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{{Short description|Entertainment venue in Manhattan, New York}}
{{Redirect|Apollo Theatre (Manhattan)|the theater in London|Apollo Theatre|the former theater in Times Square, Manhattan|Apollo Theatre (42nd Street)|the theater in Glasgow|The Apollo (Glasgow)|other uses|Apollo (disambiguation)|and|Apollo Theatre (disambiguation)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox venue
| name                     = Apollo Theater
| image                    = Harlem - Apollo Theater (48555309512).jpg
| image_caption            = Marquee in 2019
| nickname                 = 
| location                 = 253 West 125th Street<br />[[Manhattan]], New York
| coordinates              = 
| type                     = Indoor theater
| broke_ground             = 1913
| built                    = 
| opened                   = 1914
| renovated                = 1934, 1978, 1982–1988, 2002–2005
| expanded                 = 2024 (planned)
| closed                   = 
| publictransit            = [[New York City Subway|Subway]]: [[125th Street (IND Eighth Avenue Line)|125th Street]]
| demolished               = 
| owner                    = <!--Apollo Theatre RDVLPCP-->
| operator                 = Apollo Theater Foundation
| former_names             = 
| seating_type             = fixed
| seating_capacity         = 1,500 (approximate)
{{Infobox NRHP
| embed                    = yes
| name                     = Apollo Theater
| nrhp_type                = 
| image                    = 
| caption                  = 
| location                 = 253 West 125th Street<br />[[Manhattan]], New York
| coordinates              = {{Coord|40|48|36|N|73|57|00|W|type:landmark_region:US-NY|display=inline,title}}
| built                    = 1913–1914<ref name="nycland" />
| architect                = [[George Keister]]<ref name="nycland" />
| architecture             = [[Classical Revival]]
| added                    = November 17, 1983
| refnum                   = 83004059<ref>{{NRISref |refnum=83004059|2007a}}</ref>
| designated_other2_name   = New York City Landmark
| designated_other2_date   = June 28, 1983
| designated_other2_abbr   = NYCL
| designated_other2_link   = New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
| designated_other2_color  = #ffe978
| designated_other2_number = 1299, 1300
}}
}}

The '''Apollo Theater''' (formerly the '''Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre'''; also '''Apollo Theatre''' or '''125th Street Apollo Theatre''') is a multi-use [[Theater (structure)|theater]] at 253 [[125th Street (Manhattan)|West 125th Street]] in the [[Harlem]] neighborhood of [[Upper Manhattan]] in [[New York City]]. It is a popular venue for [[African Americans|Black American]] performers and is the home of the TV show ''[[Showtime at the Apollo]]''. The theater, which has approximately 1,500 seats across three levels, was designed by [[George Keister]] with elements of the [[Classical Revival architecture|neoclassical style]]. The facade and interior of the theater are [[New York City designated landmark]]s and are listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]]. The [[Nonprofit organization|nonprofit]] Apollo Theater Foundation (ATF) operates the theater and a recording studio at the Apollo Theater, as well as two smaller auditoriums at the [[Victoria Theater (Harlem)|Victoria Theater]].

The Apollo was developed by [[Jules Hurtig]] and Harry Seamon as a [[burlesque]] venue, which opened in 1913 and originally served only white patrons. In 1928, the [[Minsky's Burlesque|Minsky brothers]] leased the theater for burlesque shows. Sydney Cohen acquired the theater in 1934, and it became a venue for black performers. Frank Schiffman and his family operated the theater from 1935 to 1976. A group of black businessmen briefly operated the theater from 1978 to 1979, and former Manhattan borough president [[Percy Sutton]] bought it at an auction in 1981. The Apollo reopened in 1985 following a major refurbishment that saw the construction of new recording studios. In September 1991, the [[New York State Urban Development Corporation]] bought the Apollo and assigned its operation to the ATF. Further renovations took place in the mid-2000s, and an expansion of the theater commenced in the 2020s.

Among the theater's longest-running events is Amateur Night at the Apollo, a weekly show where audiences judge the quality of novice performances. Many of the theater's most famous performers are inducted in the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame, and the theater has commissioned various works and hosted educational programs. Over the years, the theater has hosted many musical, dance, theatrical, and comedy acts, with several performers often featured on the same bill. In addition, the theater has hosted film screenings, recordings, and tapings, as well as non-performance events such as speeches, debates, and tributes. The Apollo has had a large impact on [[African-American culture]] and has been featured in multiple books and shows.

==Site==
The Apollo Theater is located at 253 West [[125th Street (Manhattan)|125th Street]], between [[Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard]] (Seventh Avenue) and [[Frederick Douglass Boulevard]] (Eighth Avenue), in the [[Harlem]] neighborhood of [[Upper Manhattan]] in [[New York City]].<ref name="landmarks">{{cite landmarks |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=o8ym5NeiylkC&pg=PA522 522]}}</ref><ref name="aia">{{cite aia5|pages=528–529}}</ref> The irregular [[land lot]] has frontage on both 125th Street to the south and 126th Street to the north. The site covers {{cvt|17,454|ft2|m2}}, with a [[frontage]] of {{cvt|50|ft}} on 125th Street and a depth of {{cvt|200|ft|0}}.<ref name="ZoLa">{{cite web |title=253 West 125 Street, 10027 |url=https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/l/lot/1/1931/10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101154/https://zola.planning.nyc.gov/l/lot/1/1931/10 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |access-date=March 25, 2021 |publisher=[[New York City Department of City Planning]]}}</ref> The theater is adjacent to the [[Victoria Theater (Harlem)|Victoria Theater]] to the west.<ref name="aia" /><ref name="ZoLa" /> Several [[MTA Regional Bus Operations]] routes stop outside the theater, while the [[New York City Subway]]'s [[125th Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)|125th Street/St. Nicholas Avenue]] station, served by the {{NYCS trains|Eighth center}}, is located one block to the west.<ref>{{cite NYC bus map|M}}</ref>

== Design ==
The theater was designed by [[George Keister]] with elements of the [[Classical revival architecture|neoclassical]] style.<ref name="landmarks" /><ref name="nycland">{{cite nycland |page=202}}</ref><ref name="aia" /> It was one of several theaters that Keister designed in that style, along with the [[Belasco Theatre (Broadway)|Belasco Theatre]], [[Bronx Opera House]], [[Selwyn Theater]], and [[Earl Carroll Theatre]].<ref>{{harvnb|ps=.|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|pp=3–4}}</ref>

=== Facade ===
The theater's main facade is on the south, toward 125th Street, and is three stories high.<ref name="NYCL p. 8; NPS p. 2">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|p=8}}; {{harvnb|National Park Service|1983|ps=.|p=2}}</ref> The ground floor has been renovated several times and consists of a ticket office to the west and a storefront to the east.<ref name="NYCL p. 8">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|p=8}}</ref> The modern design of the ground floor dates to a renovation completed in 2005.<ref name="Coleman 2005">{{cite news |last=Coleman |first=Chrisena |date=December 15, 2005 |title=Showtime for Apollo Facade |pages=109 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-showtime-for-apollo-facade/130647990/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101603/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-showtime-for-apollo-facade/130647990/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt-2005-12-15">{{cite news |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=December 15, 2005 |title=At Historic Apollo Theater, Restored Facade Is the Star of the Day |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/15/arts/at-historic-apollo-theater-restored-facade-is-the-star-of-the-day.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101608/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/15/arts/at-historic-apollo-theater-restored-facade-is-the-star-of-the-day.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The eastern side of the ground floor contains a glass-and-steel storefront,<ref name="Coleman 2005" /> with monitors installed in place of the original display cases.<ref name="nyt-2005-12-15" /> The modern-day box office is a semicircular steel structure that protrudes outward.<ref name="nyt-2005-12-15" />

