Stars of the Philadelphia International record label including the Delfonics, the O’Jay’s, the Stylistics, the Spinners, the Three Degrees and Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes are presented. Billie Holiday, Lena Horne & the Count Basie Orchestra make their debut. Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding, Joe Tex, and especially Aretha Franklin, present the grittier side of soul at the Apollo. A Scepter Records show package includes the Shirelles, Chuck Jackson, Tommy Hunt, Maxine Brown and the Isley Brothers. Help us spread our music by ***Subscribing ***to our Youtube Channel!! In 2002, George C. Wolfe’s new musical Harlem Song opens to enthusiastic. AZUMI TAKAHASHI. In 1955, Thurman Ruth’s Gospel Caravan debuts at the Apollo featuring such as The Dixie Hummingbirds, Shirley Caesar, Alex Bradford, Clara Ward & the Soul Stirrers. Presented by Apollo Theater Education, Harlem 2020, and GoodThin.gs, FootPrint – Design and Creativity in Sneaker Culture will celebrate the cultural, societal, and aesthetic impact of the sneaker through interactive storytelling, demonstrations, and conversations with leaders from the … All rights reserved. The shows feature as many as a dozen vocal acts on 1 bill. Dinah Washington and Sammy Davis, Jr. make their first Apollo appearance. The Apollo reopened briefly in 1978 under new management then closed again in November 1979. The event will be hosted by SiriusXM and Pandora.. Hurtig & Seamon’s was one of many theaters that would close down. Winner: Marianne Elliott for The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time at the National’s Cottesloe Theatre and the Apollo Theatre Nominees: Jeremy Herrin for This House at the National’s Cottesloe and Olivier Theatres In 1955, Disc jockey Tommy “Dr. Jazz greats like Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk appear at the Apollo. David Peaston, who rode several Apollo Theater triumphs tantalizingly close to the top of the music world, died Wednesday in St. Louis from complications of diabetes. “Mambo Shows” are a big Apollo attraction with stars like Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria & the Mambo Aces. By the mid 1970s, the Apollo is presenting only 22 weeks of shows per year as recordings eclipse live performances as an important source of income for artists. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, T-Bone Walker, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee, Jimmy Witherspoon, and Odetta. The neo-classical theater known today as the Apollo Theater was designed by George Keister and first owned by Sidney Cohen. “The Detective Story,” with Sidney Poitier is the first dramatic play to be shown on the stage. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Pearl Bailey, for example, were all early Amateur Night winners, and later acts like the Jackson 5 and Stevie Wonder also enjoyed their first major exposure at the Apollo. © Copyright 2021 Apollo Theater. Child Star of Tomorrow Winner: BRANDON GRAY. The annual tradition of # Kwanzaa at the Apollo continues on the Apollo Digital Stage! Performers include Sarah Vaughn, “Big” Joe Turner, Herb Jeffries, the Count Basie Orchestra, comedian Nipsey Russell, and the dancer Bill Bailey. The week before Christmas 1951, Josephine Baker, makes her Apollo debut. 1914 The Theater opens as Hurtig and Seamon’s (New) Burlesque Theater. By 1937 the Apollo is the largest employer of black theatrical workers in the US, according to Frank Schiffman, and the only theater in NYC hiring blacks in backstage positions. B.B. Modeled after The Tony Awards® on Broadway, the HTAA are produced and presented by the Hershey Theatre Education Department. Nancy Wilson makes her Apollo debut. The show was open to contest winners only, with most winners attending via SiriusXM but there were also smaller contests held via U2.Com as well. © Copyright 2021 Apollo Theater. The Schiffman and Brecher families would operate the Theater until the late 1970s. Jive” Smalls brings the idea of the Rhythm and Blues Revue to Apollo manager Bobby Schiffman. Frank Schiffman and Leo Brecher took over the Apollo in 1935. In person at the Apollo Theater Box Office By phone call Ticketmaster (800) 745-3000 * Additional $3.50 facility fee, online and phone service fees apply HALF-OFF FOR HARLEM Harlem residents, employees, and business owners and students can save 50% on tickets to this moving performance. The Dreamettes, a trio of aspiring R & B singers, arrive late for a talent contest they hope will launch their musical career. In 1981, Percy Sutton’s Inner City Broadcasting Corporation and a group of private investors purchase the Apollo Theater. Teddy Hale, Babe Laurence and Bunny Briggs are the top dance attractions. Hampton’s hit, “Flyin’ Home,” becomes an Apollo favorite. 