2 local acts are finalists on ‘America’s Got Talent’
Central Florida’s got talent, an NBC show is confirming in a big way.
Orlando comedian Preacher Lawson and St. Cloud singer Mandy Harvey are among the 10 finalists on “America’s Got Talent.”
The acts perform 8 p.m. today on the summer’s most-watched broadcast series. The winner of season 12 will be revealed in a two-hour finale 8 p.m. Wednesday. The winner collects a $1 million prize.
“I’m truly in shock,” said Harvey, 29, who is deaf. “I am excited for this opportunity, and I am so motivated to do my part to make the world a little brighter.”
She will perform another of her original songs — “the perfect song for the finals,” she said.
Judge Simon Cowell has championed Harvey, and he gave her his golden buzzer, which moved her to the live shows.
Judge Howie Mandel has raved about Lawson and predicted he would be the next superstar in comedy. Lawson did not respond to repeated requests for comment.
Lawson’s energetic style was on full display when he portrayed the world’s fastest clapper. He has joked about big cellphones, his own looks and having children.
Harvey made the finals last week, days after Hurricane Irma hit Florida. She has been thinking about relatives in Fort Myers, Kissimmee, St. Cloud, Middleburg and Jacksonville and band members from Tampa and St. Pete.
“My family is still fighting to bounce back from Irma, and yet cheering me on,” she said. “I am cheering for everyone in Florida, and I am so thankful for the encouragement and the love. We are in this together.”
Prognosticators point to two children as front-runners: Darci Lynne Farmer, a 12-year-old ventriloquist, and Angelica Hale, a 10-year-old singer with a powerful voice.
Three other singers are in the Top 10: plane-crash survivor Kechi Okwuchi, boyish redhead Chase Goehring and 13-year-old Evie Clair, whose father recently died of cancer. There are two dance acts, Light Balance and Diavolo. And there’s Sara and Hero, a dog act.