The second and third stories are made of white glazed terracotta, which dates from the theater's opening in 1914. A [[cornice]] with [[dentil]]s runs horizontally across the facade just below the second floor. The second- and third-story windows are arranged vertically into four [[Bay (architecture)|bays]].<ref name="NYCL p. 8; NPS p. 2" /> The bays are separated by three fluted [[pilaster]]s topped by [[Capital (architecture)|capitals]] in the [[Ionic order]], and there is a paneled pilaster with [[Tuscan architecture|Tuscan]] capitals outside each of the outermost bays. The capitals of all five pilasters contain [[Anthemion|anthemia]].<ref name="NYCL p. 8" /> Within each bay, the second and third floors each contain a square window and are separated by [[spandrel]] panels with shields and fluting. Above the third-story windows are spandrels with [[Greek fret]] designs, as well as a metal cornice with [[modillion]]s.<ref name="NYCL p. 8; NPS p. 2" />

A steel [[Marquee (structure)|marquee]] was added above the ground floor in the 1940s; it stretched half the width of the facade and bore the name "Apollo" on its two side elevations.<ref name="NYCL p. 8; NPS p. 2" /> The marquee displayed letters with the name of the entertainer who were performing that night. Jack Schiffman, the son of former theater owner Frank Schiffman, recalled that the marquee also displayed various additional signs or movie posters.<ref>{{harvnb|Schiffman|1971|ps=.|p=12}}</ref> A vertical sign with the name "Apollo" was erected near the western end of the facade in the 1940s.<ref name="NYCL p. 8; NPS p. 2" /> A modern marquee with [[Light-emitting diode|LEDs]], resembling the original marquee, was installed in 2005. At the same time, the original vertical sign was replaced with the current yellow-and-red blade sign.<ref name="nyt-2005-12-15" />

=== Interior ===
The theater has an L-shaped plan, with a narrow lobby leading to the main entrance on 125th Street, as well as the auditorium at the rear on 126th Street.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 2">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior|1983|p=8}}; {{harvnb|National Park Service|1983|ps=.|p=2}}</ref> Although the interior underwent several modifications in the mid-20th century, many of the 1910s-era decorations remained intact in 1983.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior|1983|ps=.|p=8}}</ref> The theater's original decorative features were preserved during the mid-1980s renovation.<ref name="Goodman 1985">{{cite news |last=Goodman |first=Barak |date=December 14, 1985 |title=Apollo Hall of Fame preserves yesterday |page=23 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226461497}}}}</ref>

==== Lobby ====
The main lobby is a long and narrow space; some observers, including Jack Schiffman, have likened it to a bowling alley.<ref name="Schiffman p. 14">{{harvnb|Schiffman|1971|ps=.|p=14}}</ref><ref name="Goldscheider 2005" /> The space was modified significantly in the 1930s and again in the 1960s,<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /> and the lobby was enlarged in the late 1970s.<ref name="Faller 1978" /> Following another renovation in 2006, the [[Tree of Hope]], a stump that performers rubbed for good luck, was moved to the lobby.<ref name="nyt-2006-02-19" />

The lobby occupies the western half of the ground level frontage on 125th Street; the eastern half of the frontage houses a store.<ref name="NPS p. 2">{{harvnb|National Park Service|1983|ps=.|p=2}}</ref> The original main lobby had a group of murals.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /> By the early 1970s,<ref name="Schiffman p. 14" /> the lobby had been redecorated with a montage of notable entertainers who appeared at the Apollo.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 2" /><ref name="Naanes 2009">{{cite news |last=Naanes |first=Marlene |date=February 6, 2009 |title=Behind the Apollo's magic |page=2 |work=AM New York |id={{ProQuest|578160602}}}}</ref> There was also a ticket office and box office on one wall of the lobby.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /><ref name="Schiffman p. 15">{{harvnb|Schiffman|1971|ps=.|p=15}}</ref> The modern-day lobby has two staircases, which lead to the first and second balconies of the auditorium.<ref name="Goldscheider 2005">{{cite news |last=Goldscheider |first=Eric |date=June 19, 2005 |title=On Amateur Night, the Spotlight Can Singe |page=M.13 |work=Boston Globe |id={{ProQuest|404963773}}}}</ref><ref name="Schiffman p. 15" /> The space is illuminated by four grand chandeliers.<ref name="wp-2002-08-13" /> There is a gift shop near the entrance.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 2, 2023 |title=Visit the Apollo |url=https://www.apollotheater.org/visit/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |website=Apollo Theater |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901010048/https://www.apollotheater.org/visit/ |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, a cafe is planned to be built within the lobby; it is expected to open in 2025.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 12, 2023 |title=Apollo Theater CEO Jonelle Procope to leave the historic landmark on safe financial ground |url=https://apnews.com/article/apollo-theater-ceo-jonelle-procope-47e0901411a201824be60a305eb46d37 |access-date=September 1, 2023 |website=AP News |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901010043/https://apnews.com/article/apollo-theater-ceo-jonelle-procope-47e0901411a201824be60a305eb46d37 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Mitchell 2023 s733">{{cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Jessi |date=June 6, 2023 |title=Apollo Theater appoints Michelle Ebanks as new president and CEO |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/apollo-theater-appoints-michelle-ebanks-as-new-president-and-ceo/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=CBS New York |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200908/https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/apollo-theater-appoints-michelle-ebanks-as-new-president-and-ceo/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== Auditorium ====
[[File:Apollo Theater from the stage.jpg|thumb|The auditorium as seen from the stage]]The auditorium is at the north end of the building and is rectangular in plan, with curved walls, a domed ceiling, and two balcony levels over the orchestra level.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /><ref>{{harvnb|National Park Service|1983|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> The Apollo Theater was cited as having 2,000 seats in the 1930s<ref name="nyt-1935-06-11">{{cite news |date=June 11, 1935 |title=Apartment Resold in Uptown Deal; Investor Acquires Building of 6 Stories Housing 80 Families at 4,411 Broadway. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1935/06/11/archives/apartment-resold-in-uptown-deal-investor-acquires-building-of-6.html |access-date=September 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901215202/https://www.nytimes.com/1935/06/11/archives/apartment-resold-in-uptown-deal-investor-acquires-building-of-6.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="New York Herald Tribune 1935">{{cite news |date=June 11, 1935 |title=Cooperage Firm Leases Washington St. Property |page=34 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1221977933}}}}</ref> and 1,700 seats in the 1970s;<ref name="Terry 1985">{{cite magazine |last=Terry |first=Ken |date=March 6, 1985 |title=Music-Records: Apollo Theatre Set To Reopen In May With NBC-TV Special; Extensive Music Sked In Works |magazine=Variety |volume=318 |issue=6 |pages=369, 372 |id={{ProQuest|1438441439}}}}</ref> it was described in 1985 as having 1,500<ref name="Terry 1985" /><ref name="New Pittsburgh Courier 1985">{{cite news |date=May 25, 1985 |title=Facts About Harlem Landmark And Restoration |page=2 |work=New Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|201767452}}}}</ref> or 1,550 seats.<ref name="nyt-1985-05-20">{{cite news |last=Robertson |first=Nan |date=May 20, 1985 |title=Apollo Amateur Night Returning This Week |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/20/theater/apollo-amateur-night-returning-this-week.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101918/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/20/theater/apollo-amateur-night-returning-this-week.html |url-status=live}}</ref> By the early 2010s, the theater had 1,536 seats.<ref name="Miller 2010">{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Tricia |date=April 22, 2010 |title=75 Years of the Real Thing: Apollo Theater Is Celebrated |work=Roll Call |id={{ProQuest|324361386}}}}</ref> The seats were refurbished in the 1980s<ref name="Fadden 1988" /> and again in 2006, when wide cranberry-colored seats were installed. The bottom of each row of seats is illuminated by aisle lighting. In addition, there is a seating area for disabled patrons.<ref name="Misani 2006">{{cite news |last=Misani |first= |date=February 23, 2006 |title=The Apollo: "A Very Special Lady" once again is sitting pretty |page=19 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390363543}}}}</ref> On each level, the seats are divided by two central aisles.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 3">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior|1983|p=8}}; {{harvnb|National Park Service|1983|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> As part of a 2024 renovation, the Apollo Theater Foundation planned to add 29 seats on the orchestra level.<ref name="Kvetenadze 2024 d490">{{cite web |last=Kvetenadze |first=Téa |date=June 18, 2024 |title=Details, renderings unveiled for major restoration of Apollo Theater in Harlem |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2024/06/18/details-renderings-unveiled-for-major-restoration-of-iconic-apollo-theater-in-harlem/ |access-date=August 20, 2024 |website=New York Daily News}}</ref>

