‘AGT’ star Brandon Leake talks about performing poetry on the Strip

Brandon Leake sits successful a spot astatine Luxor Theater, talking of his vocation arsenic a talker, and stops. He hears thing the interviewer doesn’t, which are voices from the aisle respective feet away. “Hang on, I’ll hold for that to stop.”

Moments later, helium sees the surface of the adjacent astute phone, utilized to seizure his words connected a integer audio recorder, has gone dark. He picks up the device, checks it and and says, “Let’s marque definite it’s inactive recording.”

Leake is simply a man alert of not lone his surroundings, but yours. The Season 15 “America’s Got Talent” champ is the archetypal and lone spoken-word creator successful the show’s 15-year history.

Leake won that rubric successful September 2020, aft justice Howie Mandel launched him to the semifinals with his Golden Buzzer blast during the show’s televised auditions. Leake is successful the formed of “America’s Got Talent: Live!” astatine Luxor. The amusement is performing an open-ended residency, co-starring respective of the show’s past champs and finalists.

Leake sat for the chat aft a showcase of immoderate of those acts astatine Luxor Theater.

Johnny Kats: I’ve covered amusement successful Las Vegas for a agelong time, and I’ve ne'er seen anybody bash precisely what you bash onstage connected the Strip. It’s amazing. What is similar for you to beryllium onstage successful a Las Vegas theatre arsenic opposed to, say, a java store oregon tiny nine oregon thoroughfare corner?

Brandon Leake: It’s an grant to beryllium successful a groundbreaking position, to beryllium the archetypal spoken-word creator not lone to triumph the show, but to beryllium portion of a Vegas residency successful this fashion. It’s humbling to cognize that I get the accidental to dispersed not lone my creation form, but hopefully dispersed immoderate anticipation and immoderate joyousness into people’s lives.

What was the catalyst for you to prosecute “AGT,” since determination was nary akin creator ever connected the series?

There was nary different amusement to spell to. I mean, singers tin spell to “The Voice oregon “American Idol” oregon respective different antithetic shows, dancers tin find shows, magicians tin spell to Penn & Teller (“Fool Us”). But spoken connection has, like, java shops, arsenic of close now. So “AGT” was the lone spot that I could find a home.

When you deliberation astir what succeeds successful Las Vegas, the large-scale accumulation shows and prima headliners, however does that enactment retired artistically for you?

I deliberation that Vegas, successful a batch of people’s eyes, is not for what I do. I deliberation that the consumers, they often don’t cognize what they, quote-unquote, arrived for. But past erstwhile they person thing that’s unexpected, they tin either take to recoil oregon take to truly clasp it. And from our preview shows, it’s been a highly embraced creation form.

So they mightiness not database “spoken-word poetry” arsenic 1 of the reasons they’re visiting Vegas, but erstwhile they spot it they similar it due to the fact that it is thing caller and different. That is the message?

I deliberation I’m the unexpected thought that you tin amusement up to Vegas, and permission improved extracurricular of your wallet.

That could beryllium your ain tourism campaign.

(Laughs) Yes, for anybody who’s funny successful coming, don’t conscionable beryllium interested. Come! It’s gonna beryllium good worthy it.

What are you capable to beryllium inspired to make successful this environment, immoderate caller material?

The poem I’m doing present is really custom-made for this show. It’s thing that I ever done before. It’s it was made for this audience. I person a one-man play I’ll beryllium doing successful astatine Nevada Museum of Art Reno, called “Insomnia,” successful December.

Anything successful Las Vegas?

You’ll spot maine connected random thoroughfare corners with my typewriter, penning poems for people. In Las Vegas. I volition beryllium successful the Arts District.

You’ll beryllium adjacent me! I’m ordering a poem, close now. You’ll spot maine there.

(Laughs) Deal. I’ll bash typewriter poesy for you.