When 23-year-old Merissa Beddows stepped onto the America’s Got Talent stage, she introduced herself as an opera singer and impressionist. But the judges were about to discover that her unusual talent went far beyond simply having a beautiful voice.
Merissa began performing the classic “Somewhere Over the Rainbow.” Then she handed control of the performance to the judges.
As the song continued, Merissa was challenged to switch between different voices—and somehow made each transformation happen almost instantly.
She went from her natural operatic voice to an impression of Ariana Grande, recreating the pop star’s distinctive vocal style. But that was only the beginning.
Merissa continued changing characters, bringing out impressions of her own grandmother, Stevie Nicks, Celine Dion, Snow White and even Siri. Each new selection completely changed the sound and personality of the performance.
The contrast was incredible. One moment she sounded like Ariana; seconds later, she was delivering the dramatic power of Celine Dion. Then she could suddenly transform into an animated character or a computerized voice.
Behind the impressions was serious vocal training: Merissa was studying opera at the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music when she auditioned.
Her combination of singing ability, comedy and lightning-fast vocal transformations ultimately earned her four yeses from the judges, sending her forward in the competition.
