Courtesy of Allin1Global

In the past few months, local eighth grader Luke Islam went from dreaming of being on stage to performing in front of millions on “America’s Got Talent” (“AGT”). In the 14th season of the show, 12-year-old Islam was not only lucky enough to advance beyond his audition, but also receive the coveted Golden Buzzer, which allows each judge to automatically advance one contestant to the live shows. Islam’s path to the semifinals may seem like a clear-cut one, but his journey is only just beginning. 

While Islam’s immense talent may be appreciated now, it took two attempts for him to make it past the auditions. Islam was contacted by representatives at “AGT” after they viewed a video of him singing karaoke to a song from “Waitress,” which was posted on the Broadway show’s YouTube channel. Islam sang “She Used to Be Mine,” a hit from the show written by Sara Bareilles. It was this third audition that catapulted him to further success.

“I thought that this song would be a good way of paying ‘Waitress’ back for what they’ve done for me,” Islam said. “If they hadn’t posted that video on YouTube, I would not be here right now. I wanted to give them a big thank you like they deserve because their karaoke session can change someone’s life.” 

Going into his audition, Islam had one thing on his mind: staying true to himself. This positive mindset proved to be successful for Islam as he received the Golden Buzzer very early on in the season by his favorite judge, Julianne Hough.

“When I finally sang, I just put all my emotions into it. I really listened to the song a lot and researched it. Then when I got the Golden Buzzer, my life just changed massively,” he said. “I was so in shock; it was the second act of the day, second day of auditions. I didn’t think she would hit it that early in the day, that early in the season.”

Islam’s dream Broadway roles include Damian from “Mean Girls” and Evan from “Dear Evan Hansen,” and he is already on his way to making those dreams come true. The Golden Buzzer was just a stepping stone for him.

“Since my audition, I sang at ‘Waitress’ and hosted one of their karaoke nights, and I met Sara Bareilles and Shoshana Bean,” Islam said. “I also have gotten so much more attention on social media and I met a lot of people I never thought I’d meet in my life … and I have a bunch more stuff coming.”

While this experience has yielded different opportunities for Islam, it did not come without its trials and tribulations. During his time on the show, he formed close bonds with fellow contestants including Sophie Pecora and Ansley Burns. As he advanced in the competition, Islam was forced to say goodbye to the good friends that he made during his time on the show.

“I felt more upset to see people go than happy that I got through. It’s not a sign that I’m ungrateful, it’s just that I missed all of those people,” he said. “We all gathered a relationship while we were just hanging around. Everyone on that show was sweet, no one took it for granted and no one was unappreciative.”

A Long Island native, Islam was also faced with the difficulty of being across the country from his friends and family. He was not able to communicate with people and gauge their opinion on his performances. Despite not knowing how people back at home felt about his performances, it is clear how the viewers and judges of “AGT” felt as they helped him advance into the semifinals.

“AGT” is Islam’s first stop on his way to performing on Broadway. As a fan of acting, singing and dancing, Islam looks to Broadway as a source of more than just entertainment: he takes a lesson away from every show he sees and applies it to his own life to shape himself into a better person. He may not have landed a role on Broadway yet, but his time on “AGT” has taught Islam a lot about being in the public eye as a performer.

“Keep being the person that you know you are and don’t hide anything. Push yourself, but don’t push yourself to the point where you’ll be stressed out and not feeling your best. Keep focusing on being true to who you are, and don’t let anyone change you because being you is all that matters,” Islam said.

Keep an eye out for Luke Islam, because he may just be Broadway’s next hit star.