Amateur Night at The Apollo Theater

The Apollo Theater is a theater located in the heart of Harlem, in Upper Manhattan in New York. With a neoclassical style and a capacity for around 1,500 people, it is one of the most famous popular music clubs in the United States and, from a historical point of view, one of the most relevant for African-American music in the country. The theater is a legend of pop culture and is the “soul of American culture” as its slogan says: the soul of American Culture.

Artists such as Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Michael Jackson, The Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Elton John, Little Richard, Hall & Oates, Ella Fitzgerald, Smokey Robinson, The Jackson 5, Quincy Jones, have forged their careers on its stage. Chaka Khan and many others.

The Apollo Theater was not always pop but was inaugurated in 1914 as a theater that was the scene of burlesque-style productions reserved for wealthy, white people and in which black performers were prohibited. Later the theater would completely change the item because in 1933 this type of shows with erotic content were prohibited in the city.

This is how the theater undergoes a transformation in its essence with its reopening in 1934 with amateur nights under the command of Sidney Cohen. These pageants have continued to run ever since, becoming one of the oldest talent competitions in the United States.

Hand in hand with this new stage, black singers began to be given an opportunity, together with prominent white stars, who would begin the unforgettable performances together with the discoveries of great stars that have characterized this theater. For many years, Apollo was the only theater in New York City to hire black talent and the place where many actors, singers, musicians deposited their dreams of becoming stars.

The theater has played a fundamental role in the discovery of new talents and new musical genres in terms of jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, or hip-hop.

It is said that the Apollo Theater was the one who invented talent competitions, the truth is that Amateur Nights have been a source of inspiration for globally broadcast talent shows such as Star Search and American Idol.

At present, the Amateur Nights continue to be held on Wednesdays at 7:30 pm, from January to October, where aspiring artists are attended and evaluated with applause. In addition, the Apollo Theater includes concerts, plays and educational programs for the community in its programming, becoming the cultural heart of northern Manhattan.

The theater forged great symbolic power over the years, an example of which is that, in June 2009, when Michael Jackson died, crowds flocked to its doors and surroundings, turning it into a pantheon to mourn and honor the artist who He received his first steps at the Apollo.

Since May 2010, a kind of Walk of Fame has also been installed, in homage to the great figures who were born on its stage.

The theater was declared a historical monument in 1983 and is one of the most visited places in Harlem by tourists.
Guided tours of 1 hour duration are offered, for a cost of usd16, every day of the week by a local resident who began working in the theater in 1965 and who knows all the corners and secrets of this emblematic like no other place.

Upon entering the theater, you can see the famous trunk of the Tree of Hope “Tree of Hope”, which was played by all the applicants of the “Amateur Night”, which was preserved from some remodeling works on 7th Avenue in Harlem, also called the Boulevard of Dreams. Legend has it that touching the tree brought good luck to artists who dreamed of signing a contract

Located precisely at 253 West 125th Street, the closest subway stop being 125th, with lines A, B, C, and D. It is an unmissable visit when visiting New York and an interesting option to combine the visit with a walk-through Harlem and with lunch or dinner at one of its soul food restaurants.

To be able to witness the iconic Amateur Night At The Apollo, you must go on Wednesdays at 7.30 PM and you can buy tickets from 10 am at the box office or online at an estimated value of between $20 and $35 per ticket.

We have the unbeatable price of $500 per day for your Billboard:

Option 1: Your 60 second video/photo will be shown, 60 seconds per hour 22 times a day.

Option 2: Your 30 second video/photo will be shown, twice an hour, 44 times a day.

Option 3: Your 15 second video/photo will be shown 4 times per hour 88 times per day.

Please let us know which option you would like to choose. Remember that we have a response time of 72 hours.