Grab your burping soda. Grab your top hat. Your ventriloquist dummy. Your flaming rings of death. America’s Got Talent announced that auditions are coming to Houston January 17-18. Auditions for the competition that defines talent broadly are open to all ages.
However, if you are under 18, grab your parent or guardian as well.
America’s Got Talent has been on the air for eight seasons and has already visited multiple cities to watch everyday people audition to perform their talents.
A common question when auditioning is whether or not celebrity judges will be present. In this case, the answer is no. Like many other shows similar to AGT, the first round of auditions will be reviewed by the producers of the show. The auditioning website suggests that all performers give their all during auditions.
“After producers have auditioned everyone in each city, they begin to make decisions on which acts will be asked to perform for the celebrity judges,” the producers said.
When on-air auditions begin, the celebrity judges will be in attendance. According to the Houston Chronicle, on air auditions will have the same four judges as last season including Heidi Klum, Mel B, Howard Stern and Howie Mandel.
There have been mixed reviews on past open audition experiences. A blogger named Adam B traveled to Chicago to audition for the show where he felt the process of the event was lengthy, but fair.
“I spent the entire day at the auditions, got there at 7:30 a.m. and left at 5:30 p.m. If you plan on auditioning for this show this year or next, pack a lunch,” he said.
The acts that will be moving on in the process are the only ones that will be notified or called back for the second round. Each person asked to move up in the process will be assigned a producer who will go over anything that is essential in the next round.
For those who are not able to make it to the physical auditions, performers have been given the opportunity to submit auditions online. There are three ways to participate online: upload a video directly from a home computer or laptop, provide a link to the performance video on YouTube, or directly record a video onto americasgottalentauditions.com.
Online submissions are welcome, but producers have encouraged everyone to submit a video as well as give a live performance in front of the judges. Live performances always help the judges to remember you.
“It can be helpful for the producers to meet you in person…feel free to also send us a video. That way, the producers can become familiar with your act before we see you,” show officials said.
This will not be the first time AGT has searched for star quality in Texas. In 2009 some of the most memorable performances took place in Houston. In the second season of America’s Got Talent ventriloquist and Dallas native Terry Fator took home the $1 million prize. He was later recognized in Las Vegas for his work and scored his own show that is still headlining at the Mirage Hotel & Casino.
Auditions will take place at 8400 Kirby Dr. in Houston. For more information and inspiration to gain the courage to participate, visit americasgottalentauditions.com.