Summary The New York City auditions of "America's Got Talent" started with a remarkable act called "Fighting Gravity," a group of college students who shut down all the lights in the theater and delivered a performance that blew the judges and the crowd away. Four dancers dressed in white, who were the only figures visible on stage, turned in some precise choreography and surprised everyone when there were a couple dozen guys on stage after it ended. Howie called it the most unique and exciting act he's seen since The Blue Man Group, and "Fighting Gravity" was on its way to Vegas.

Father-and-son duo Gino and Tony Antanies gave a so-bad-it-was-worth-cheering-for rendition of "All By Myself." Piers buzzed them quickly, but the other judges were willing to indulge them a bit more. Piers said no, but Sharon said, "Absolutely yes." Howie said he could sense the passion and the love, and said it was a beautiful father-and-son thing, but he voted no.

A guy named Joe Menchetti put his speed-eating skills to the test, trying to eat five pizzas in 90 seconds. Three buzzers came before he could finish, though, and he set off a run of terrible auditions that included a guy playing a very over-sized guitar and a terrible singer.

A guy dressed in 18th-Century garb calling himself Prince Poppycock turned heads with his outfit, but delivered a stunning operatic performance that Sharon called "magnificent." Piers said he was expecting the performance to "take a certain route," but instead it took a different one. Howie called Prince Poppycock "great talent." All three judges voted yes to send the Prince to Vegas.

The Peek-a-Boo Revue, a burlesque group, won over the judges and earned a ticket to Vegas. A guy named Jia-Yi He played four harmonicas at once and earned a standing ovation from the crowd and the judges. A group of knife-throwers earned a unanimous nod from the judges, as well.

A singing duo featuring a couple of guys who were very into themselves and called themselves "On Repeat," weren't nearly as good as they thought they were and earned three buzzes from the judges.

Antonio Restivo, a 39-year-old street vendor, showed off a pyromaniac routine that mesmerized the crowd. Howie said it was exactly the kind of thing that works in Vegas. Piers appreciated how polished it was, and all three judges gave him a vote for Vegas.

Three stand-up comedians were quickly shown the exit as a ramp-up to Doogie Horner, a 30-year-old guy who hoped to turn around the fortunes of stand-ups. The relentless crowd started booing him almost immediately, but Howie seemed to like him. Howie said he thought Doogie was talented, and Sharon appreciated how he held his own against the tough crowd. Piers told him the audience turned on him because he wasn't funny. Howie voted yes, Piers voted no, and Sharon broke the tie with a yes vote.

• Documentary
• Family
• Game Show
• Talent Competition
• Music
• Musical
• Reality TV