- I'm Hayden Kristal. It's so nice to meet you.
- Nice to meet you. - Yeah.
- Now, what are you going to be doing here on "AGT"?
- I'm going to be doing stand-up comedy.
- So when did you decide you were funny?
- We'll see what the feedback is today.
[laughter]
I was born deaf into a family that does not sign,
and they're all hearing, so it was just me.
- So communication has always been
something that I have struggled with.
I think early on I found that comedy
is a language everyone understands.
If I say something and you laugh at it,
that's a connection.
I always love that feeling.
- Why "AGT"?
- This is one of the biggest stages in the world,
and watching some of the people that "AGT"
has given opportunities to has given me more confidence
to pursue this for myself.
"America's Got Talent," it's my mom's favorite show.
We watched it together growing up,
and it's surreal to be here.
- I'm, like, gonna cry thinking about that.
- To be auditioning for "America's Got Talent,"
that has been the dream for me.
- All right, Hayden.
Who's the judge you want to impress the most?
- Honestly, I'm really hoping that Heidi likes my dress.
- Oh, that's it. That's it.
- I picked it specifically, so we'll see.
- All right. - I'm just saying.
- Go on out and make your dream come true right now.
- Thank you so much. - Oh, thank you.
Go right on out.
- Hi.
- Good evening.
How are you?
- I'm totally kidding.
Not about the sign language. That part is real.
I am working with an interpreter tonight.
I am really hard of hearing.
I preform my sets in English, but I do like to start that way
'cause make heckling me an ADA violation.
[laughter] So...
- Hello. What's your name?
- Julie. - Hi, Julie.
- How are you tonight?
- Oh, I'm good. My name is Hayden Kristal.
I'm a comedian.
I'm actually a touring comic right now,
but part of why I wanted to come to
"America's Got Talent" is watching so many other comics
with disabilities come here and succeed before I did.
Like Drew Lynch, DJ Demers years ago.
[cheering]
Yeah.
When I see other people with disability on this stage
and thriving, I know that they were given the tools
to be able to succeed here which is...
Yeah.
- Thank you so much then for being here tonight.
We're ready for you.
- Thank you. Okay. I'm gonna start.
So I dual majored in college.
I studied sign language
and...Which that felt like a freebie, right?
But I also majored in zoo-keeping,
which seemed like a really fun thing at the time,
but now I have a degree in American Sign Language
and zoo-keeping.
And Koko the sign language gorilla
died, like, four years ago.
[laughter]
So what I'm saying is that comedy has to work out for me.
[laughter]
Yeah, this has to go, guys. This has to go good.
My safety net is dead. She's gone, so...
I know, it's very sad.
So I, actually, I applied to work
at the Koko Foundation when I was in college
and they rejected me because I have hearing loss.
[crowd booing]
But they...yes, boo the Koko Foundation.
They told me I was a liability issue
because if the gorilla were to sneak up on me,
I would not be able to hear it.
Which I can't say with any degree of certainty,
but probably. That seems true.
So you guys seem like a nice crowd
full of hearing people,
so I'm just gonna toss this question out into the room.
Um...What are y'all gonna do different
if a gorilla sneaks up on you?
[laughter]
Yeah, thank you. I would love to know.
[cheering]
- That makes a lot of sense.
- DM me after the show.
I am just desperate to know what home field advantage
y'all have with your two-second head start.
Ridiculous. Nothing. Nothing.
The only different you're gonna do different than me
is die scared-- that's it.
[laughter]
That's the only thing. Yeah.
Thank you.
[cheers and applause]
- Hayden, thank you so much for being here tonight.
I had a great time listening to you.
I love that you make fun of yourself.
I was laughing the whole time.
Heidi, what do you think?
- We have amazing comedians on this show
and I think that you would be a great addition
to what we already have
so you can really battle it out with them.
- Simon. - Was that a true story?
- Yes.
- I mean, it's brilliantly funny.
So seriously, and the fact that you can turn that
into a funny story, which is so crazy
that they would do that.
To your point, what difference does it make?
You know? - I, you know...
- I'm with you. - I've been trying to start
Twitter beef with them for, like, ten years,
so if you guys want...
- That's it. I'll join you.
I can also see this means an awful lot to you.
- Yeah, I... It's really a privilege
and an honor to just be here.
So thank you.
- I'm really happy that we met.
- Thank you so much.
- I think we're gonna vote now for you.
Heidi, what is your vote?
- I want to see you more.
So I'm gonna give you your first yes.
- [mouthing] Thank you.
- I am going to give you your second yes.
- [mouths thank you]
- Simon.
- Hayden, I'm saying yes to you
and Julie, I'm also saying yes to you.
- [laughs]
[wild cheering]
- Good luck, Hayden.
I think Howie would have loved her.
- Yeah, she's sweet.
- Hayden, talk to me. You seem very emotional.
Talk to me right now. What are you feeling?
- Just validation from some place that really
meant a lot to me in starting this.
And to be here, it's unbelievable
and I felt like I already won just making it to tonight.
And that was even better.