It was only when Sydney S Cohen purchased the venue in 1932, the year burlesque was banned by New York’s mayor, that the Apollo began to take on its defining atmosphere. [14], "Amateur Night" and "The Apollo" redirect here. Rod Stewart, George Michael and Al Green made guest appearances. At the Apollo, it was originally called "Audition Night", but later became "Amateur Night in Harlem", held every Wednesday evening and broadcast on the radio over WMCA and eleven affiliate stations. Required fields are marked *. Billing itself as a place "where stars are born and legends are made," the Apollo became famous for launching the careers of artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, who made her singing debut at 17 at the Apollo, on November 21, 1934. Tijdens de jaren 1960 begon de neergang van het theater, dat eind jaren 1970 de poorten sloot. Nearby New York City Subway stations are located at 125th Street/St. History The Apollo Theatre’s story began around the time that another Apollo was landing on the Moon in July 1969. The theater's audience was often mixed: in the 1940s it was estimated that during the week about 40% of the audience was white, which would go up to 75% for weekend shows. [10], Jimi Hendrix won the first place prize in an amateur musician contest at the Apollo in 1964. Zijn hoogtepunt als opvoeringszaal van jazzmuziek had het tijdens de jaren 1930 en 1940, toen muzikanten als Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong en Count Basie hier optraden. 19 December 2013 • 21:58 pm . It remained in operation until 1928, when Billy Minsky took over. [4], One unique feature of the Apollo during Amateur Nights was "the executioner", a man with a broom who would sweep performers off the stage if the highly vocal and opinionated audiences began to call for their removal. It was Jackson's final on-stage performance before his death in 2009. Birthing some of the world’s greatest music, the history of New York’s Apollo Theater parallels “the evolution of black American identity”. The 2,328 seat theatre opened as a cinema in 1930. [4] From 1975 to 1982, the theater was owned by Guy Fisher. Emerald City Theatre draws nearly 50,000 patrons annually and has been called “Chicago’s most innovative theater for families” by the Chicago Sun‑Times. The lasting innovation from this period was the Amateur Night competition, which gave opportunities to unknown performers. [4], Although the theatre concentrated on showcasing African American acts, it also presented white acts such as swing bandleaders Harry James, Woody Herman and Charlie Barnet during the swing era, and, later, jazz greats Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz and Buddy Rich, who was a particular favorite of the Apollo crowd. “The story of the Apollo is the story of the evolution of black American identity and how it grew to become the defining cultural movement of our time,” said Emmy winner Roger Ross Williams, who directs The Apollo. Other highlights: If You Ever Leave Me, I’m Going With You, written by and starring Renee Taylor and Joe Bologna, the world premiere of Hinton Battle: Largely Live, the Jeff-recommended production of Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh!, and Neil Simon’s The Odd Couple (Female Version) starring Barbara Eden and Rita McKenzie. The New York Theatre that became the Apollo was built in 1913 by Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon, two burlesque theatre operators and opened as Hurtig and Seamon’s New Burlesque Theater. De tekst is beschikbaar onder de licentie. In 2007, gospel recording artist Byron Cage played at the Apollo for his album Live at the Apollo: The Proclamation. By the mid-70s, the Apollo was looking run down, affected by the rise of rival night clubs and in serious financial trouble. However, the deal fell through when Cohen died, and the end result was the merger of the Apollo with the Harlem Opera House. Please enter your email address. The ‘girls’ start to wash seat frames … using a baby’s tin bath found in the vestry! In 1962, James Brown, who had first played the Apollo three years earlier with his vocal group The Famous Flames, recorded his show at the theater. In 1983 kreeg het gebouw een monumentenstatus en het werd in 1985 heropend met het op televisie uitgezonden gala Motown Salutes the Apollo. Het is een van de bezienswaardigheden van Harlem en het kan bezocht worden in het kader van toeristische rondleidingen. The 50-seat Apollo Theater Studio has quickly become one of the most sought after venues for comedy, sketch, upstart theater companies, and improv. In the 50s, winners of Amateur Night included James Brown, Dionne Warwick and Joe Tex. For the 2016 film, see, Apollo Theater Foundation press release: "Apollo 75th Anniversary: Milestones in Apollo Theater History", January 27, 2009, Underneath a Harlem Moon ... the Harlem to Paris years of Adelaide Hall. Other performers who recorded albums at the Apollo include Patti LaBelle, Clyde McPhatter, Marva Whitney, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Robert Palmer, and B.B. The show enjoyed a nearly three-year run, becoming the fastest-selling show in the history of the Apollo. You will receive mail with link to set new password. You could pick one up at the same time as booking your tickets! Discover more about the world’s most iconic music venues. The late, great Ella Fitzgerald, who only sang at the life-changing Amateur Night for a bet, would surely applaud. While it shares no connection with New York City’s Apollo Theatre, The Apollo Theater in Chicago has an interesting history all its own. She sang Hoagy Carmichael's "Judy" and "The Object of My Affection", a song recorded by the Boswell Sisters, and won the first prize of $25.00. Deze pagina is voor het laatst bewerkt op 11 jun 2020 om 07:55. In 1991, Michael Leavitt and Fox Theatricals took over operation of the Apollo and brought stars John Astin and Jamie Farr for Lend Me a Tenor. The resulting album, Live at the Apollo, was a groundbreaking success, spending 66 weeks on the Billboard pop albums chart and peaking at #2. Part of the ceiling of historic, Grade II listed Apollo Theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue in London's West End collapsed on Thursday evening. [4] Comic acts also appeared on the Apollo stage, such as Butterbeans and Susie, including some who performed in blackface, much to the horror of the NAACP and the elite of Harlem.[4].