Warning: spoilers are ahead for the Season 19 premiere of America's Got Talent on NBC.
Season 19 of America's Got Talent is officially in swing, with Howie Mandel, Heidi Klum, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell back behind the judges' table and Terry Crews manning the microphone as host. AGT wasted no time in delivering some standout performers in the 2024 TV schedule, including two golden buzzers courtesy of Crews and Klum as well as a ballerina whose act had me stressed out in the truly fun way that only this show can deliver.
And since I went back and rewatched parts of the ballerina's performance during a commercial break, I think I might need to next fully rewatch the comedian who won the golden buzzer from Terry Crews and the singer who went full Journey for Heidi Klum's buzzer for some less suspenseful fun! First things first, though...
Ballerina Ashlee Montague
Ashlee Montague had a point in her arrival on AGT that there aren't too many ballet acts that make it to the stage, leading Simon Cowell to mention to Sofia Vergara that he hates ballet. The style certainly isn't typical of the acrobatics, danger, and speed of most AGT dance acts that the famously blunt judge seems to generally enjoy. He changed his tune once Montague went en pointe up high on a platform and began to slowly and not entirely surely balance her way across a series of glass bottles.
Unlike Simon Cowell, I love ballet, but I knew this a stressful act as soon as I found myself checking the stage to see if there were any nice large and fluffy mats for her in case she fell. There were not, so I was as relieved as the judges when she successfully toed her way across the bottles. I've watched the end more than once, and I'm still not entirely sure how she defied physics to step off the bottles without falling!
And honestly, I found myself hoping that Simon Cowell would hit the golden buzzer for her, just because he went from saying that he doesn't like ballet to being so impressed that he went up and checked the platform and bottles himself to see just how incredible Montague's performance was.
But even though he didn't drop the golden confetti for Ashlee Montague, two others did hit the buzzer before the end of the premiere for some performances that were less heart-pounding and more heartwarming.
Comedian Learnmore Jonasi
Terry Crews was the first member of the AGT team to hit the golden buzzer for Season 19, and he couldn't have found a funnier man to get the honor. Learnmore Jonasi came all the way from Zimbabwe to perform his standup, which was not an easy path that involved long journeys to get just five minutes of experience on stage. He also shouted out being a fan of Crews even before he knew the good news he'd be getting, thanks to Crews' role in White Chicks as one of his many movies and TV shows.
And Jonasi found a way to combine jokes about his home in Zimbabwe with jokes about life in the United States, which were a huge hit with the judges as well as the audience. In fact, by the end, it was no surprise that he won a golden buzzer; the biggest question was really who would be the one to hit it.
It's fitting that it was Terry Crews since Jonasi was already such a huge fan, but I hope he heard Simon Cowell say that he considered hitting his own buzzer for the comedian as well. Talk about a strong AGT start, now that he's off to the live shows! Plus, getting a compliment on standup comedy from Howie Mandel? Talk about plenty to celebrate!
Singer Richard Goodall
It's a safe bet that something spectacular is coming in the final act of the night in an AGT audition episode, and the Season 19 premiere didn't disappoint with Richard Goodall. The Indiana native took his very first flight ever to come to America's Got Talent, and he didn't come from a musical profession. Rather, he has worked as a janitor at the local middle school, and he shared that the kids at the school encouraged his talent when they would hear him sing.
And honestly, singers aren't always the standouts of AGT for me because they can be a dime a dozen in the auditions, but I had my heart set on the 55-year-old blowing the roof off the theater just after hearing his story and seeing him getting emotional when he was on the verge of reaching his dream. Then, as soon as he was just a few notes into his take on "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey, I was just wondering which of the judges would be hitting the buzzer. There was no question of whether or not somebody would.
And Heidi Klum was the one! Goodall's performance is further proof to me that AGT singers are bigger hits with audiences when they perform covers rather than original songs, with exceptions for performers like Drake Milligan. Goodall would have surely been great no matter what he sang, but what better than a song that would have the the audience singing and dancing along?
These two golden buzzers in the Season 19 premiere are just the first of many, as Simon Cowell confirmed that each judge will hit the buzzer twice this time around, meaning nearly twice as many contestants advanced straight to the live show. (Terry Crews will still get just the one.) So, this time around, the chances will be even higher for another AGT champion who won a golden buzzer.
All in all, for as much fun as it was to see the franchise branch out for AGT: Fantasy League and I got a kick out of seeing Mel B back with her former fellow AGT judges in that spinoff, it was nice to get back to what America's Got Talent does best. See more with new episodes of Season 19 on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, or stream with a Peacock Premium subscription.
