that,” stated Ligtenberg, who carried out an authentic track for producers that included him enjoying the guitar and the didgeridoo, a conventional Australian instrument.

Comic Cathy Zhao, who lives in San Francisco, shared what she thinks units her other than different contestants.

“I will speak about how life sucks dwelling in America … as a result of I bought dumped by American guys,” she joked. “I moved right here 10 years in the past for college.”

She stated her routine is exclusive due to dwelling in two totally different international locations.

“I’ve dwelling expertise each in China and the U.S., so I’ve a singular perspective to speak about my story and it is gonna be enjoyable. I have been doing [comedy] for 5 years in English,” she defined.

Then there was rapper Sir Francis Drake, whose delivery identify is David Safier, however insisted on going by his stage identify. His rhymes of alternative? These written by Drake.

“I’m the primary European to circumnavigate the globe and what I am doing is jamming to Drake songs as a result of I am Sir Francis Drake,” he stated.

Returning for a second likelihood

For some hopefuls who auditioned on Sunday, it wasn’t their first expertise with the present.

Jonathan Allen, an opera singer, stated he was a finalist on Season 8 and flew in from Albuquerque to audition once more.

“I used to be going via lots of shit on the time, simply out of an abusive relationship, I could not do what I needed to do in life, so I am out of that and now I simply need to unfold love and see if I can do it once more,” he advised me.

After I requested if he’s eligible to take part once more, he stated, “I don’t know, we’ll see. I do not know. I’ll allow them to know after I get in there.”

After I adopted up with Allen after his audition, he wasn’t in a position to share what the subsequent steps seemed like for him on the present.

In the meantime, Kim Manning, who lists singing and curler skating amongst her many skills, was solid to carry out on Season 2 in 2007. She advised me she was edited out of the present and needed to return greater than a decade after her first look to present it one other shot.

“I really feel like it’s the finest place in case you have expertise and also you need to share it,” she defined. “I sing, I skate, lyra [aerial hoop], trapeze, hair suspension, hearth — the entire shebang. For those who do all the pieces, you would possibly as effectively convey it right here as a result of that is the stage for all the pieces.”

What’s subsequent?

Those that impressed the present’s producers transfer on to the taped auditions. Contestants will study by the top of March in the event that they qualify for the next round, the place they’ll come face-to-face with judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum, and Howie Mandel.

America’s Obtained Expertise Season 19 premieres summer season 2024 on NBC.