America’s Got Talent is one of the most popular shows on American television, regularly winning its Tuesday night TV slot and usually ranking among the top ten shows each week that it airs. The series bills itself as “the biggest stage in the world” and with millions of people tuning in every week, there’s no doubt that the reality competition series can catapult a performer or company straight from obscurity to international fame and fortune.
Three puppeteers – Ventriloquists Terry Fator, Darci Lynne and Paul Zerdin – have previously won the show’s $1 million annual prize and gone on to headline Las Vegas and tour internationally. Even acts eliminated from the show’s final rounds can do very well; season 7 act Lightwire Theater and season 5’s Fighting Gravity failed to win, but were able to tour extensively and produce shows in New York after appearing on the popular series. Even irrepressible puppet Toiley T. Paper has built a 1 million+ plus following on TikTok after a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it appearance back in season 12 (well, how much of that is attributable to AGT is possibly up for debate).
Romania’s Lightwave Theater seems poised to be the breakout puppet act on AGT this year. A preview of their segment on tonight’s show was released over the weekend and while we won’t know how Lightwave fared until the episode airs tonight, it’s safe bet that the show’s producers think they have big in their future. Executive Producer and lead judge Simon Cowell certainly seemed to be impressed.
Lightwave Theater are no strangers to the international “Got Talent” franchise. Like many of the international acts featured on the American show, they were finalists on their local version of the series, receiving a coveted “golden buzzer” on Romania’s Got Talent (Românii au talent). They were also finalists on the “Got Talent”-like German puppetry competition series Die Puppenstars in 2017.
You can find out what Simon Cowell and the rest of the AGT judges (ironically, none of whom are actually American) thought of Lightwave Theatre tonight at 8pm (7pm Central Time) on NBC in the United States and City-TV here in Canada. For those living elsewhere, keep an eye on the AGT YouTube Channel, where highlights from tonight’s show will likely be posted by tomorrow morning.
Via Talent Recap.