The rear (western) end of the orchestra contains a standing rail with [[scagliola]].<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /> Scagliola decorations, composed of scrolls supporting a triangular [[pediment]], are also placed around the doorways on the rear wall of the orchestra. Fluted columns on the orchestra level support the first balcony; the lower parts of the columns are devoid of ornamentation. The orchestra is [[Rake (theatre)|raked]], sloping down toward an [[orchestra pit]] in front of the stage. The front walls of the auditorium flank a flat [[proscenium]] opening in the center.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 3" />

The balconies are also raked and contain similar scagliola decorations to the orchestra level. The balconies' fronts have brass handrails and are decorated with plasterwork motifs.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 3" /> At the first balcony are square columns supporting the second balcony.<ref name="New Pittsburgh Courier 1985" /><ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 3" /> The second balcony was described by author James V. Hatch as "the bird's nest", since audiences in the second balcony could see the entire theater.<ref name="CC p. 59">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=59}}</ref> On either side of the proscenium are two boxes each on the first and second balcony levels, which are accessed by their own staircases<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8; NPS p. 3" /> and are housed within round-arched openings. The [[spandrel]]s above the arches contain classical motifs, and the boxes have varying amounts of decorations.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /> The proscenium arch has a surround with [[colonnette]]s on either side of the arch and a molded band and entablature running atop it. The surround and entablature both contain decorative plaster motifs.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" />

Above the boxes and the proscenium arch is a cornice with large dentils, as well as a plaster [[frieze]] decorated with foliate motifs. The ceiling is slightly [[Coved ceiling|coved]] at its edge.<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /> At the center of the ceiling is a semicircular dome with a medallion surrounded by a molding of [[cornucopia]].<ref name="NYCL (Interior) p. 8" /><ref name="New Pittsburgh Courier 1985" /> The theater was mechanically advanced for its time, with a ventilation system to remove cigarette smoke, as well as electric lights.<ref name="The Billboard 1913">{{cite magazine |date=January 11, 1913 |title=Burlesque News of the Week: Another Theater for Eastern Wheel |magazine=The Billboard |volume=25 |issue=2 |pages=8 |id={{ProQuest|1031441492}}}}</ref> The ventilation system was rebuilt when the theater was renovated in the 1980s, and lighting trusses were added at that time.<ref name="Fadden 1988">{{cite magazine |last=Fadden |first=James |date=December 16, 1988 |title=N.Y.'s Apollo Theatre Combines History With Teleproduction |magazine=Back Stage |volume=29 |issue=51 |pages=1, 44 |id={{ProQuest|962754582}}}}</ref>

==== Other spaces ====
In addition to the main auditorium, the ground floor had a store to the east of the lobby. There originally was a cafe and cabaret in the basement,<ref name="NPS p. 2" /> which served as a rehearsal space and was converted into a staff recreation room in the 1940s.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1945">{{cite news |date=August 18, 1945 |title=Apollo Gets Face Cleaned; To Open Friday, Aug. 24 |page=21 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225996878}}}}</ref> In addition, there were a ladies' parlor and men's smoking room, which were enlarged in the 1940s.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1945" /><ref name="DeLeighbur 1945">{{cite news |last=DeLeighbur |first=Don |date=August 25, 1945 |title=Harlem's Apollo Being Renovated; Reopen With Russe, Brown Dots |page=13 |work=Philadelphia Tribune |id={{ProQuest|531759273}}}}</ref> The second story originally had a dining room, while the third story had meeting rooms and lofts. By the 1980s, the second and third floors were being used as storage space and offices, with small rooms on both stories.<ref name="NPS p. 2" /> The third floor also has a [[sound stage]]; to accommodate this use, the windows on that story were covered up in 1985.<ref name="Barker 2008">{{cite news |last=Barker |first=Cyril Josh |date=February 7, 2008 |title=New changes at the Apollo |page=15 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|2663431344}}}}</ref>

When the Apollo Theater was developed, the dressing rooms were placed in a separate annex with showers and baths.<ref name="The Billboard 1913" /> The dressing rooms are simple in design.<ref name="Naanes 2009" /> There is a wall of signatures in the dressing room. The Apollo's historian Billy Mitchell said in 2012, "Anyone who's been to or performed at the Apollo in the last 20 years has their name on the wall—from Pee-wee Herman to the president of the United States".<ref>{{cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=October 13, 2012 |title=At Home in the Apollo Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/nyregion/billy-mitchell-at-home-in-the-apollo-on-sundays.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101138/https://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/nyregion/billy-mitchell-at-home-in-the-apollo-on-sundays.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

A production studio for TV broadcasts and video productions was constructed on top of an adjacent wing during the 1980s.<ref name="Walker 1987">{{cite news |last=Walker |first=Robin |date=September 27, 1987 |title=The Apollo Showbiz Anchor For 125th St. |page=7 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|277829082}}}}</ref> The studio is variously cited as covering {{convert|3500|ft2}},<ref name="Philadelphia Tribune 1989">{{cite news |date=January 10, 1989 |title=Stevie Wonder records at the Apollo Theatre Television Center |page=8C |work=Philadelphia Tribune |id={{ProQuest|532982612}}}}</ref> {{convert|3800|ft2}},<ref name="Terry 1985" /><ref name="Walker 1987" /> or {{convert|4000|ft2}}.<ref name="Burke 1984" /><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1991">{{cite news |date=May 11, 1991 |title=The World Famous Apollo Theatre: its history and its present needs |page=13 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226303343}}}}</ref> It could record 24 [[Track (music)|tracks]] at once<ref name="New Pittsburgh Courier 1985" /><ref name="Span 1998" /> and was equipped with 96 microphone lines connecting with the auditorium.<ref name="Philadelphia Tribune 1989" /> The studio has been used by media companies such as advertising firm [[Saatchi & Saatchi]]<ref name="nyt-1989-04-28" /> and [[Black Entertainment Television]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Don |date=September 20, 2000 |title=The Apollo Theater Hosts BET Fall 2000 Season with an Elaborate Inside – Out Taping and Lavish Block Party |page=27 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|367896700}}}}</ref>

==History==
In the late 19th century, Harlem was developed as a suburb of New York City and was inhabited largely by upper-middle-class whites.<ref name="NYCL p. 1; NPS p. 4">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|p=1}}; {{harvnb|National Park Service|1983|ps=.|p=4}}</ref> Black residents began moving to Harlem in the beginning of the 20th century with the development of row houses, apartments, and the [[Early history of the IRT subway|city's first subway line]].<ref name="NYCL p. 1; NPS p. 4" /><ref name="Josh 1999">{{cite news |last=Josh |first=Getlin |date=July 9, 1999 |title=Column One; Corporate Show Time at the Apollo; as White Investment Capital Revives Harlem, the Nightspot That is Its Soul May Rise Again. But Doubts and Struggles Abound. |page=1 |work=Los Angeles Times |issn=0458-3035 |id={{ProQuest|421403373}}}}</ref> By the early 20th century the neighborhood had several [[vaudeville]], [[burlesque]], [[film]], and [[Legitimate theatre|legitimate]] theaters centered around 125th Street and [[Seventh Avenue (Manhattan)|Seventh Avenue]],<ref>{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|p=2}}</ref> which led to the corridor being known as "Harlem's 42nd Street".<ref name="The Christian Science Monitor 2001 x131">{{cite web |last=Morehouse |first=Ward III |date=August 10, 2001 |title=Harlem's Apollo plans brief intermission |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0810/p20s1-almp.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=The Christian Science Monitor |issn=0882-7729 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.csmonitor.com/2001/0810/p20s1-almp.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Among the operators of these early theaters were theatrical producers Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon, who leased the Harlem Music Hall at 209 West 125th Street in 1897.<ref>{{cite book |last=Brown |first=T.A. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kvYZnk5lBWsC&pg=PA605 |title=A History of the New York Stage from the First Performance in 1732 to 1901 |publisher=Dodd, Mead |year=1903 |page=605 |issue=v. 3 |access-date=2023-09-29 |archive-date=2023-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://books.google.com/books?id=kvYZnk5lBWsC&pg=PA605 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYCL p. 3">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|p=3}}</ref> Hurtig and Seamon produced several shows starring black superstars [[Bert Williams]] and [[George Walker (vaudeville)|George Walker]] between 1898 and 1905.<ref>''Introducing Bert Williams: Burnt Cork, Broadway and the story of America's first Black star.'' Camille F. Forbes. Basic Books.</ref> The Music Hall was converted to burlesque {{Circa}} 1911.<ref name="NYCL p. 3" />

