Contortionist Roman Kricheli appeared on ‘America’s Got Talent.’ Photo by Amy Sussman/Getty Images

By Rebecca Salzhauer June 24, 2021

Israeli contortionist Roman Kricheli is going viral after squeezing himself into a ten-inch cube on “America’s Got Talent.” A YouTube video of his audition has garnered more than 350,000 views.

Kricheli, who has been performing his “yoga show” for over 35 years, was costumed in silky white pants and a cropped red vest and accompanied by his son and assistant, Daniel, in a matching outfit.

As Kricheli began his routine, judge Simon Cowell winced and hit his buzzer, the show’s signal that a judge no longer wants to see the performance.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Then, Daniel rolled a tiny, clear box onto the stage on a table. To the judges’ shock, Kricheli climbed in, limb by limb. “That can’t be healthy,” said Sofia Vergara, another one of the judges.

Daniel then closed the door of the box, leaving Kricheli inside for nearly a minute. Red faced, Kricheli emerged to applause and invited his daughter to the stage.

“My dad, his biggest dream was to perform on AGT, and we are so excited to be here with him,” she said.

Kricheli’s performance impressed the judges enough to propel him to the next round of the competition. Even Cowell, who was initially disinterested, changed his mind. “I may have buzzed a little bit too early, so I’ll take my buzzer back,” Cowell said. “Begone buzzer.”

“It’s funny and wonderful,” said judge Howie Mandel. “I loved that you made it a family business.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’re near the end of our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we have a very ambitious goal of $127,000 by April 21.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a Passover gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Make a Passover Gift Today!

$90 $180

$360

Other amount