2019 SEASON WINNERS! MARGATE, FL: 1962 at the world famous Apollo Theatre in New York City. Tap Dancers like the Nicholas Brothers, Berry Brothers, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Buck and Bubbles are the top dance acts. Initially announced on May 15, 2018, U2 played a special one-off concert at the Apollo Theater in Harlem between dates on the Experience + Innocence tour to approximately 1500 people. The classic competition is known for its notoriously “tough” audience, gleefully deciding who will “be good or be gone” to win the grand prize. These Wednesday night shows became legendary, not only for the individuals and groups discovered there (including Lena Horne , Sam Cooke , the Orioles , Marvin Gaye , James Brown , and many others) but also for the highly sophisticated and critical … The Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., a not-for-profit organization is established to manage, fund and program the Apollo Theater. The Theater briefly reopens in 1978 under new management with shows by Ralph McDonald, War, the T-Connection and Sister Sledge, James Brown, Bob Marley and Parliament Funkadelic. Today, the Apollo is a respected not-for-profit, which presents concerts, performing arts, education and community outreach programs. The Apollo Theater is a music hall located at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue) in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City. Cohen and Sussman changed the format of the shows from burlesque to variety revues and redirected their marketing attention to the growing African-American community in Harlem. In 1981, it was purchased by Percy Sutton a prominent lawyer, politician, media and technology executive, and a group of private investors. !#melisizwebrothers#melisizwebrothersmusic#MelisizweBrothersStadiumCrowning moment , … John Lennon and Yoko Ono appear at a 1971 benefit concert for Attica. 1932 Sidney Cohen, President of the Motion Picture Theater Owners of America, buys the In 1983, the Apollo received state and city landmark status and in 1991, Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., was established as a private, not-for-profit organization to manage, fund and oversee programming for the Apollo Theater. The Apollo marquee reads, “She’s Home.”. On May 5th, 1985 the Apollo’s renovation is celebrated with a 50th Anniversary grand reopening and television special, “Motown Salutes the Apollo.”  Amateur Night is re-launched on Christmas Eve that same year. Pearl Jam will play New York City for the first time in three years — at the Apollo Theater in Harlem March 26th. John McCrea for Everybody's Talking About Jamie at Apollo Theatre Giles Terera for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre ** WINNER! Like many American theaters during this time, African-Americans were not allowed to attend as patrons or to perform. Bobby Schiffman reluctantly closes the Apollo in January 1976. Today, the Apollo, which functions under the guidance of a Board of Directors, presents concerts, performing arts, education and community outreach programs. Wayne Brady and 13-year-old keyboard prodigy Matthew Whitaker perform at the Apollo Theater. Join us for a global celebration of culture, tradition, ritual and community on Sunday, December 27th with Abdel R. Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre, host Imhotep Gary Byrd and special guests mumufresh, Marc Bamuthi Jospeh, Harlem Children's Zone and so many more! Fox takes the reader all the way back to 1914 and discusses entertainment in Harlem, and New York City, in that bustling era when vaudeville was sill king to set the stage for the debut of the Apollo in 1934. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo stage. Since its inception, the HTAA program has awarded more than $220,000 in scholarships largely made possible through individual donations. In 1914, Benjamin Hurtig and Harry Seamon obtained a thirty-year lease on the newly constructed theater calling it Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater. Milestones in Apollo Theater History 1913 The historic neo-classical theater, known today as the Apollo Theater, was designed by George Keister. Amateur Night at the Apollo celebrated its 85th Anniversary in 2019 as the quintessential talent competition, serving as the model for Star Search and American Idol. Cohen reopened the building as the 125th Street Apollo Theatre in 1934 with his partner, Morris Sussman serving as manager. Then-Senator and Democratic presidential candidate. Fox’s work is a new, illustrated version of his 1983 book Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem’s World Famous Theater. Alvin has since appeared several times as a soloist at the world famous Apollo Theater in New York; the NAACP National Convention held at the Copley Plaza Hotel in Boston and worked professionally as a pop/country singer & dancer at Kings Dominion theme park in Richmond, Virginia. Aretha Franklin’s Apollo shows are major events. The Apollo becomes the premiere showplace for live, theatrical entertainment in Harlem. That year the long-standing weekly talent show called Amateur Night at the Apollo was born, and one of its early winners was the young Ella Fitzgerald. Who will