=== Burlesque theater ===

==== Development and early years ====
C. J. Stumpf & H. J. Langhoff of [[Milwaukee]], Wisconsin,<ref name="NYCL p. 3" /><ref name="r-7031148_049_00001842">{{cite magazine |date=June 29, 1912 |title=Plans Filed for New Construction Work |url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_049&page=ldpd_7031148_049_00001842 |magazine=The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide |volume=89 |pages=1422 |via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]] |number=2311 |access-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200903/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_049&page=ldpd_7031148_049_00001842 |url-status=live}}</ref> acquired land on 125th and 126th Street from the Cromwell estate and Lit family around 1911 or 1912.<ref name="New-York Tribune 1912">{{cite news |date=June 21, 1912 |title=Lease Harlem Property for Theatre |pages=14 |work=New-York Tribune |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-lease-harlem-property-f/130578988/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.newspapers.com/article/new-york-tribune-lease-harlem-property-f/130578988/ |url-status=live}}</ref> They announced plans in June 1912 for a three-story commercial structure at 253 to 259 West 125th Street, with a 2,500-seat burlesque theater in the rear, at 240 to 260 West 126th Street.<ref name="New-York Tribune 1912" /><ref name="nyt-1912-06-23">{{cite news |date=June 23, 1912 |title=New Harlem Theatre; To be Built On West 125th Street |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1912/06/23/archives/new-harlem-theatre-to-be-built-on-west-125th-street-for-hurtig.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095840/https://www.nytimes.com/1912/06/23/archives/new-harlem-theatre-to-be-built-on-west-125th-street-for-hurtig.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Jules Hurtig|Hurtig and Seamon]], who had been leasing the nearby Harlem Music Hall, wanted a larger venue to accommodate the burlesque productions of the [[Columbia Amusement Company]], which they had joined,<ref name="The Billboard 1913" /> and were set to lease the theater for 30 years for a total of $1.375 million; the theater itself would cost $200,000. Work could not begin until the existing leases on the site expired the following May.<ref name="New-York Tribune 1912" /><ref name="nyt-1912-06-23" /> Stumpf and Langhoff hired Keister to design the theater,<ref name="r-7031148_049_00001842" /> while either Cramp & Company<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 20, 1912 |title=Current Building Operations |url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_050&page=ldpd_7031148_050_00000182&no=5 |magazine=The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide |volume=90 |pages=124 |via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]] |number=2314 |access-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101903/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_050&page=ldpd_7031148_050_00000182&no=5 |url-status=live}}</ref> or the Security Construction Company was hired as the general contractor.<ref name="The Billboard 1913" /> One local real-estate investor wrote that the theater was to be "the most important new work for the immediate future" on that block of 125th Street.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 28, 1912 |title=Rentals and Freehold Values in 125th Street |url=https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_050&page=ldpd_7031148_050_00000740&no=1 |magazine=The Real Estate Record: Real estate record and builders' guide |volume=90 |pages=562 |via=[[Columbia University|columbia.edu]] |number=2324 |access-date=September 29, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102359/https://rerecord.library.columbia.edu/document.php?vol=ldpd_7031148_050&page=ldpd_7031148_050_00000740&no=1 |url-status=live}}</ref>

A groundbreaking ceremony occurred in January 1913, at which point it was known as Hurtig & Seamon's New (Burlesque) Theater.<ref name="The Billboard 1913" /> Local real-estate journal ''Harlem Magazine'' wrote: "The theatre when completed will add in no small degree to the appearance and prosperity of this locality."<ref name="NYCL p. 3" /> The theater hosted its first Columbia show on Dec. 17, 1913.<ref>''Variety.'' Dec 19, 1913: 9.</ref> Hurtig & Seamon initially employed female ushers, described by ''Variety'' magazine as "all good-looking and polite girls",<ref>{{cite magazine |date=Jan 24, 191 |title=New York Burlesque |magazine=The Billboard |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=12 |id={{ProQuest|1031465946}}}}</ref> and [[Racial segregation|banned black patrons]].<ref name="The Christian Science Monitor 2001 x131" /><ref name="moon">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Iain Cameron |title=Underneath a Harlem Moon: The Harlem to Paris Years of Adelaide Hall |date=September 15, 2002 |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |isbn=978-0-8264-5893-3 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rkgIAQAAMAAJ |language=en |access-date=August 31, 2021 |archive-date=April 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220417021820/https://www.google.com/books/edition/Underneath_a_Harlem_Moon/rkgIAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Soteriou 2014 m249">{{cite web |last=Soteriou |first=Helen |date=June 14, 2014 |title=Why is the Harlem Apollo Theater so important? |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27813129 |access-date=September 21, 2023 |website=BBC News |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928163709/https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-27813129 |url-status=live}}</ref> Initially, the theater also hosted movies during the summer when burlesque was on hiatus,<ref name="p10314700242">{{cite magazine |date=May 23, 1914 |title=Burlesque News: Burlesque Briefs |magazine=The Billboard |volume=26 |issue=21 |pages=16 |id={{ProQuest|1031470024}}}}</ref> as well as other events such as benefits and fundraisers.<ref>See, for example: {{Unbulleted list citebundle
| {{cite news |date=1915-06-26 |title=Forbes-Robertson to Return In Fall. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1915/06/26/archives/forbesrobertson-to-return-in-fall.html |access-date=2023-09-18 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102825/https://www.nytimes.com/1915/06/26/archives/forbesrobertson-to-return-in-fall.html |url-status=live}}
| {{cite news |date=30 Sep 1917 |title=Library War Fund Gets $12,000 More: Campaign to Continue Here Another Week to Raise $68,000 |page=3 |work=New-York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|575807941}}}}
}}</ref> A stock burlesque company composed of numerous Broadway performers was established at the theater in 1917.<ref>{{cite news |date=1917-06-03 |title=Some Coming Events; At the Shore. One Girl's Luck. Miss Cowl's First Film. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1917/06/03/archives/some-coming-events-at-the-shore-one-girls-luck-miss-cowls-first.html |access-date=2023-09-18 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102359/https://www.nytimes.com/1917/06/03/archives/some-coming-events-at-the-shore-one-girls-luck-miss-cowls-first.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Beginning in 1920, Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre faced competition from the nearby Mount Morris Theatre on 116th Street, which featured shows on the American wheel, a lower-tier Columbia subsidiary.<ref name="p1505641140">{{cite magazine |date=Jan 2, 1920 |title=Burlesque: Mt. Morris Opens |magazine=Variety |volume=57 |issue=6 |page=10 |id={{ProQuest|1505641140}}}}</ref> The American wheel was dissolved in 1922 and the New Theatre retained its monopoly on Columbia burlesque in Upper Manhattan.<ref name="p1475721679">{{cite magazine |date=Feb 24, 1922 |title=Burlesque: Yorkville, Next Season May Have Burlesque |magazine=Variety |volume=66 |issue=1 |page=10 |id={{ProQuest|1475721679}}}}</ref> The growth of Harlem's black population forced many theater owners to begin admitting black patrons in the 1920s,<ref>{{harvnb|Fletcher|2009|ps=.|p=39}}</ref> though Jamaican-American author [[Joel Augustus Rogers]] claimed that the New Theatre's black patrons were consistently given inferior seats.<ref name="p226173129">{{cite news |date=25 Feb 1925 |title=Separated Colored and White at Negro Show: Well Known Author and Newspaperman Writes Hurtig and Seamen of Discrimination |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226461929}}}}</ref> The New Theatre began sponsoring shows with mixed-race casts in the middle of that decade,<ref name="p1031761775">{{cite magazine |date=Mar 28, 1925 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon Sponsoring Another Black and White Show |magazine=The Billboard |volume=36 |issue=13 |pages=36 |id={{ProQuest|1031761775}}}}</ref> and Hurtig & Seamon also planned to produce shows with all-black casts.<ref name="p1031736280">{{cite magazine |date=Jan 24, 1925 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon Hailed as Saviors by Columbia Managers |magazine=The Billboard |volume=37 |issue=4 |pages=36 |id={{ProQuest|1031736280}}}}</ref> The theater building was sold in August 1925 to the Benenson Realty Company, though Hurtig & Seamon continued to operate the theater.<ref name="p1112969857">{{cite news |date=14 Aug 1925 |title=Schulte Buys Busy Corner Property in Brooklyn |page=21 |work=The New York Herald, New York Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1112969857}}}}</ref><ref name="p1040240717">{{cite magazine |date=22 Aug 1925 |title=Hurtig and Seamon Fee Acquired by Operators |magazine=The Billboard |volume=37 |issue=344 |pages=7 |id={{ProQuest|1040240717}}}}</ref> That year, the theater's orchestra was expanded,<ref name="p1031766633">{{cite magazine |date=Sep 5, 1925 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon's Augmented Orchestra |magazine=The Billboard |volume=37 |issue=36 |pages=32 |id={{ProQuest|1031766633}}}}</ref> and a runway was introduced.<ref name="p1031839650">{{cite magazine |date=17 Sep 1927 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon's Runway Renewed |magazine=The Billboard |volume=39 |issue=38 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1031839650}}}}</ref> As Columbia burlesque withered in 1926, Hurtig & Seamon elected to present stock burlesque in 1927,<ref name="p1031811890">{{cite magazine |date=Feb 5, 1927 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon Cancel Contracts Of 125th St, House and "Mr. Buttler" |magazine=The Billboard |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1031811890}}}}</ref> then, later that year, switched allegiance to the [[Mutual Burlesque Association]].<ref name="p1031839650" />

