The Apollo Theater and How It Shaped American Entertainment

 The tagline of the Apollo Theater in Harlem, “Where stars are born and legends are made,” captures its essence perfectly.

The theater, located at 253 West 125^th Street in New York City, first opened in 1914. It was owned by a man named Sidney Cohen who leased it to businessmen Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon. The men opened it as a burlesque theater, which was popular at that time. It was known as Hurtig & Seamon’s New Theatre and featured raucous and suggestive comedy, appealing mostly to white men.

By the 1930s, the anti-obscenity movement was making it more difficult for these types of shows to continue.

Renamed the Apollo Theater

In 1934, owner Sidney Cohen turned the theater over to Leo Brecher and Frank Schiffman, two businessmen who owned most of the theaters in Harlem. They transformed it to a performance space for black entertainment. Frank Schiffman was the face of the operation; Brecher operated behind the scenes. Together, they built a business that attracted the best of the best in black dance, music, and comedy.

The Apollo became a beacon for performers from all over. The style of entertainment varied with the years. Comedy, dance, swing, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, hip hop, and more have all been welcomed on the Apollo stage.

Everyone Came

The Apollo eventually showcased every big-name African American performer. Many launched and grew their careers there: Dancers Charles “Cholly” Atkins, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Bill “Bojangles” Robinson; band leaders Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington; comedians Redd Foxx and Jackie “Moms” Mabley; and musicians ranging from Louis Armstrong, James Brown, and Lionel Hampton to Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Wilson, and the Jackson Five.

White performers heard about what was happening on 125^th Street, and many came to study the magic. Milton Berle was just one of the artists who visited the Apollo regularly to figure out how to transform the jokes he heard there for his downtown audiences.

Musicians like Elvis Presley and John Lennon arrived in New York and had the Apollo at the top of their must-see New York destinations.

Amateur Night at the Apollo

Long before there was anything like ABC’s American Idol, Amateur Night at the Apollo offered the opportunity for newcomers to be discovered. It was held every Wednesday night for almost 80 years. (The event started in 1934, but there were a few years when the contest did not take place).

Prizes were awarded each week. Performers could return for additional competitions. If a performer received four first-place awards, they were offered a one-week professional engagement at the theater—a golden opportunity.

During the first 20 years, an estimated fifteen thousand amateur performers tried their luck with the Apollo audiences. Ella Fitzgerald, Pearl Bailey, Gladys Knight, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Billy Kenny of the Ink Spots are just a few of the performers who broke through on Amateur Night.

Program Celebrating the Apollo

To celebrate the 75^th anniversary of the theater’s opening, a special event was presented in 2011. It was produced by the Apollo Theater Foundation and the National Museum of African American History. Commentary from experts brought to life stories of the Apollo.

Robert G. O’Meally, the Zora Neale Hurston Professor of English and Comparative Literature at Columbia University, opened the discussion by stressing the strong sense of community that was part of the Apollo. In film clips of performances over the years, there was a consistent sense of audience involvement with shouts of pleasure and encouragement as the performers went on.

Former dance critic for Dance Magazine Zita Allen described the nonstop schedule of the chorus girls who performed regularly at the Apollo.  Mel Watkins, author of Stepin Fetchit: The Life & Times of Lincoln Perry, gave a great overview of comedians. He talked of some of the unknown comics who got started there, including Moms Mabley.

More Experts on the Apollo

James Brown was famous for his terrific performances at the Apollo. Greg Tate, editor of Everything but the Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture, talked of how Brown considered the Apollo an incubator for developing his music. Brown earned great respect for the precision with which his band members played.

Herb Boyd, author of Baldwin’s Harlem: A Biography of James Baldwin, talked of the Apollo’s intersection with white and black culture and the role the theater played in helping raise money for civil rights.

Unforgettable

One of the film clips shown at the public program was particularly remarkable, providing the audience with one of those “I’ll never forget this” moments. If you watch this clip, you will understand the magic that emanated from the Apollo for so many years.

While the clip is from the film, “Stormy Weather” (1943), the featured performers were regulars at the Apollo. “Jumpin’ Jive,” stars  Cab Calloway and his band with dancing by the incredibly gifted Nicholas Brothers.

Stay with the clip until about 1:45 into it to see some remarkable dancing. Then continue until the end–the last minute is awesome.

The Apollo Today

In the Spring of 2020, The Wall Street Journal interviewed Jonelle Procope, CEO of the Apollo. She discussed with the reporter the plans for growing the Apollo by adding two new performance spaces.

While the original Apollo featured a variety show format, Procope pointed out that the new space will be different.  The goal is to support black artists by giving them space to test out their works. Special focus will be given to artists telling the African American narrative and stories of the diaspora.

This is the first physical expansion in The Apollo’s history.  In addition to a top-to-bottom restoration and renovation of the historic building from 1914, the Apollo now has two new stages just down the street at The Victoria

he Apollo Stages at the Victoria Theater in Harlem, New York is the Apollo Theater’s first physical expansion in its 90-year history. The new space includes two black box theaters, a lobby, exhibition space, and administrative offices.

Today the Apollo Theater offers tours on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. Follow this link to book your date: https://www.apollotheater.org/tours

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