History Of The Apollo Theatre

253 W 125th St (Map)
New York, NY 10027
(212) 531-5300

Click Here For Directions / Transportation

An Apollo Hall had been founded in New York City in the mid-1860s by former Civil War General Edward Ferrero as a dance hall and ballroom. Upon the expiration of his lease in 1872, the building was converted to a theater, which closed shortly before the turn of the century. However, the name "Apollo Theater" lived on. The Apollo was designed by the architect George M. Kaiser, who also patterned the First Baptist Church in the City of New York at 79th Street and Broadway.

Founded in 1913 in a different location, the new Apollo Theater was owned by various Jewish families up until World War II. When the Apollo first opened, it was one of New York City's leading burlesque venues, opened and operated by two of the city's most influential burlesque operators - Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon. Open to white-only viewers, the Hurtig and Seamon's (New) Burlesque Theater would remain in operation until 1928 when Bill Minsky took over and transformed it into the 125th Street Apollo Theater. Sidney S. Cohen, a powerful theatrical landlord, purchased the Apollo in 1932 upon Minsky's untimely death. The Apollo Theater finally opened its doors to African American patrons in 1934, 20 years after the building's original opening, showcasing "a colored review" entitled Jazz a la Carte.

Ella Fitzgerald made her singing debut at seventeen on November 21, 1934 at the Apollo . Ella's name pulled in a weekly audience at the Apollo and she won the opportunity to compete in one of the earliest of its famous "Amateur Nights." She had originally intended to go on stage and dance, but intimidated by the Edwards Sisters, a local dance duo, she opted to sing instead, in the style of Connie Boswell. 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 US $25.00.

One unique feature of the Apollo 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.

The theater is located at 253 W. 125th Street in Harlem in what is now one of the best-known black neighborhoods in New York City and probably the country. When the Apollo re-opened in 1934 the area around 125th Street was a transitional neighborhood. In the decades before the Apollo, the theater had catered to white audiences with white shows featuring burlesque. When Sydney S. Cohen and his partner, Morris Sussman, reopened the Apollo on January 26, 1934, they published an ad in the New York Age which referred to the Apollo as "the finest theater in Harlem". The first show was called "Jazz a la Carte". All the proceeds of this show were donated to the Harlem Children's Fresh Air Fund. After Sydney S. Cohen's death, Morris Sussman and Frank Schiffman got together. Schiffman ran the Harlem Opera House and a merger between the two theaters was formed. Schiffman's motivation for featuring black talent and entertainment was not only because the neighborhood had become black over a two hundred year period of gradual migration, but because black entertainers were cheaper to hire, and Schiffman could offer quality shows for reasonable rates. For many years Apollo was the only theater in New York City to hire black talent.

The song I May Be Wrong (But I Think You're Wonderful) by Harry Sullivan and Harry Ruskin, written in 1929, became the theme song of the theatre.

The Apollo grew to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance of the pre-WWII years. In 1934, it introduced its regular Amateur Night shows. 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, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Gladys Knight & The Pips, The Jackson 5, Patti LaBelle, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, Mariah Carey, The Isley Brothers, Lauryn Hill, and Sarah Vaughan. The Apollo also featured the performances of old-time vaudeville favorites like Tim Moore, Stepin Fetchit, Godfrey Cambridge, Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham, Moms Mabley, Marshall "Garbage" Rogers, and Johnny Lee.

The club fell into decline in the 1960s and 1970s, but was revived in 1983, when it obtained federal, state, and city landmark status. It fully reopened in 1985, and was bought by the State of New York in 1991. It is now run by a nonprofit organization, the Apollo Theater Foundation Inc., and draws an estimated 1.3 million visitors annually. In 2005, Ben Harper and The Blind Boys of Alabama released an album Live at the Apollo in honor of the Harlem music scene.

It is the home of Showtime at the Apollo, a nationally syndicated variety show consisting of new talent.

On December 15, 2005, the Apollo Theater launched the first phase of its refurbishment, costing estimated $65 million. The first phase included the facade and the new light-emitting diode (LED) marquee. Attendees and speakers at the launch event included President Bill Clinton, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Time Warner CEO Richard Parsons.

To date, the Apollo renovation is America's most expensive and advanced refurbishment of a landmark theater.

On December 28, 2006, the body of "Soul Brother #1," who had died a few days before, was displayed at the Apollo Theater as a memorial to his life and career. The memorial was covered heavily by both television and print media. This tribute to Brown once again brought the legendary Harlem theater back into the public spotlight.

Buddy Holly was the first rock and roll man to play at the Apollo in the 50's. Daryl Hall & John Oates played the grand re-opening in 1987, which was released on an album that year. The only rock groups to ever play at the Apollo are Korn in 1999 premiering their album Issues, The Strokes in 2001 and Spiritualized when they performed their Acoustic Mainlines gig at the venue in November 2007.

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Directions

SUBWAY
Take the A, B, C or D trains to 125th Street and walk 1.25 blocks East to the Apollo Theater.

Take the 2 or 3 trains to 125th Street and walk 1.75 blocks West to the Apollo Theater.

Take the 4,5 or 6 trains to 125th Street and then either take a taxi or a bus Westbound to 8th Avenue/Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Walk .25 blocks East to the Apollo Theater.



BUS
Take the M-2, M-7, M-10, M-100, M-102.



METRO NORTH RAILROAD
Take any scheduled Metro North train to the Harlem/125th Street stop. Once downstairs either take a taxi or a bus Westbound to 8th Avenue/Frederick Douglass Boulevard. Walk .25 blocks East to the Apollo Theater.



CAR
Please map your route using the online map here.



PARKING
The below parking areas are suggested for your convenience by the Apollo Theater. The Apollo Theater is not responsible for any aspect of the business agreement that takes place between the parking lot owners/management and their clients.

Central Parking Garage
126th Street between Lenox Ave and Powell Blvd (7th Ave)

Giselle Garage Corp
132nd Street between Lenox Ave & Powell Blvd (7th Ave)
212/283-0058

MTP 129th Street Parking
129th Street between Broadway and 12th Avenue
212/280-7487

Safe Haven Parking Inc
126th Street between Adam Clayton Jr. Powell Blvd (7th Ave) & Douglass Blvd (8th Ave)

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Source: http://www.apollotheater.org
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Theater

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