==== Minsky years ====
[[File:HSApolloMinksy.jpg|thumb|alt=Advertisement for Hurtig and Seamon's Apollo Theater in 1928|In 1928 Hurtig and Seamon's Apollo Theater was a Minsky burlesque house.]]

Following Hurtig's death in early 1928,<ref>{{cite news|date=1928-03-10|title=Jules Hurtig Dies on a Sea Voyage; Theatre Owner and Producer Stricken With Heart Attack on the Reliance.|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/03/10/archives/jules-hurtig-dies-on-a-sea-voyage-theatre-owner-and-producer.html|access-date=2024-01-20|work=The New York Times|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Hurtig & Seamon's New Theater was leased that May to the [[Minsky's Burlesque|Minsky brothers]] and their partner, Joseph Weinstock,<ref name="NYCL p. 5" /><ref name="Variety 1928">{{cite magazine |date=February 15, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon May Retire if Making Deal With Minskys |magazine=Variety |volume=90 |issue=5 |pages=39 |id={{ProQuest|1475749255}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 3, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Rumors and Counter Rumors Concerning Houses and Shows |magazine=The Billboard |volume=40 |issue=9 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1031854931}}}}</ref> who had been staging burlesque shows at a small theater above the [[Harlem Opera House]] named the Apollo.<ref name="Variety 1928"/><ref name="The Billboard 1928">{{cite magazine |date=May 5, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Herk, Hurtig & Seamon Merge With Minsky |magazine=The Billboard |volume=40 |issue=18 |pages=31 |id={{ProQuest|1031876059}}}}</ref><ref name="Cullen Hackman McNeilly 2007 p. 643">{{cite book |last1=Cullen |first1=F. |last2=Hackman |first2=F. |last3=McNeilly |first3=D. |publisher=Routledge |title=Vaudeville, Old & New: An Encyclopedia of Variety Performers in America |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-415-93853-2 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=XFnfnKg6BcAC&pg=PA643 |page=643 |access-date=2023-09-29 |archive-date=2023-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100318/https://books.google.com/books?id=XFnfnKg6BcAC&pg=PA643|postscript=none}}; {{cite news |date=May 2, 1928 |title=Minsky Brothers Get Theatre. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1928/05/02/archives/minsky-brothers-get-theatre.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095841/https://www.nytimes.com/1928/05/02/archives/minsky-brothers-get-theatre.html |url-status=live}}</ref>{{Efn|At the same time, Hurtig & Seamon's former space, the Harlem Music Hall, was leased for one year by Henry Drake and Ethel Walker, black performers and show producers. Renamed the Drake and Walker Theater, it was the first in the city controlled by black interests.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stage Reviews: Drake and Walker open own theater; Famous musical comedy team lease former Apollo playhouse |work=Afro-American |date=13 Oct 1928 |page=8}}</ref>}} Seamon, along with [[Isidore Herk|I. H. Herk]], retained an interest in the New Theater. As part of the agreement, the New Theater was renamed Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo,<ref name="The Billboard 1928 2">{{cite magazine |date=September 5, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Billy Minsky's Burlesque at Apollo Theater Sets New Standard for Stock Company Shows |magazine=The Billboard |volume=40 |issue=36 |pages=44 |id={{ProQuest|1031890238}}}}</ref><ref name="The Billboard 1928" /> and the Harlem Opera House and the former Apollo within it were restricted from staging burlesque, vaudeville, musical comedy, or "tab shows" as long as Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo staged burlesque. In exchange, the latter theater could not show movies.<ref name="NYCL p. 5">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|p=5}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 14, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Apollo Theater Closes |magazine=The Billboard |volume=40 |issue=28 |pages=33 |id={{ProQuest|1031854931}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 11, 1928 |title=Vaude-Burlesque: Mixed Stock and Reg. Burlesque on 125th St |magazine=Variety |volume=91 |issue=13 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1475890165}}}}</ref>

Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo reopened in August 1928 after the Minskys renovated the lobby, repainted the auditorium, and extended the runway at orchestra level.<ref name="The Billboard 1928 2" /><ref>{{cite news |date=August 24, 1928 |title=American Theatre Planned for Paris |pages=106 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-american-theatre-planned-for/130999749/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-american-theatre-planned-for/130999749/ |url-status=live}}</ref> ''Variety'' magazine reported that [[Walter Reade]] had leased the new Apollo for {{frac|16|1|2}} years,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 3, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Rollo Takes Over Apollo on 125th Street |magazine=Variety |volume=92 |issue=12 |pages=38 |id={{ProQuest|1475761171}}}}</ref> but [[Billy Minsky]] bought out Seamon's lease the next month and continued to operate the theater.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 20, 1928 |title=Burlesque: Hurtig & Seamon Exit From Harlem |magazine=The Billboard |volume=40 |issue=42 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1031881331}}}}</ref> Initially, the theater still presented shows from the Mutual Circuit, which Herk headed.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 31, 1929 |title=Burlesque: Winter Garden Out Due To Wheel's Zone Ruling |magazine=Variety |volume=96 |issue=3 |pages=44 |id={{ProQuest|1505688614}}}}</ref> Performers typically mingled with audience members and performed for longer durations than under Hurtig & Seamon's tenure.<ref name="NYCL p. 5" /> Minsky and Herk split in mid-1929,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=August 24, 1929 |title=Minsky Splits With I. H. Herk; Krause Returns |magazine=The Billboard |volume=41 |issue=34 |pages=3 |id={{ProQuest|1031910974}}}}</ref> but the theater continued to feature a mixture of stock shows and Mutual shows.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 7, 1929 |title=Burlesque: Herk Harmonizes Circuit Conditions |magazine=The Billboard |volume=41 |issue=36 |pages=44 |id={{ProQuest|1031911901}}}}</ref> Mutual began a decline precipitated by the Depression, and Billy Minsky announced in March 1930 that he would stop presenting Mutual shows.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 5, 1930 |title=Burlesque-Vaude: Mutual's Season Closing Early; New Ideas and Methods to Come? |magazine=Variety |volume=98 |issue=8 |pages=43 |id={{ProQuest|1505714244}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=March 1, 1930 |title=Burlesque: Minsky's Apollo Theater Preparing Policy Change |magazine=The Billboard |volume=42 |issue=9 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1031925134}}}}</ref> The following month, he started presenting stock shows with both black and white casts.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 5, 1930 |title=Burlesque: Apollo Theater Stock Black and White Burlesque |magazine=The Billboard |volume=42 |issue=14 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1031944938}}}}</ref> [[Bessie Smith]] was among the earliest black entertainers to perform at the Apollo.<ref name="NYCL p. 5" />

