Round 3

Team Bamboo’s Angelo Go (left) and Paul Gatdula during the Battle Round

We have officially completed the Battle Rounds in “The Voice Teens,” with all four teams filling out their rosters with nine members each, composed of seven original team members, and two steals from other teams.

Last Sunday’s telecast ended with every team jubilant, celebrating its entry into the Knockouts. However, this stage isn’t an easy one, either, relying solely on the wisdom of the coaches based on their wards’ performances. It isn’t always the most objective aspect of the competition, based on the dissent of the other coaches in their red chairs.

There will be four episodes, each one dedicated to a particular team. Here’s how each of them will go, more or less.

The coach of the night divides his or her team of nine into three groups of three. Three artists perform one by one, singing songs they have each chosen. The other coaches give their assessments, and choose who they feel should move on to Live Shows (which begin on July 15) before the coach of the featured team makes his or her decision as to who from this trio will move on.

Another trio then heads to the stage, and the process starts again. By the end of the evening, one team will have formed its Live Show contingent of three artists, who will be placed at the mercy of the text-voting public.

What do we look for?

Talent is what gets each of these artists through the door, but it isn’t enough for them to stay. We’re constantly watching, observing these artists, not just for who they are as artists, but also as humans.

We look at attitude, generosity, humility and humor. We watch how these kids are with their families, how they treat the staff and crew, and how they approach each stage of the competition. So, we do our best to make sure that good people make it to the end.

On Twitter and Facebook, I recently posted about how legendary Broadway director-choreographer Bob Fosse wouldn’t hire the most talented applicant in a lineup of ladies auditioning for a role in one of his shows, because, “I didn’t like the way she talked to the piano player.”

Bobby Garcia, artistic director of Atlantis Theatrical and Entertainment Group, believes the same.

Over the many years of our friendship and collaboration, he has spoken about incredibly talented actors he has had to place on his “no hire” list because of their abhorrent backstage behavior.

And speaking as someone who has been in enough shows working in closed quarters, elbow to elbow with other artists backstage, it makes such a huge difference when you’re working not just with talented people, but good human beings, as well.

And truly, the latter is more important in the long run.

So, please, join us for our last recorded round before we hit the Live Show stage in mid-July. This is the most severe cut any of us will have to make. It’s at once heartbreaking and inspiring, as we watch kids we’ve been investing ourselves in get back onstage—and do what they do best.