America’s Got Talent: Tory Vagasy Sings, Howie Still a Grinch (Video)

On Tuesday night’s, AGT Quarterfinals Week 2 of Season 16 (Read our Recap), it didn’t necessarily feel like a live show round. The judges were extra harsh when it came to judging the 12 acts that were fighting for the 7 spots that would be moving onto to the semifinals, and for the most part the criticism was justified. Acts like Shuffolution and Johnny Showcase especially struggled, with acts like Korean Soul, Positive Impact Movement, and Dokteuk Crew taking steps back from their well-received auditions.

There were a few acts that did do a good job, and I thought improved from their auditions. One of those was 20-year-old musical theater student from Florida, Tory Vagasy who works as a party princess for kids parties. Also, not mentioned, she is a Tik Tok star. She has over 315K followers. Also, she wasn’t the only Tik Tok star of the night as T.3 has over 305K followers and Shuffolution has over 223K followers. She knew prior to her performance that judge Howie Mandel would be tough to impress as he gave her a no in her audition of “Into the Unknown” from Frozen, for simply not liking her style of music.

Tory’s dream is to be on Broadway, so it is fitting that she sang “Heart of Stone” from SIX the Musical. The song fit her voice like a glove and was a smart pick as it sounds a bit less theatrical and more “pop” than certain musicals. I was more impressed with this than her audition, as it showed more layers of her voice and seemed to be more vulnerable and emotionally connected. Just like her audition, her high notes soared, and her tone was beautiful and clear as a bell in parts of the song. It was a true testament to her talent.

Judges Heidi Klum and Sofia Vergara gave Tory a standing O

Howie called Tory an “amazing singer” who deserves to be on Broadway but said that she stands no chance against Sofia’s Golden Buzzer, Jimmie Herrod. I get that this is a competition, and I’m fine with Howie saying that she has no shot at winning. But I thought it was a bit rude and unfair to be making direct comparisons to a singer who isn’t singing the same exact music as Tory, and wasn’t even on the show tonight. To better sum up my thoughts, I thought it lacked professionalism. Then again, I disagreed with Howie on a lot of things tonight including his thoughts on Korean Soul being the best of the night.

Simon Cowell said that she knows who she is and where she wants to be and said it started off good, but “ended up as a great performance.” He also called it the best act so far. Heidi called it “beautiful” and “flawless” and that she is like “a princess come to life.” Sofia said there’s “nothing bad to say” about Tory and said to not worry if she wins or not “because Broadway is waiting” for her. When asked by host Terry Crews what she wants to say to Howie and the rest of America, Tory said, “Don’t let the Howie’s of this world, get you down.”

I agree that Tory belongs on Broadway. I wasn’t a huge fan of her audition, but I thought this was a step in the right direction for and that she deserves a spot in the semifinals. Come tomorrow, I’d be shocked if she didn’t make it by getting at least the Instant-save or judges save (although, we know Howie won’t vote to save her). Tory came through on a night that was lacking a lot of good moments and that should keep her safe.