Burlesque at the Apollo Theater began to decline in 1930 as Minsky concentrated on his new flagship theater off Times Square, the [[New Victory Theater|Republic]].<ref name="NYCL p. 5" /> The Minskys moved many of their shows from the [[Irving Place Theatre]] and Minsky's Brooklyn theater to the Apollo in 1931.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=October 17, 1931 |title=Burlesque: Herk Breaks With Minsky |magazine=The Billboard |volume=43 |issue=42 |pages=13 |id={{ProQuest|1031979707}}}}</ref> For the 1931–1932 season, the theater hosted Columbia burlesque,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 21, 1931 |title=Burlesque: Katz Bid Up Minskys To $156,000 Yearly at Central for Burlesk |magazine=The Billboard |volume=103 |issue=6 |pages=39 |id={{ProQuest|1529391782}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 23, 1931 |title=Apollo Burlesque |page=G4 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1114140822}}}}</ref> with two shows per day.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 5, 1931 |title=Vaudeville-Burlesque: Apollo Gets Two-a-Day; Grind Policy for Central |magazine=The Billboard |volume=43 |issue=36 |pages=15 |id={{ProQuest|1031979272}}}}</ref> After Billy Minsky died in 1932, his younger brother Herbert took over the theater's operation.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 13, 1932 |title=Billy Minsky Dies; Producer Of Burlesque |page=15 |work=New York Herald Tribune |issn=1941-0646 |id={{ProQuest|1114522458}}}}</ref> That same year, Herk, Herbert Minsky, and Weinstock agreed to showcase Columbia burlesque at the Apollo.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 12, 1932 |title=Burlesque-Vaude: Minsky-Weinstock Alliance Gives Columbia Four New York Stands |magazine=Variety |volume=107 |issue=5 |pages=28 |id={{ProQuest|1529358159}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=July 16, 1932 |title=Burlesque: Plans for Combined Wheel Of Herk and Minsky Are Set |magazine=The Billboard |volume=44 |issue=29 |pages=13 |id={{ProQuest|1031996040}}}}</ref> Attendance decreased after the Apollo started presenting shows without nudity or [[striptease]]s.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=September 6, 1932 |title=Burlesque: Apollo, New York |magazine=Variety |volume=107 |issue=13 |pages=34 |id={{ProQuest|1529330173}}}}</ref> The theater briefly hosted performances from the Empire Wheel in late 1932,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 3, 1932 |title=General Indoor News: Minsky-Weinstock After New Burly Stock Theater |magazine=The Billboard |volume=44 |issue=49 |pages=24 |id={{ProQuest|1032012417}}}}</ref> and the Apollo began to stage black [[vaudeville]] that year.<ref name="Fadden 1988" /> The Apollo's operators also started serving alcoholic beverages in April 1933.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 22, 1933 |title=General Indoor News: Burly Operators Decide To Sell Brew in Houses |magazine=The Billboard |volume=45 |issue=16 |pages=23 |id={{ProQuest|1032041947}}}}</ref> After failing to renew its burlesque license, the Apollo closed temporarily that May<ref>{{cite magazine |date=May 6, 1933 |title=General Indoor News: 5 Spots Fold; Blow to Stock |magazine=The Billboard |volume=45 |issue=18 |pages=30 |id={{ProQuest|1032016827}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=May 2, 1933 |title=Burlesque: Warm Weather Flops Gasping Burley Shows In Worst Season Ever |magazine=Variety |volume=110 |issue=8 |pages=54 |id={{ProQuest|1475915365}}}}</ref> and remained dark for seven months.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 16, 1933 |title=Burlesque-Tabloid: M-W Getting More Houses |magazine=The Billboard |volume=45 |issue=50 |pages=24 |id={{ProQuest|1032039235}}}}</ref><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1933">{{cite news |date=December 27, 1933 |title=Apollo Opens With New Burlesque Bill |page=5 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226081497}}}}</ref> The theater began hosting burlesque again in December 1933, with two midday shows in addition to the usual evening show.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1933" /> By then, however, newly elected mayor [[Fiorello La Guardia]] had begun to crack down on burlesque theaters citywide.<ref>{{harvnb|Fletcher|2009|ps=.|pp=39–40}}</ref>

=== Cohen and Schiffman operation ===

Sidney Cohen,{{Efn|Also spelled "Sydney"<ref name="nyt-1935-06-11" /><ref name="New York Herald Tribune 1935" />}} who owned other theaters in the area,<ref name="enc-nyc">Felber, Garrett. "Apollo Theater" in {{cite enc-nyc2}}, pp. 46–47.</ref> took over the theater in January 1934.<ref name="Variety 1934">{{cite magazine |date=January 23, 1934 |title=Vaudeville: Colored Vaudfilm for Apollo, Harlem |magazine=Variety |volume=113 |issue=6 |pages=41 |id={{ProQuest|1475860306}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 24, 1934 |title=Apollo Opens In New Dress: Extensive Alterations and New Policy at Local Harlem House |page=7 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226163024}}}}</ref> At the time, many of Harlem's most popular black theaters were clustered around 125th Street.<ref name="Reed 1982">{{cite news |last=Reed |first=Claude Jr. |date=February 25, 1982 |title=The Apollo Theatre: Springboard for Black Stardom |page=8 |work=Los Angeles Sentinel |id={{ProQuest|565459293}}}}</ref> The theater was converted into a performance venue for black entertainers, with an all-black staff.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1934" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Calvin |first=Floyd J. |date=March 23, 1935 |title=Apollo Theatre Gives "Success Formula" At End Of First Year |page=18 |work=The Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202019399}}}}</ref> Most vestiges of the former burlesque shows were quickly removed.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1934">{{cite news |date=January 17, 1934 |title=Apollo Joins Other Houses: Another Theatre on 125th Street to Play Negro Acts and Revues |page=7 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226243463}}}}</ref> Unlike the previous burlesque shows, which had been controversial because they verged on nudity, the new programming would be family-friendly.<ref name="Fletcher p. 40">{{harvnb|Fletcher|2009|ps=.|p=40}}</ref> The theater was renamed the 125th Street Apollo Theatre<ref name="The New York Age 1934">{{cite news |date=January 27, 1934 |title=New Vaudeville House to Open on 125th Street |pages=6 |work=The New York Age |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-new-vaudeville-house-to/131051315/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901215203/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-new-vaudeville-house-to/131051315/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and reopened on January 26, 1934, catering to the black community of Harlem.<ref name="moon" /><ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=January 31, 1934 |title=Apollo Opens In Fine Start: Hasty Opening Leaves Much To Be Desired, Although It Gives Promise |page=8 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226281389}}}}</ref> Cohen initially employed Clarence Robinson as the Apollo Theatre's producer<ref name="Variety 1934" /><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1934" /><ref name="The New York Age 1934" /> and Morris Sussman as the manager.<ref name="Fletcher p. 40" /><ref name="The New York Age 1934" /> He also hired talent scout [[John Hammond (producer)|John Hammond]] to book his shows.<ref name="enc-nyc" /> Though advertised as a "resort for the better people", the theater quickly attracted working-class, unemployed, and young audiences.<ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=53}}</ref>

