Spoilers ahead for the July 19 auditions episode of America’s Got Talent Season 17.
The auditions round of America’s Got Talent Season 17 is going strong, and the stakes are higher than ever now that all four judges and host Terry Crews have used their golden buzzers. None of the remaining contestants will be advanced straight ahead to the live shows, so it’s on them to get “yes” votes from as many of the judges as possible. That wasn’t a problem for the a cappella group Maytree, whose performance involved a tribute to Modern Family (to the delight of former star Sofia Vergara), and group creator Jang Sang-in managed to get some revenge on former group members in the process.
The five-member group came to AGT from South Korea, and Jang Sang-in had an entertaining answer when Simon Cowell asked whose idea it was to form the group. Via an interpreter, the singer said:
Well, I created this group because I was in another group before, which I created, but I was kicked out. They told me I was a bad singer. This completes my revenge.
The a cappella singer smiled when he revealed that taking the AGT stage was helping him get his revenge on the group that kicked him out, so the performance was fun and funny before they even started performing. And when they did start, they delivered an act that included a nod to Sofia Vergara’s Modern Family (currently available streaming with a Hulu subscription), as well as The Simpsons and Cheers.
Prepare for some catchy theme songs to potentially get suck in your head for the next hour or so, and take a look:
Even diehard fans of the iconic shows have surely never heard the theme songs performed in quite this way! Simon Cowell and Heidi Klum immediately grinned at Sofia Vergara as soon as Maytree switched from The Simpsons to Modern Family, and Sofia Vergara was all smiles as she danced along in her seat.
The group brought some lyrics into the performance once they got to Cheers, which proved that they could deliver singing as well as a cappella sound effects. Between the applause of the audience, the reactions of the judges, and the commentary after they finished the final note, I think it’s safe to say that Jang Sang-in did indeed get his revenge on those who kicked him out of his former group.
Sofia Vergara’s Modern Family tribute was definitely fun, but what about Terry Crews? He starred in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (which you can find with a Peacock subscription), but Maytree didn’t include a rendition of that song in their performance. They did have a fun surprise for Terry Crews after they left the stage, however. Check it out:
AHHHHH They surprised me with the #Brooklyn99 theme backstage on #AGT! ????????????????????NINE-NINE! pic.twitter.com/Sbc86UkcTnJuly 20, 2022
Howie Mandel was missing from the judges panel for this performance, but fans may still get to see his reaction to Maytree. The group received a “yes” vote from the three other judges, and it’s hard to imagine that they’ll be cut between now and the live shows. This has been a very strong season when it comes to the musical acts, to the point that four of the five golden buzzer winners are musical.
The auditions of America’s Got Talent Season 17 aren’t over yet, so keep tuning in to NBC on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET to see the acts still hoping for that $1 million prize and Las Vegas stage act. For some more viewing options now and in the coming weeks, be sure to check out our 2022 TV premiere schedule.