By BILL BRIOUX
Howie Mandel wasted no time in throwing down the big challenge for Season 2 of Canada’s Got Talent: give us, he said, “that wow moment.”
He gets it early on in Tuesday’s Citytv season premiere.
Four strapping lads who call themselves GBA, brought big time “wow” for Mandel and fellow judges Lilly Singh, Trish Stratus and Kardinal Offishall.
They then flipped, jumped, stacked and slammed themselves all over the OLG Stage at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls.
The crowd, the judges and host Lindsay Ell went wild after the demonstration of agility and strength.
“That’s probably one of the most dangerous things I’ve ever seen in my life,” said Mandel after three members who were stacked on top of one another launched themselves face-first towards the stage floor.
Singh saw them as “real life superheroes.” GBA got four big yeses from the blown away judges.
The next act also brought the “wow.” Atsushi Ono, a magician from Calgary, came down to the desk and performed a close-up magic trick that involved disappearing coins and corks.
The judges were as impressed with his quick-thinking and bright attitude as they were with his magic and awarded him four yeses as well.
After that, things got a little tougher for the next few performers. They are among 82 acts competing for this year’s grand prize of $150,000 as well as a chance to perform as part of “America’s Got Talent Presents: SUPERSTARS Live” at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
Tuesday’s third act was a young female dance crew from Oakville, Ont., billed as The Cheerforce Golden Girls.”
Cracked Mandel, “Nobody looks like Bea Arthur.” The kids were urged to try again next year.
They were followed by Marquis, another dance troupe, this one in workout sweats, from Winnipeg. Right behind them came dancers from Granby, Quebec more in the Broadway style who call themselves T.ACOS X T.EENAGERS.
Neither troupe impressed Mandel. “We’re looking for better than last year,” he re-stated.
The sixth act did not appear, at first, to be able to break the jinx. Evan Turnbull, a former Tim Horton’s employee, stood on stage, guitar in hand. He and his parents had made a 25-hour car ride from Glace Bay, N.S. just to get to the Fallsview Casino.
Not only does he have a fine voice, but he can also harmonize! His twin brother emerged from the auditorium, took to the stage and The Turnbull Brothers sang their way to four yeses.
“We got a double-double!” said Howie, who loved the act’s surprise set-up.
Next up were two acts who claimed to have operatic voices. The only thing operatic was that they died on stage. The judges slammed down on their “X” buzzers.
Enter Paola Troilo, a singer from Laval, Quebec. Howie seemed dubious when she said she did not consider herself a singer, just somebody who liked to make noises in the kitchen. Her sons, who were in the audience, had encouraged her to give CGT a shot.
But what noises!? Troilo treated the crowd to an impassioned aria from Luciano Pavarotti. Tears ran down the faces of her sons at the end.
“That is not a noise, that is beautiful!” enthused Howie. Four yeses were awarded.
A would-be rapper from Toronto billed as “Young Mommy” was quickly gonged. Kardi, one of the top hip hop artists in Canada, found her act “disrespectful.”
Far more impressive was Edmonton’s Beatrice Love, an Indigenous singer-songwriter and mother of five children. She opened up about her hard life, including tales of homelessness and drug addiction. Music, she said, had given her a second chance.
Love sang a powerful cover of “Who’s Loving You,” and the crowd loved her. Lilly felt she owned the song, while Kardi appreciated that she reached for the hard notes at the end. Howie found her authentic and soulful and four yeses were awarded.
Two different impressionist acts followed. Neither made a favourable impression.
Just as it did last season, Canada’s Got Talent likes to save one outstanding act to the end. Tuesday night it was Geneviève Côté, from Laval, Quebec. Côté’s talent is hard to define, but she satisfied Mandel’s hope that Season 2 would offer something original and decidedly different.
Côté downplayed expectations be setting herself up as basically “a noisemaker.” Then she started doing impressions – of birds, then flute sounds, then galloping horses.
“It feels like I’m watching a movie,” quipped Lindsay Ell. Kardi felt the same way, seeing Côté as a one-woman sound effects department.
Howie was so taken he awarded Côté with Season 2’s first Golden Buzzer. He even came on stage and gave the Quebec impressionist a big hug.
NEXT WEEK: viewers were teased with clips showing a pirate band, some fire twirlers and an octopus puppet. Season 2 will be different! In the meantime, go to Canada’s Got Talent’s YouTube channel for more of that joyous Golden Buzzer celebration. You can also listen to Howie and Kardinal set up the new season now on the latest episodes of brioux.tv: the podcast.