The Apollo was frequented by black performers, who, during the early 20th century, were not allowed to perform at many other venues.<ref name="Reed 1982" /> The theater was a prominent venue on the primarily black "[[Chitlin' Circuit]]",<ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=128}}</ref> though many shows featured actors of different races.<ref name="Cohen 1974">{{cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Joe |date=January 23, 1974 |title=Miscellany: Frank Schiffman Dies; Pioneered Mixed Audiences In Harlem |magazine=Variety |volume=273 |issue=11 |pages=2, 56 |id={{ProQuest|1032473337}}}}</ref> It featured a wide variety of musical performances, including [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]], [[jazz]], [[blues]], and [[Gospel music|gospel]] performances.<ref name="Holsey 2009">{{cite news |last=Holsey |first=Steve |date=April 8, 2009 |title=Apollo Theater |page=D1 |work=Michigan Chronicle |id={{ProQuest|2405055007}}}}</ref> Early shows consisted of [[revue]]s, but this was quickly changed to a loosely connected format of dance, comedy, music, and novelty acts.<ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=54}}</ref> The performances resembled [[vaudeville]] shows,<ref name="enc-nyc" /><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940">{{cite news |date=June 29, 1940 |title=Apollo Theatre Stands Alone in Field; Its Vaude Shows Consistently Successful: Apollo Headliners for this Week's Revue |page=31 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226102041}}}}</ref> with six to eight acts sharing a bill.<ref name="wsj-2011-04-04">{{cite news |last=Friedwald |first=Will |date=April 4, 2011 |title=Cultural History: No Myth: The Apollo's Power |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704506004576174760942050384 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704506004576174760942050384 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="CC p. 168">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=168}}</ref> Up to seven comedians or musicians and eight singing groups would perform for a week, doing as many as seven shows per day. Novice performers often started off as the opening act and aspired to become the [[Headliner (performances)|headliner]] of the show.<ref name="Colford 1985 2">{{cite news |last=Colford |first=Paul D. |date=May 14, 1985 |title=Showtime Again On 125th Street: The Apollo Is Back In Orbit |page=C1 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|1469979749}}}}</ref> Because the Apollo did not have wealthy backers, in contrast to venues such as [[Carnegie Hall]] and the [[Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center)|Metropolitan Opera House]], its income depended heavily on the success or failure of each week's show. As a cost-cutting measure, the Apollo paid performers low salaries, to which most up-and-coming performers readily agreed.<ref name="CC pp. 200–201">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=200–201}}</ref>

The Apollo's conversion had occurred at the end of the [[Harlem Renaissance]].<ref name="Soteriou 2014 m249" /> It was held in such high regard by local black residents that, according to Schiffman's son Robert, it was not damaged during the Harlem riots of [[Harlem riot of 1935|1935]], [[Harlem riot of 1943|1943]], or [[Harlem riot of 1964|1964]].<ref name="Colford 1985 2" /><ref name="Hamill 1977">{{cite news |last=Hamill |first=Pete |date=March 4, 1977 |title=A Dirge for the Lost Soul of Harlem |pages=4, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-dirge-for-the-lost-soul-of/130822138/ 48] |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-dirge-for-the-lost-soul-of/130822085/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101602/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-dirge-for-the-lost-soul-of/130822085/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater was a source of pride for Harlem's black community and was often used as a gathering place during demonstrations.<ref name="Hamill 1977" /><ref name="Colford 1985 2" /> Although the Schiffmans were white, Robert recalled that local residents frequently referred to the Apollo as "our theater", never "the white man's theater" or "Frank Schiffman's theater".<ref name="CC p. 169">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=169}}</ref> One writer said that "in Harlem show business circles [Frank Schiffman] was God".<ref name=nyt-2023-09-15/> Over the years, the format of the shows was changed.<ref name="Variety 1972">{{cite magazine |date=October 18, 1972 |title=Personal Appearances: Harlem's Apollo Theatre Near Sale To Black Group Owning Amsterdam News |magazine=Variety |volume=268 |issue=10 |pages=50 |id={{ProQuest|1032466607}}}}</ref>

==== 1930s and 1940s ====
The first major performer at the Apollo, jazz singer and Broadway star [[Adelaide Hall]], appeared at the Apollo in February 1934. Hall's limited-engagement show was highly praised by the press, which helped establish the Apollo's reputation.<ref name="moon" /> Sussman hosted competitions for amateur performers on Wednesday nights, as well as "kiddie hours" on Sundays.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 10, 1934 |title=Apollo Theatre Inaugurates New Feature: Stage Broadcast of Amateur Nite and Kiddies Hour |page=A8 |work=The Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|201986065}}}}</ref> The Apollo Theatre had vigorous competition from other venues, namely Leo Brecher's [[Harlem Opera House]] and Frank Schiffman's [[Lafayette Theatre (Harlem)|Lafayette]].<ref name="Fletcher p. 40" /><ref>{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|pp=5–6}}</ref><ref name="Schiffman pp. 47–48">{{harvnb|Schiffman|1971|ps=.|pages=47–48}}</ref> The former had been a popular vaudeville venue, while the latter had previously been the neighborhood's predominant black theater.<ref name="Schiffman pp. 47–48" /> Cohen took out advertisements and broadcast shows on local radio stations, prompting equally vigorous promotion campaigns from Schiffman and Brecher.<ref name="Fletcher p. 40" /> Cohen, Schiffman, and Brecher agreed to a truce in May 1935,<ref name="Fletcher p. 40" /><ref>{{cite news |date=May 18, 1935 |title=Hatchet Buried Between Theatre Managers: Apollo and Harlem Opera House Merge Bitterness Apparently Wiped Out in Effort to Save the Local Situation |page=10 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226200373}}}}</ref> and Cohen leased the theater the next month to the Harlem Opera House's operator, Duane Theater Corporation.<ref name="nyt-1935-06-11" /><ref name="New York Herald Tribune 1935" /> [[Ralph Cooper]] was hired as the emcee the same year.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 6, 1992 |title=Ralph Cooper, Who Found Stars At Apollo's Amateur Nights, Dies |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/06/arts/ralph-cooper-who-found-stars-at-apollo-s-amateur-nights-dies.html |access-date=September 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=January 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200125175609/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/06/arts/ralph-cooper-who-found-stars-at-apollo-s-amateur-nights-dies.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

After Cohen died in late 1935, the Opera House became a movie theater, while the Apollo continued to present stage shows.<ref name="enc-nyc" /><ref name="Fletcher pp. 40–41">{{harvnb|Fletcher|2009|ps=.|pp=40–41}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Schiffman|1971|ps=.|p=49}}</ref> The Apollo was rebranded as "The Only Stage Show in Harlem".<ref name="Fletcher pp. 40–41" /> Initially, the Apollo attracted [[blues]] and [[ragtime]] performers,<ref name="Reed 1982" /> as well as comedians<ref name="Cohen 1974" /> and [[big band]]s.<ref name="Cohen 1974" /><ref name="CC p. 143">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=143}}</ref> Early shows were accompanied by a [[chorus line]] of 16 girls,<ref name="Variety 1934" /> most of whom were fair-skinned;<ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=124}}</ref> the chorus girls were no longer employed at the theater by the late 1930s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Day |first=Sherri |date=November 26, 2000 |title=City Lore; Chorus Girls of Harlem Challenge Father Time |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/26/nyregion/city-lore-chorus-girls-of-harlem-challenge-father-time.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101737/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/11/26/nyregion/city-lore-chorus-girls-of-harlem-challenge-father-time.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=127}}</ref> The ''[[New York Amsterdam News]]'' described the Apollo in 1939 as "the only theatre in the country where Negro performers are predominantly featured", at a time when many other venues still did not allow black performers.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 5, 1939 |title=Frank Schiffman: Pro and Con His Apollo Theatre Stands as a Bulwark Between Performers and Crackup of Local Showlife Records "Some Other Spring" |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226123934}}}}</ref> The Apollo temporarily closed in mid-1940 for upgrades,<ref>{{cite news |last=Burley |first=Dan |date=July 27, 1940 |title=Apollo Theatre Closes Down: Showfolk Left in Pretty Pickle as Schiffman Decides To Transfer Streamlined Shows to Harlem Opera House |page=21 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226213640}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rowe |first=Billy |date=July 27, 1940 |title=Vaudeville at the Apollo Ends This Week: House Closing to Check Trend; Plan New Entertainment |page=20 |work=Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202082311}}}}</ref> reopening that September.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Isadora |date=September 7, 1940 |title=Apollo Theatre Reopens: New Glamour and Glitter Adds Another Page to Harlem's Joy Reopening of Apollo Theater Glamorized in Harlem |page=21 |work=Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202063791}}}}</ref> The theater began showing musical comedies for the first time in February 1941.<ref name="Smith 1941">{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Isadora |date=February 8, 1941 |title=Harlem First Nighters Set For "Tan Manhattan": Flournoy Miller and Nina Mae McKinney to Head Big Revue At Apollo—Show Being Readied For "Kleigh Lights" Premiere |page=20 |work=Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202095038}}}}</ref><ref name="Burley 1941">{{cite news |last=Burley |first=Dan |date=February 22, 1941 |title=Up Harlem Way Comes to Apollo: New Entertainment Policy at 125th St. House Based on Campaign We Waged Last Summer for Better Entertainment Values for Harlemites |page=20 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226129389}}}}</ref> Jazz performances<ref name="Holsey 2009" /> and bebop at the Apollo were popular in the 1940s,<ref name="CC p. 143" /> and [[Gospel music|gospel]] was hosted sporadically.<ref name="CC pp. 158–159">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=158–159}}</ref>

