LAS VEGAS, NV (September 24, 2008) – America’s Got Talent, the #1 rated show on television, today announced plans to bring a spectacular live stage version of the international phenomenon to Las Vegas for one night only. On Friday, October 17th, America’s Got Talent Live will debut at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, featuring the dynamic top five competitors from season three of the show; the program’s winner, crowned at the show’s October 1st finale, is set to headline. This exciting night of entertainment, promoted by AEG Live, will feature host Jerry Springer and a special guest performance from Terry Fator, the multi-talented winner of season two, as well as several more of the show’s hottest stars, in addition to the Top 5 finalists, to be announced shortly.
Tickets to America’s Got Talent Live are on-sale now and can be purchased via Ticketmaster – www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena box office and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations.
The show’s top five performers, set to take the stage in Las Vegas, include Neal E. Boyd, an opera singer from Silkeston, MO; Nuttin But Strings, a hip-hop violin duo comprised of brothers Damien and Tourie Escobar from Jamaica Queens, NY; Queen Emily, a soul singer from Stockton, CA; Donald Braswell, a singer from San Antonio, TX; and Eli Mattson, a 26-year-old pianist-singer from Chicago, IL. These acts will also perform during America’s Got Talent’s next broadcast, which will air on Wednesday, September 24 at 8PM ET/PT on NBC.
“America’s Got Talent has discovered some of the most dynamic and diverse entertainers in the world,” said Debra Rathwell, Vice President of AEG Live. “It’s with great excitement that we bring fans the explosive live stage debut of the show in the entertainment capital of the world.”
America’s Got Talent, NBC’s hit summer series from American Idol producers FremantleMedia North America and Simon Cowell’s SYCO Television, returned this summer with the hottest performers from across the country competing in the blockbuster reality show’s third season. Bringing the variety show format back to the forefront of American culture each week, the show features a colorful array of hopeful future stars — singers, dancers, comedic performers and unique acts of all ages. While each contestant has the chance to strut and perform in front of a panel of celebrity judges including David Hasselhoff, Sharon Osbourne and Piers Morgan, the eventual winner is chosen by the television viewing audience. Since launching in 2006, America’s Got Talent has been sold to over 100 countries, with localized versions of the hit format being produced in 24 countries around the world.
AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance, touring for a variety of programming and multi-media production. One of the largest concert promotion and touring companies in the world, AEG Live is comprised of special event, broadcast and exhibition divisions and operates and owns numerous state of the art venues nationwide. Current AEG Live tours and productions include Bette Midler The Showgirl Must Go On and Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas; and Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, an international tour of the artifacts of King Tut. Recent and current promoted concert tours include Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Prince, Bon Jovi, Hannah Montana, Spice Girls, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney and American Idols Live. AEG Live also co-produces the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Goldenvoice, the company’s southern California-based regional promotion division, created and operates the award winning annual Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. For more information go www.aeglive.com
The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and George Foreman vs. Michael Moorer; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, Gloria Estefan, Janet Jackson, Phil Collins, Billy Joel, Backstreet Boys, N Sync, Sting, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to the annual Academy of Country Music Awards (ACMA) and U.S. Open of Motocross.