Daphne teen Jaycob Curlee is about to step out on the stage at Radio City Music Hall for a live performance that will be critical in his quest to win the $1 million prize on "America's Got Talent." The biggest surprise, he says, is how good it feels.
This week brings the second round of quarterfinals, with performances airing Tuesday and results revealed on Wednesday. Curlee is one of 12 acts in his bracket, and only five will advance. Aside from the pressure of competition, the acts also face the challenge of scaling up their performances to fill the biggest stage they've ever been on, incorporating more complex choreography, dazzling sets and other new elements.
Needless to say, Curlee watched the first round of quarterfinals closely. "It was really interesting," he said. "I think that everybody kind of struggled."
He likes the fact that he's in the second round. If he was in the last group, he might be daunted by the winning performances of the first three rounds. But getting to watch the first round gave him some idea what he was in for as he worked to develop his own quarterfinal performance.
"Especially for me, coming from my bedroom, it's entirely overwhelming," he said. "But they make it as stress-free as possible. I couldn't ask for any more. Two things that really are just so awesome about the show, is the fans, and the people that work on the show, they're amazing."
"Without giving anything away, obviously, it's really interesting because it does seem incredibly difficult," he said of the challenge. "But the people who work for AGT have just been amazing. And it makes it almost effortless. They make it incredibly easy to just do your routine."
"You tell them what you want, and they fill it, they give you what you want," he said. "So they make it easy. It seems stressful and hard, but it's incredibly easy to have your routines made up. Especially for the singers. We just focus on us, and they make us look good."
"One thing that's really awesome about the show, they don't just see you as a number," he said. "They know your name ... and that's really cool, to take the time to get to know people and to see what they want. The show would be nothing without the contestants, so they want to make sure we feel very comfortable."
Curlee doesn't exactly have a chip on his shoulder, but he admits he feels a need to rebound. His second performance, during the show's Judgment Week, didn't seem to impress the judges as much as his debut in the season's premiere. Looking back, he agrees he cut it a little close.
"Yes sir, I think everybody did," he said. "It was a stressful week for everyone. It was difficult. It was very difficult. But every act that made it through deserves to be here."
Judgment Week had a stifling feel: Aside from the show's four judges, there was no audience. Many acts, particularly comedians and singers, struggled with the lack of crowd response. The quarterfinals are different, with a huge crowd on hand to cheer the performers on, and Curlee is looking forward to that.
In fact, the biggest surprise of the whole experience might be how much he enjoys having an audience. Prior to his appearance on the show, he had very little public performing experience.
"I really am looking forward to the crowd," he said. "I'd much rather play to a sold-out house at Radio City Music Hall than four judges. Because you don't really pay attention to the judges, you just pay attention to the crowd and to the reaction you get from them."
"It's in my comfort zone, I guess, which is crazy to say, because like I said, I just come from playing in my bedroom or at school. And now it feels more comfortable for me to play at Radio City Music Hall," he said. "Never in a million years would I think I'd be saying that, but it is."
Curlee's quarterfinal bracket also includes the Hart Dance Team, which combined dance and innovative visual effects in its first appearance; Aerial Animation, a multimedia act that combines acrobatics with visual arts; male salsa duo team John & Andrew; rollerblade dancer Juan Carlos; wild west performer Loop Rawlins; magician Mat Franco; musical trio Livy, Matt & Sammy; hand balancer Andrey Moraru; 12-year-old vocalist Mara Justine; comedian Darik Santos and vocal duo Acte II.
Curlee isn't picking any favorites.
"I think all 11 other acts in the second group are just amazing," he said. "I mean, I'm just a kid. I'm 18 years old and some of the other acts have been working for years and years and years. It's really humbling to be compared to these people, to be seen as a peer. But yeah, any of these acts could win, and that drives me to be better and be the best that I can be."
After Tuesday's broadcast, his fate will be in the hands of viewers. He thinks he's done everything he can to build his fan base via social media, so he hopes people will vote. "The winner of 'America's Got Talent' coming from Alabama, that would be awesome," he said.
"I just want to thank everybody, because I honestly wouldn't be top 48 of 'America's Got Talent,' headlining Radio City Music Hall, without them," he said. "I'm incredibly grateful."
"America's Got Talent" airs a two-hour performance show at 8 p.m. Central time Tuesday, Aug. 5, on NBC. A one-hour results show airs at 8 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 6.