'America's Got Talent': Meet the Top 20

AGES 23 to 45
HOMETOWN Houston, TX
TALENT Basketball dunking entertainers
HAVIN' A BALL Founded by Jerry ''Sixfo'' Burrell in 1994, Acrodunk has evolved from a group of guys who loved flipping and dunking the basketball into a well-oiled performance machine and ''training ground'' for other high-flying pursuits — a handful of former members have gone on to become NBA mascots. ''We're an organization that focuses on giving guys the opportunity to perform and entertain,'' says Burrell, who adds that the watchword for their semifinal routine is ''revolution.''

AGE 13
HOMETOWN Orlando, FL
TALENT Dancer
BROAD APPEAL America's answer to Billy Elliot, Arcadian has been dancing (and singing...and playing the piano) since before he could do long division. He squeaked past singer Thia Megia in a quarterfinal judges' decision, a result he found ''surprising...I thought she had more momentum going into the night.''

AGE 40
HOMETOWN Orlando, FL
TALENT Illusionist
USE YOUR ILLUSION A working magician for all his adult life (he was performing on a cruise ship when EW spoke to him), Drew Thomas and his crew could use a vacation. ''We're crazy-busy right now,'' he says. ''We've got guys building stuff for the semis while we keep up with the bread-and-butter shows. These routines are worked on for a long, long time.''

AGES 24 to 35
HOMETOWN Morgan, UT
TALENT Power tap dancers
LONG DISTANCE DEDICATION These five sisters grew up on a dairy farm in Utah and began taking tap-dancing lessons after their mother saw a promotional flyer. Now mothers themselves, they've relied on ''cyber-rehearsals'' to practice for their AGT performances. ''They're very difficult,'' one of the sisters told us in a conference call. ''The biggest challenge is spatial relationships, which you can't figure out on your own. We've only got so much time together to get it perfect.''

AGE 75
HOMETOWN Jacksonville, FL
TALENT Comedian
AN OLD PRO A working performer like Acrodunk and Drew Thomas Magic, Grandma Lee knows her way around the comedy circuit. In 2003, the ribald grandmother took first place in the U.S. World Showcase comedy division in Las Vegas; less than a year later she finaled on Last Comic Standing. She cites Carol Burnett and Ellen DeGeneres (''funnier than you think'') as some of her strongest comedy influences.

AGE 35
HOMETOWN Mayfield, KY
TALENT Singer, guitarist
BIRDS AND MUSIC Before he even performed, Kevin Skinner charmed the judges with tales from his days as a chicken-catcher, but it was his heartfelt music that has made him a fan favorite. ''As a musician and a person, I love to connect with people,'' he explains. ''If I can make them happy, say that I've been there, I've done that...and they have too...well that's just awesome.''

AGES 37, 29
HOMETOWN Brooklyn, NY
TALENT Acrobatic dance group
LOVE WILL BRING US TOGETHER Dave Paris and Zoe Klein were dance partners before they got married, but it is that romantic bond that lends their performances a stronger sense of completion. Says Klein, ''there was a limit on how much we could work together. Now...this is like having our own child together. Living together; being dedicated to this together. This is our life.'' As for what they can do to ensure victory in the semifinal round, both agree that they need to ''go even bigger.''

AGES 8 to 16
HOMETOWN Highland, NY
TALENT Singers
LIFE IS A SONG Michael, Avery, and Nadia Cole first wowed the judges way back in June with a touching rendition of ''America the Beautiful'' and know that song choice is crucial to their shot at the grand prize. Says older brother Michael, ''we look for the song that emotionally connects to us as individuals. If there's no connection to you, how are you going to relate that to an audience?''

AGES 34 to 44
HOMETOWN Houston, TX
TALENT Singing Group
VARIETY FOR TEXAS They may wear matching suits and ten-gallon hats, but each tenor — like their Italian forebears — brings something a little different to the mix. ''Marcus [Collins] is more pop, John [Hagen] more opera (he's won numerous awards). I'm [J.C. Fisher] kind of in the middle. It's a neat blend. We take the strengths of each of us...and try to meet the demands of whatever the piece is. Broader styles allow us to reach a broader spectrum of people.''

AGES 54 and 7
HOMETOWN New Castle, IN
TALENT Canine flying disc team
CANINE LIVES A controversial addition to the Top 20, Tony Hoard & Rory beat singer Charles DeWayne in the second quarterfinal judges' decision. Tony isn't fazed (''there's always gonna be a controversy...without it, no one would watch'') and says that Rory is more than capable of bringing the thunder in the semifinals. ''He's a quick learner, he has that drive to succeed, you know? He's what everyone's looking for in a dog...or a person.''

