An opera singer gone rogue? That's the impression Merissa Beddows gave anyway. She has gone where most opera singers don't — impersonating singers from genres as far from opera as they can be. The 'America's Got Talent' judges were just shocked, and rightly so.
Beddows may be the first voice-changing opera singer to audition on America's Got Talent. While opera artists routinely attend auditions for America's Got Talent in the hopes of progressing to the next round, Merissa Beddows may be the first voice-changing opera performer to do so.
At just a tender age of 23, the New Yorker described herself as an opera singer and Curtis Institute of Music student to the judges Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara.
"Whoopee!" Cowell sarcastically exclaimed to Vergara. He clearly did not enjoy opera music. The genre is not for anyone.
Then, in an unexpected twist, Klum was given a large dice with individual names of artists on each side.
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"Heidi, I'd like to play a game," Beddows explained to the model. "This die has six of my most favorite impressions that I do on it. I'm going to begin singing 'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' as me, and then I'm going to ask you to give me a name."
Beddow impersonated Ariana Grande, Stevie Nicks, Celine Dion, Snow White, the Apple digital assistant Siri, and even her grandmother, ultimately, leaving the judges' jaw agape.
Consequently, the performance received a standing ovation from all four judges.
Check out the full fun audition for America's Got Talent on Tuesday (June 28) at 8 p.m. on NBC to see if Beddows goes to the next round. Watch the sneak peek below:
The 23-year-old attends the Curtis Institute of Music, a conservatory in Philadelphia, PA. She also run a popular Tik Tok with spot-on vocal imitation of iconic pop musicians. On a more personal note, she launched a GoFundMe campaign last month to gather funds for her sick mother, who requires long-term care.
Her mother, Debbie Soskin has endured a succession of medical emergencies resulting in lengthy hospitalizations at several Westchester, New York, medical facilities. Her mother was just taken to the ICU at Westchester Medical Center after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage from a nasty fall, as written in the crowdfunding page.
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