Stellar performance for Fighting Gravity

"America's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan couldn't hear the boosfrom more than 100 Pi Kappa Alpha members Tuesday night. But theywere plenty loud.

The Virginia Tech fraternity chapter and about an equal number ofwomen from several sororities were responding to the judge'snitpick of Fighting Gravity's final competition performance as oneof the show's top four remaining acts.

The 13 men in the black-light performance troupe would certainlyhave appreciated the whoops and cheers from their fraternitybrothers, former classmates and friends during their double-deckerperformance in which two dancers standing on a platform wereprecisely mirrored by two more dancers who appeared to be suspendedupside down beneath them.

The group's supporters were gathered outside, watching the showas it was projected on a wall of the fraternity house. The show'sother remaining acts, Los Angeles-based opera singer PrincePoppycock, Mississippi soul singer Michael Grimm, and JackieEvancho, the 10-year-old opera singer from Pittsburgh who'sconsidered the favorite to win, received mostly respectful silencewith an occasional boo.

Except when Morgan buzzed Prince Poppycock before his performancewas finished. Then the Tech crowd cheered.

As the show's end, everyone in the fraternity got out theircellphones to vote. At stake: a $1 million prize and the chance toheadline the "America's Got Talent" tour.

The black-light performance troupe was originally created by thePhi Kappa Alpha brothers for a 2009 campus talent show calledAnchorsplash, and after footage on the Internet went viral, theywere invited to perform again at the ESPY Awards' after-party thatyear. They performed again at a 2010 campus show with an act thatdidn't use black lights but was instead based on a concept of life-size marionettes.

By the time of the group audition that appeared in June on"America's Got Talent," the young men, ages 19 to 22, had combinedthe two ideas and come up with the name Fighting Gravity.

Since then, they've taken the show by storm. Each of theirsuccessive performances on the show outdid the one before ininventiveness and complexity.

They were in touch with their fellow fraternity brothers, knownas Pikes, as they prepared for the final showdown. The Pikesalready knew before the show started that Fighting Gravity would bethe last act on.

"These are our best friends," 21-year-old Carter Gradwell ofRichmond, one of the chapter's two vice presidents, said before theshow. "Every day they've been working sunup to sundown."

Only four men from the original Anchorsplash 2009 performance arein the group competing on "America's Got Talent." The 13, who wentto the audition during a very busy time during the school year,told their fraternity brothers, "Guys, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Gradwell said.

Because of their initial success, the performers had to make achoice whether to continue with the show or return to school. Theychose to push on with the show. Though group members say theyintend to resume their studies, it's unclear when that will happen.

Those gathered Tuesday were both amazed by and proud of what theFighting Gravity guys have accomplished.

Within the hour after the show ended, the Pikes were calling upthe video of the performance to see if they could figure out whatMorgan criticized. It turns out that briefly one of the playersdressed in black was visible on the set.

Even if they don't win, Delta Gamma sorority President EliseJason, 21, who will be organizing this year's Anchorsplash event --where Fighting Gravity have said they'd like to perform again --thinks they'll be OK. "I know that they've been offered gigs," shesaid. "I think they've made quite the name for themselves."

The episodes of "America's Got Talent" on Tuesday and today have dominated their respective nights in the Nielsen ratings since Juneand frequently placed within the top four weekly slots. Last week'sshows each averaged more than 12 million viewers.

Viewers selected the winners by voting via the show's website,toll-free phone calls and text messages. The results will beannounced on tonight's show.

For more about Fighting Gravity, including videos of theirperformances, visit the Arts & Extras blog at blogs.roanoke.com/arts.

Results show

-- 'America's Got Talent'

-- WSLS (Channel 10)

-- 9 p.m. tonight