AGES 16 to 24
HOMETOWN Chicago, IL
TALENT Dance Ensemble
LEXICON First things first: what is ''footworking,'' exactly? The FootworKINGz describe it as a mixture of ''tap, hip-hop, African hip-hop, and tribal dance...a fast dance that deals with the lower body.'' Fast is right — these guys move with astonishing speed, rarely stopping as they make use of the entire stage. ''As long as we keep up what we're doing now,'' they told us in a group conference call, ''we're in this competition. We are that Las Vegas act.''

AGE 23
HOMETOWN Grants Pass, OR
TALENT Breakdancer
BREAKING NEWS Hairo has been breakdancing for 10 years — getting into the sport with his cousins as a teenager — but still finds new moves to learn and attempt. ''The split I did in the last show, that was my first time ever doing it,'' he reveals. ''Luckily, it went well!'' He knows he'll need to step even more outside his comfort zone in the next round; he's prepared to bring the ''big and the bang'' to win it all.

AGE 18
HOMETOWN Carrollton, TX
TALENT Pianist
PIANO MAN Despite a technical mishap in the quarterfinal round, Jeffrey's clear musical abilities earned him a spot in the Top 20 and a chance to perform once more on the big stage. Hoping to reach as many people as possible with his music, he sees the piano as ''the most neutral instrument...it has a communicative quality that other instruments don't have. I think you can say anything you want with a piano.''

AGES 43, 33
HOMETOWN Las Vegas, NV
TALENT Comedy variety duo
PLAY WITH FIRE Sharp objects. Fire. High speeds. Married entertainers Mario & Jenny don't just skirt with danger, they revel in it. But the confidence you see on stage isn't always authentic, admits Mario. ''Onstage? Cruise control. But backstage, we're pacing back and forth before we go on.'' The two consider each other full partners, each tackling a different aspect of the routine. ''Jenny's an expert at choreography and dancing. I'm an expert at the crazy stuff.'' Says Jenny, ''Working together can either make you or break you. We feed off each other's energy.''

AGE 34
HOMETOWN Walnut Creek, CA
TALENT Singer
BEAMIN' BEAMEN If there's a frontrunner on this show, it's bass-voiced Lawrence Beamen, who judge Piers Morgan has called ''a true star'' on more than one occasion. How does the singer respond to this continued praise? ''I try not to think about it. I just want to be me; I want to walk out on stage and have the audience see someone who's relaxed.'' On what it will take for him to win it all, he says it comes down to song choice and ''listening more.'' Don't forget to sing!

AGE 36
HOMETOWN Houston, TX
TALENT Opera singer
''GOODBYE'' GIRL Equally loved by the judges' panel (and, well, America) is Barbara Padilla, whose rendition of ''Time to Say Goodbye'' sent her into the next round without argument. What matters, she says, is forging that connection with the audience. ''The song...it has to be something they really like, something that can touch people's hearts,'' she says. ''You belong to the audience.''

AGES 9, 8
HOMETOWN Seattle, WA
TALENT Ballroom dancers
TINY DANCERS These two pint-sized hoofers have been dancing together for almost five years now, and their chemistry on stage was enough to get them past a quarterfinal judges' decision. Favorite dance? Erik says he likes ''all ten of them. They're all fun. I enjoy all of them. Rickie likes jive the best.'' A big fan of fast cars, Erik would like to fund some driving adventures if he dances off with $1 million.

AGE 29
HOMETOWN Sykesville, MD
TALENT Singer, guitarist
EVEN STEVYNS Don't call it a comeback! After not advancing to the quarterfinal round, Drew was given a second chance to perform and netted himself a Top 20 slot. ''It's a rollercoaster ride, man,'' he says. ''I don't know which way is up.'' When asked what the most important part of reaching the audience is, he says ''lyrics, first of all. Then that it's in my musical range, and has a certain intensity.''

AGE 22 to 39
HOMETOWN Goffstown, NH
TALENT Musicians
ECO SHREDDERS Inspired by street performers they saw in New York City 10 years ago, Recycled Percussion take everyday household objects like ladders, buckets, and trash cans and turn them into musical instruments. They've added more and varied objects over the years, but band member Justin Spencer says he'll ''always have a soft spot for the drums.'' What you see on stage — they played on a hydraulic set for their quarterfinal performance — can be exhausting. ''We absolutely throw ourselves into it.''

AGES 11 to 15
HOMETOWN Seattle, WA
TALENT Singing group
SISTER ACT While singing together for ''all of our lives,'' the Abraham sisters have only been performing as a group for the last three years. They say they've improved significantly in that time. ''We've learned how to perform,'' says oldest sister Lianda. ''We're much more natural on stage. You can tell when one person's lagging, or needs help.'' That kind of sisterly love will only help them in the semis, where they will compete against other strong singers. They say they're going to take a step back from their more dance-heavy quarterfinal performance — ''we've got dancing out of the way. We're showing off our vocals more this time.''