'America's Got Talent' Season 15 Lives Shows Begin—Here's What to Expect

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It's the moment America's Got Talent fans have been waiting for all season: the Live Shows.

Judges Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel have made it through the auditions, narrowing the competition down to just 44 remaining acts. And now, the quarterfinal Live Shows are set to begin, giving America the chance to vote their favorite act on to the next round of the NBC talent competition, starting on Tuesday. During Wednesday night's show, the votes will be tallied and the top five contestants will get to move ahead.

'America's Got Talent' Season 15 Lives Shows — "America's Got Talent" cast members (l-r) Terry Crews, Simon Cowell, Sofia Vergara, Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. Courtesy of NBCUniversal

The first Live Show of the season will mark the return of on-stage performances. The judges, along with AGT host Terry Crews and contestants, haven't appeared at Hollywood's Dobly Theater, where the show is filmed, since the coronavirus pandemic halted production. Over the past few weeks, episodes of AGT were filmed remotely with judges and contestants connecting via live video, but the judges were able to film outdoors at a social distance at a Universal Studios Hollywood backlot for the Judges Cut episode on July 28.

A soundstage has been placed on the property for contestants to perform on. However, some acts will still be showcased via video, as coronavirus travel restrictions have prevented some contestants from returning to the U.S.

As far as the return to the set, producers are taking several precautions, mandating facial coverings for staffers, regular coronavirus testing, temperature checks and even designated bathroom assignments. There are even "COVID counselors"—medical professionals—on hand. According to Mandel, all the cautionary efforts were put in place to make AGT "the safest place in the world."

"You see what you assume is a human person because they have a mask, a visor, gloves and a helmet," Mandel said of the film crew during an interview with USA Today released on Monday. "It's what I imagine the show would be like if we did it on the moon."

Cowell will be missing in action for the first round of Live Shows. The judge, who is also an AGT executive producer, broke his back after falling off of his electric bike at his home in Malibu, California, on Saturday. He underwent surgery and is currently recovering at a nearby hospital.

The Voice coach Kelly Clarkson will fill in for Cowell. In an "Urgent Memo" posted on Instagram on Monday, Clarkson announced that "someone far wiser, cooler, and hotter," will be taking Cowell's seat for the time being.

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URGENT MEMO.... from yours truly! ðŸ˜œ @AGT @SimonCowell #AGT
A post shared by Kelly Clarkson (@kellyclarkson) on Aug 10, 2020 at 3:05pm PDT