America’s Got Talent 2023 Qualifiers 1: Dog act Adrian Stoica fun antics delight the judges
America’s Got Talent Season 18 Qualifiers, also known as the Semifinals kicked off with the first batch of 11 contestants. This group was made up of diverse acts, but the overall outcome of the night was mixed. Simon was quite critical, and for the most part, I agreed with his criticism. These acts had less time to prepare being on the first week, so I’m hoping week by week, the qualifiers get better. (Read our Recap)
One of those acts that did improve upon the magic of its audition was Adrian Stoica and Hurricane. In their initial audition, Howie Mandel was wowed by Adrian not giving Hurricane cues. Adrian explained that he got a ton of messages about their audition, and calls Hurricane “a star.” Hurricane “likes to improvise,” Adrian reveals, proving Howie’s point that this act is better and different than other dog acts America has seen before.
America’s Got Talent 2023 Qualifiers 1 POLLS: Who Will Advance?
The qualifiers routine features a lawn mowing theme set to Smash Mouth’s cover of “I’m A Believer” and Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” The act starts with the typical dog tricks like Hurricane going in circles under Adrian’s legs and also her pulling objects. Where the act truly shines is the comedic parts. Adrian pulls off the acting perfectly when Hurricane goes “rogue” as he described it in their package. The bit with Hurricane knocking over the leaves continuously felt like a bit from a comedy movie or America’s Funniest Home Videos. The performance ends with Hurricane’s paws wrapped around Adrian.
“Hurricane is ready for Vegas”
Adrian & Hurricane are one of only a few acts to receive high praise in the episode. Howie says, “that’s my favorite dog act ever on AGT.” Heidi Klum calls the act “mind-blowing.” Like Howie, she notes the lack of cues. Sofia Vergara believes that “Hurricane is ready for Vegas.” Simon Cowell remarks, “this is the best act we’ve seen tonight” when it comes to improving upon the first audition.
This act is so pure and natural. Often, I’m critical of dog acts for feeling the same or overly rehearsed, but this one stands out from the pack. It was the most entertaining act of the evening and should soar through to the next round.
The other act that stood out this week was Sainted Trap Choir who stepped up big time with a fun medley. Other acts who have a decent shot of advancing are Heidi’s Golden Buzzer angelic singer Lavender Darcangelo, country singer Mitch Rossell who is a great songwriter, and Oleksandr & Magic Innovations who is one of the more creative acts of the season. Hopefully, America gets it right and pushes Adrian and Hurricane through. It should be a close race for the second act advancing.
