As you all know, I love TV. But of all the shows I watch, my guilty pleasure is America’s Got Talent. Really. I watch it. Every sappy, scary, embarrassing moment. I wallow in joy watching people following their dream, whatever it may be, just as I follow mine of being a novelist. I don’t watch American Idol at all. I prefer America’s Got Talent. Yes, it’s cheesier and more bizarre in its range of contestants, but it also has more variety in acts and ages. It’s not just about young people trying to be the next big singing sensation. It’s personifies what I believe and preach: That dreams can be pursued at any age and from any circumstance.
Last night was You Tube night. All twelve acts came from video entries on You Tube rather than through the normal audition process. Four of them will move on to the finals with the other traditionally chosen finalists. For these four acts, it’s like finding the Golden Ticket in a Wonka Bar. Of the twelve acts, one stood out – way out – for me: Jackie Evancho.
WOW! WOW! WOW!
Jackie Evancho is a ten-year-old opera singer. Yes – 10! And she sounds like a thirty-year-old seasoned Met performer. She has to be heard to be believed. At the end of her performance I was a teary mess. She’s THAT good.
Every season I am blown away by several acts and cheer them on, hoping they make it to the end. I loved all of the finalist last season, but my favorites, Barbara Padilla and Lawrence Beeman, didn’t bring home the prize. Some of my favs for this year are Prince Poppycock, Arc Attack, Murray, and Haspop. There are some great pop signers in the finalist line up, too.
But after last night, I’m Jackie Evancho all the way to the end.
Jackie Evancho isn't a star in the making - she's already a star.