Golden Buzzer | All the judges cried when he heard the song What’s Up with an extraordinary v:oice
America’s Got Talent judge, Simon Cowell saw thousands of acts in his life and this week, he saw one that he described as one of the “most difficult” that he’s seen in a “long time.” Instead of being bored, his skepticism turned into amazement as a dancer put a new spin on her talent.
Simon Cowell Watched An ‘Impossible’ Act On AGT
When a contestant surprised the long-time talent boss, he wore his new tinted sunglasses that protect his eyes from the lighting on AGT. While they shaded his eyes, nobody could mistake his nervous apprehension as a contestant on America’s Got Talent performed a difficult act. While it took a few attempts, the dangerous act concluded successfully.
Simon Cowell watched dangerous acts in the past. In fact, one of them on America’s Got Talent: Extreme ended up with the show being investigated by OSHA. Johnathan Goodwin ended up paralyzed in a wheelchair after a 30-foot fall. And, OSHA viewed it very seriously. The latest “impossible” act didn’t see anyone injured, but it could have worked out differently.
AGT Dangerous & Difficult Act By A Ballerina
On Tuesday’s edition of Season 19, a dancer named Ashlee Montague made Simon comment, “Nobody actually likes the ballet.” Then he explained how much he “hated” it. so he only ever watched it “once.” Additionally, he said during her act that it was “impossible.” Determined to try, she did a bit of a dance after explaining:
The challenges of ballet are incredibly grueling. People have told me I’m too tall, too short, too big, too everything. This is my dream, and if someone else doesn’t see it that’s okay. They close the door, I’ll climb through a window. I’ve never trained harder for anything.
Ashley decided to dance her way up onto a platform where glass bottles were lined in a row. And then, balance her way across them.
A Nailbiting Performance On America’s Got Talent
As she started walking on her toes on the first two bottles, she wobbled and stepped off. Then it happened again, and Simon Cowell commented “She’s not gonna do it.” Well, she showed him she could, but viewers could see her legs and feet trembling with effort. And, Simon had to eat his words as the judges and crowd erupted.
Needless to say, she got her four yes votes from the judges. Simon Cowell said, “I said to Sofia beforehand I actually can’t bear the ballet or opera actually. However, now you’ve found a way of making it interesting…That’s one of the most difficult acts I’ve seen for a long time.”
You can own a mountain in LA — it will cost $1 billion
Published Mon, Jul 30 20186:00 AM EDTUpdated Mon, Jul 30 201812:14 PM EDT
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Key Points
- The property was purchased by the sister of the shah of Iran in the 1970s and then sold to Merv Griffin.
- Land prices in Beverly Hills and LA’s “Golden Triangle” have skyrocketed in recent years, as spec builders and homebuyers battle for the best perches above Los Angeles.
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VIDEO01:27
Tour the most expensive estate in America
A giant parcel of land at the top of Beverly Hills aims to become the most expensive real estate ever sold, with a price tag of $1 billion — with a “B.”
The property, called The Mountain, is 157 acres and sits on the highest point in the 90210 ZIP code. One owner could buy the property and build a 1.5-million-square-foot compound — with three structures of up to 500,000 square feet.
Its southern views range from downtown LA to Orange County, Catalina Island and Santa Monica. It’s only five minutes from the Beverly Hills Hotel, but the nearest neighbor is over a half-mile away, offering convenience and privacy.
The property also comes with a private road and millions of dollars in land improvements, including a 16-foot-tall stone security gate, landscape lighting and more than 500 trees.
“This is the only opportunity to own your own mountain that looks down at all of Los Angeles,” said Aaron Kirman, the broker representing the property. “Our likely buyer is an individual who wants to build his or her own compound.”
Source: Aaron Kirman
Land prices in Beverly Hills and LA’s “Golden Triangle” have skyrocketed in recent years, as spec builders and homebuyers battle for the best perches above Los Angeles to build their dream homes. Evan Metropoulos, whose family owns Twinkies, paid $65 million for the 2-acre former Danny Thomas estate in Beverly Hills, which will become the site of a new home.
Yet as luxury housing slows and foreign buyers fade, it remains to be seen whether anyone will pay near $1 billion for a piece of land.
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VIDEO01:30
America’s most expensive property is $1 billion
The Mountain has been shopped around and has a troubled past. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the property was purchased by the sister of the shah of Iran in the 1970s, and then sold to Merv Griffin. Herbalife founder Mark Hughes then stepped in and bought it for $8.7 million in 1997, making it the most expensive property sold in America at the time, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Hughes died suddenly in 2000, leaving it to a trust. The trust sold it to a company called Tower Park Properties, which included among its investors a mystery Middle Eastern investor and a convicted felon, according to The Hollywood Reporter. In 2015, Tower Park Properties began quietly marketing the property for $1 billion, with its own sales website. Later in 2015, the company denied the property had never been listed.
A massive court battle between the trust and Tower Park led to the property being transferred in 2015 to a company called Secured Capital Partners, which is currently selling the property. The marketing materials say Victorino Noval, who was general manager of Secured Capital Partners and had been part of Tower Park Properties, “has no responsibilities with respect to this property.”
The marketing materials say his son, Franco Noval, is the “manager of the LLC that owns the property.”
Victorino Noval pleaded guilty to tax evasion and mail fraud in 1997 and went to federal prison for three years. A lawsuit last year accused him of fraud, but was dismissed in May.
Ronald Richards, a lawyer for Secured Capital Partners, said in an email to CNBC that the most recent fraud lawsuit was “meritless” and had no relationship to The Mountain property.
Source: Aaron Kirman