be the next Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown or Jackson 5? The Apollo Theater Foundation launches its first performance series with a tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Other performances follow including Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Boys Choir of Harlem and Betty Carter - Jazz Ahead ’95. Many famous R&B, soul, and hip hop performers have appeared on the show, which has had a number of hosts, including Whoopi Goldberg, Rick Aviles, Martin Lawrence, Sinbad, Mark Curry, Steve Harvey, Mo'Nique, Christopher "Kid" Reid, and Anthony Anderson. Amateur Night winners include Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey; By 1937 the Apollo is the largest employer of black theatrical workers in the US, according to Frank Schiffman, and the only theater in NYC hiring blacks in backstage positions. Amateur Night winners during the 1940s include Sarah Vaughn and Ruth Brown. At Amateur Night, you decide. It is a noted venue for African-American performers, and is the home of Showtime at the Apollo, a nationally syndicated television variety show which showcased new talent, from 1987 to 2008, encompassing 1,093 episodes; the show was rebooted in 2018. African-Americans are not allowed in the audience. Amateur Night at the Apollo is one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, attracting performers and audiences the world over. Super Top Dog Grand Finale Winner: AZUMI TAKAHASHI The future of the Apollo Theater seemed safer from 1991, after the state of New York acquired the site and handed a 99-year lease, at a cost of $1 per year, to a … All rights reserved. Amateur Night contestants include the Esquires, Dionne Warwick, Joe Tex, and James Brown. The Jewel Box Revue, “25 Men and 1 Girl”, is one of the most popular shows and features performances by transvestites. Sen.Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) introduces Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton during a campaign event at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. A year later, at just 10 years old, he was invited to perform at Stevie Wonder’s induction into the Apollo Theater’s Hall of Fame. Today, the Apollo is a respected not-for-profit, which presents concerts, performing arts, education and community outreach programs. The official YouTube channel of the World-Famous Apollo Theater in Harlem, New York City! In 1933 Fiorello La Guardia, who would later become New York City’s Mayor, began a campaign against burlesque. Amateur Night Winners shine! Jamael Westman for Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre Child Star of Tomorrow Winner: The “Motortown” Revue debuts with the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, the Four Tops, Gladys Knight and the Pips, the Commodores and “Little” Stevie Wonder. Amateur Night winners include Ella Fitzgerald and Pearl Bailey. The Theater hosts its inaugural Spring Benefit Gala in 2005 with a special tribute Ossie Davis. In 2005, their story is recounted in the documentary “Been Rich All My Life.”. In 1935, Bessie Smith’s four weeks at the Apollo are her sole live performances that year. In 1935, Bessie Smith’s four weeks at the Apollo are her sole live performances that year. bit.ly/Kwanzaa-Apollo2020. … IT WASN'T ALWAYS CALLED THE APOLLO THEATER. “Showtime at the Apollo” is first broadcast in 1955, taped before a live studio audience. Since opening its doors in 1914 and introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo has played a major role in the emergence of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, and soul — all quintessentially American music genres. The Miracles, with Smokey Robinson, appear on Ray Charles’ show. Hershey Theatre announced the winners of the 11th annual Apollo Awards during a ceremony Sunday evening at the theater. MARTINSBURG — Nearly 500 attended the Apollo Civic Theatre’s Talent Extravaganza on Saturday night to see some of the best area talent. Tuesdays at the USO were “Apollo Night.”. Comedy acts like “Harlem’s Son of Fun,” Nipsey Russell, Timmie Rogers & James “Stump” Cross and Harold “Stumpy” Cromer are a major draw. Join the Apollo A-List for the latest updates. The first phase of renovation is completed and includes the installation of over 1,500 house seats, restoration of the 125th-Street façade, a, state-of-the-art Marquee, new stage and greenroom. The Apollo receives state and city landmark status as Harlem’s oldest functioning theater in 1983. Kiki Shepard served as co-host from 1987 until 2002. UPDATE: While live shows are currently paused due to safety concerns related to COVID-19, you can catch rebroadcasts of some of our recent live Amateur Night shows here and find more content on the Apollo Digital Stage. King plays an early morning blues concert for Harlem schoolchildren. Dewey “Pigmeat” Markham, Jackie “Moms” Mabley and Dusty Fletcher are among the comedians who appear regularly on stage. It’s a time in American musical history when a new sound is percolating.