Blog Posts by Rachel Stuhler

We know that during the last two weeks, you've been glued to the Olympics, watching amazingly talented athletes use their finely tuned bodies to honor their home countries. So what can "America's Got Talent" do to top the London Games? Three words: extreme parrot tricks. Yes, last night was the You Tube show, where 12 hopeful people who've only practiced in front of the bathroom mirror got their shot at entering the competition. It was also the first we've seen of Sharon Osbourne since she announced she'd be leaving "AGT" in protest over her son's reality show dispute, but if anyone expected fireworks or an outburst, Sharon was about as mild as the YouTube talent. Though only a couple of this week's acts have a chance to make it through the next rounds, let's take a look at the most noteworthy.

Most Surprising: schooled by an academy of villains

The YouTube show had many lowlights, but Academy of Villains closed the show with enough talent to fill the entire auditorium. Their

Every year during the 'AGT' quarterfinals, there's a curious mix of ubertalented and "How did they even get here?" acts. Last night showcased both sides, including our first live triple-X'd contestant in Ulysses, the sweet Don King/Bill Cosby hybrid who loves to sing seventies theme songs -- and looked nothing short of shocked when the judges bashed his best efforts. From mariachi to mind reading, dancing dogs to sand painting, men hitting each other with large objects, and a human cannonball, the last leg of the quarterfinals was by far the most competitive. Let's take a look at some of the impressive acts who battled it out for the last four slots in the semifinals.

Most Surprising: Homespun Music

William Close was one of three acts sent straight from the audition rounds to the live shows, and this instrument-making musician did not disappoint the judges or America. All three judges firmly labeled Close the one to beat, and Howard Stern even suggested he'd be willing

The quarterfinals continued on AGT last night, and 12 more acts took their shot at impressing the judges and viewers at home. Season 7 is proving to be the performers' kryptonite, leaving a wake of missed opportunities and merciless judges' comments. Howie and Howard got along slightly better this week, but it was mostly their dislike of act after act that united them. Even the show's Twitter fans were quick to voice displeasure, but they also had very clear ideas of who should advance to the next round. Let's take a look at some of the favorites.

Most surprising: The Illest wordsmiths

Wordspit the Illest is already making history as the most original band in AGT's seven seasons, but last night they made a controversial choice, performing their own song instead of a cover. This went down famously with Howard Stern, but Howie and Sharon felt it was a huge misstep on a show that's essentially a "popularity contest" (Howie's words). But let's not forget that just a

It's Week 2 of "AGT's" quarterfinals, and the brutal competition final got its symbolic face last night. Performer after performer has been felled by nerves and bad song/dance/stunt choices, leading to some of America's early favorites being sent straight home. But nobody had it harder than Tim Hockenberry, who faced a Simon Cowell-esque Howard Stern critique after a lackluster Katy Perry cover.

So this week again started slow, with the first acts underwhelming the judges and audience -- and earning a few boos and buzzers. But the night wasn't all cringe-worthy -- several performers lived up to their talented potential, shining even brighter against the lackluster competition. Let's take a look at the night's standouts.

Most Surprising: Bending Your Ear

This week was the moment of truth for professional funnyman Tom Cotter, whose audition rounds had the judges rolling. Was he able to do it again in front of a live audience? To give you an indication, Howard Stern suggested

Last night, the judges of "America's Got Talent" turned over the voting reins to the viewers, putting 12 of the top 48 acts on live television -- most of them appearing for the first time. Given how many talented performers fell victim to nerves in Las Vegas, the night was largely tame. In fact, it was a little too tame. Early favorites Nikki Jensen and 787 Crew underwhelmed the judges, and musical magicians Jarrett and Raja even earned a few boos for their cutesy (but simple) illusion. Let's look at the acts that stepped up their game for America's votes.

Most Surprising: Color Us Shocked

David Garibaldi and his CMYK's certainly have a unique act -- painting and dancing to music, and always live. They wowed in early auditions, but everyone questioned if they could hold viewers' interest during a third or fourth performance. Stick around for the very end of this clip, and you'll see Garibaldi's answer to his critics.

Crazy in Love With These Guys

Not every act

Last night was the end of Vegas week on "America's Got Talent," and if you felt the pressure ramping up on the standby contestants, you weren't alone. Even that 6-year-old tap-dancing star who became a legitimate viral-video hit had to prove her worth. Already reeling from missing out on the "judges' favorites," the remaining 150 acts had to compete for just 20 slots in the live shows. And things weren't so rosy at the judges' table either, where Howie and Sharon quickly grew tired of Stern's repeated assertion that he's the "voice of America." Let's take a look at a few acts that rose above the squabbling and the nerves.

Most surprising: high wire, high risk

Donovan and Rebecca came to the New York audition with a lyrical acrobatic act, and though they wowed the entire theater, the dynamic duo recognized that the judges would expect everyone to take their performance to the next level in Vegas. They achieved this by switching to an aerial rope act, causing a lot of

It's "bright lights, big city" time on "America's Got Talent," folks. The audition rounds may be over, but if the acts that made it through to Vegas week thought the hardest part was behind them, they were sorely mistaken. Even the best was literally hanging in the balance.

Before a single Las Vegas performance, three acts were sent home and three were sent straight through to the live shows. The rest were left to battle it out onstage, but the nerves in the holding room claimed performer after performer, leaving a trail of forgotten lyrics, missed stunts, and crunched bike wheels. Let's take a look at some of the night's most memorable moments.

Hanging in the balance

Cristin Sandu's name isn't an easy one to forget, nor is his act likely to slip your mind. This 17-year-old likes to balance precariously on metallic tubes, which is a lot more difficult than it sounds. While "AGT" loves a performance that makes you cringe, we have to wonder how long it will be before this act gets

It’s week six of America’s Got Talent and we’ve watched as our favorite judging trio traversed the country from Tampa to San Francisco,but the competition’s only just getting started. Before the Las Vegas round begins next week, it was time to see a few last auditions – good and bad – from the various cities. Howard Stern got to hug a strangely perky motormouth in a tight dress and Sharon lobbied for a sleepy pig to go to Vegas, but in the end,there were a few more standouts in the first round.

Most Surprising: The Pint-Sized Tapper

By her parents’ own admission, six year-old Liliana can be quite shy – until she starts to dance. Then she turns into a James Brown groove machine, with fierce (yet adorable) expressions to boot. Stern wasn’t moved by the illegal level of cuteness, but Liliana had Howie and Sharon on her side.

Talent in her DNA

21 year-old Mary Joyner was born with an abundance of talent in her very DNA; the daughter of track and field