The Apollo appealed to mixed-race audiences in the 1940s; on Sundays, as much as four-fifths of the audience were white.<ref>{{harvnb|Schiffman|1971|ps=.|pp=49–50}}</ref> During World War II, the theater offered 35 free tickets to members of the U.S. armed forces, and entertainers at the Apollo performed at the nearby Harlem Defense Recreation Center on Tuesday nights.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 25, 1942 |title=Service Men Sorry Apollo Theatre Is Closed for Summer |pages=10 |work=The New York Age |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-service-men-sorry-apoll/131056378/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901225942/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-service-men-sorry-apoll/131056378/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Schiffman closed the theater temporarily for renovations in August 1945. The project cost $45,000 and entailed new sound systems, a remodeled orchestra pit, women's and men's lounges, a staff recreation room, and modifications to decorations.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1945" /><ref name="DeLeighbur 1945" /> After World War II, the theater occasionally staged a chorus line with six acts.<ref name="Variety 1972" /> By 1946, Schiffman had announced plans to widen the theater and add an air-cooling system when construction materials became available.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 11, 1946 |title=Schiffman Scouts Charge Apollo Needs Overhauling |page=25 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225988270}}}}</ref> The theater was sold in 1949 to the Harlem Apollo Realty Corporation, although Schiffman and Brecher continued to operate the Apollo.<ref>{{cite news |date=January 22, 1949 |title='Historic' Apollo Changes Hands in Sale: Theatre, Harlem Tradition |page=14 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|531825272}}}}</ref> That year, they began experimenting with staging [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]]-class shows at the Apollo.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1949">{{cite news |date=March 26, 1949 |title=Legit Theatre Slated To Take Over W. 125th Street: "Anna Lucasta" Set For Apollo To Drop Stage Show And Movie For Full-fledged Drama Trial |page=24 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225957784}}}}</ref><ref name="Philadelphia Tribune 1949">{{cite news |date=April 5, 1949 |title=Anna Lucasta opens Al Apollo Theatre |page=12 |work=Philadelphia Tribune |id={{ProQuest|531822264}}}}</ref> Schiffman's sons Jack and Robert began working at the theater in the late 1940s and early 1950s.<ref name="CC p. 168" />

==== 1950s and 1960s ====
As the years progressed, variety shows were presented less often.<ref name="enc-nyc" /> The Apollo started staging rock music concerts when that genre became popular,<ref name="Variety 1972" /> and the big bands gave way to [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] performances.<ref name="CC p. 145">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=145}}</ref><ref name="CC p. 149">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=149}}</ref> The theater also began hosting different musical genres such as [[Mambo (music)|mambo]]<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1954" /> and gospel.<ref name="CC p. 149" /><ref>{{cite news |date=January 19, 1956 |title=Theatres Generates Interest Following Apollo Gospel Show |page=2 |work=Atlanta Daily World |id={{ProQuest|491076128}}}}</ref><ref name="CC pp. 160–161">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=160–161}}</ref> There were often two shows a day if a headliner was performing, and it showed movies at other times.<ref name="Variety 1972" /> Additionally, the theater was closed for upgrades for two weeks every August;<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1961">{{cite news |date=August 5, 1961 |title=Apollo Shuts For Annual Clean-Up Time |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225429617}}}}</ref> a large [[CinemaScope]] screen was installed during one such closure in 1955.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 6, 1955 |title=Apollo Adding 'CinemaScope' During Closing |pages=9 |work=The New York Age |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-apollo-adding-cinemasc/131403657/ |access-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907211304/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-apollo-adding-cinemasc/131403657/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In 1957, [[Buddy Holly and the Crickets]] became the first white act to perform at the theater since it became centered on providing African American entertainment.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/08/30/buddy-holly-apollo-theatre/|title=Buddy Holly was the First White Act to Play the Apollo Theater in Harlem|first=Marea|last=Harris|publisher=The Vintage News|date=August 30, 2018|access-date=June 6, 2025}}</ref> By the late 1950s, [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] magazine criticized the theater for "allowing some of its actors to carry on with assorted vulgarisms".<ref>{{cite news |date=March 30, 1957 |title=Variety magazine blasts Harlem's Apollo Theatre |page=10 |work=Afro-American |id={{ProQuest|491076128}}}}</ref> A typical booking consisted of five or six performances per day for seven days.<ref name="Hinckley 2014 x618"/> The Apollo was one of the few remaining venues for black entertainers in Harlem during that time, although other venues such as the [[Waldorf Astoria New York]] and [[Copacabana (nightclub)|Copacabana]] had started allowing black performers.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Cohen |first=Joe |date=January 4, 1956 |title=Vaudeville: Show Biz Long Proved There's No Frontier On Talent; Negro Artists' Great Progress' |magazine=Variety |volume=201 |issue=5 |page=414 |id={{ProQuest|1017015390}}}}</ref> Even so, many popular black artists such as [[Eartha Kitt]] and [[Sammy Davis Jr.]] regularly returned for "the folks who can't make it downtown".<ref>{{cite news |date=February 8, 1964 |title=Harlem's Heart Beats Message on 125th St.; Tells of Hope,Anger and Frustration of Negro Race |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/08/archives/harlems-heart-beats-message-on-125th-st-tells-of-hopeanger-and.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907211305/https://www.nytimes.com/1964/02/08/archives/harlems-heart-beats-message-on-125th-st-tells-of-hopeanger-and.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

Robert Schiffman took over the theater's management in 1960<ref name="Hinckley 2014 x618">{{cite web | last=Hinckley | first=David | title=Harlem's legendary Apollo Theater celebrates its 80th anniversary | website=New York Daily News | date=January 12, 2014 | url=https://www.nydailynews.com/2014/01/12/harlems-legendary-apollo-theater-celebrates-its-80th-anniversary/ | access-date=December 2, 2023}}</ref> or 1961.<ref name=nyt-2023-09-15/> He kept prices low to cater to the local community, and he tried to attract up-and-coming talent by talking with local DJs and listening to music at nearby bars.<ref name=nyt-2023-09-15>{{cite news|last=Williams|first=Alex|date=2023-09-15|title=Bobby Schiffman, Guiding Force of the Apollo Theater, Dies at 94|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/15/arts/music/bobby-schiffman-dead.html|access-date=2023-12-02|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> The 1960s saw the rising popularity of R&B at the Apollo,<ref name="Holsey 2009" /> as well as mixed-genre productions.<ref name="CC p. 197">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=197}}</ref> The theater was renovated slightly in 1960,<ref>{{cite news |date=August 17, 1960 |title=Apollo Will Reopen Friday |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1960/08/17/archives/apollo-will-reopen-friday.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907195739/https://www.nytimes.com/1960/08/17/archives/apollo-will-reopen-friday.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and new sound-amplification equipment and lighting was added in August 1961.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1961" /> During the 1964 Harlem riots, the Apollo temporarily screened movies exclusively due to decreased patronage.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 1, 1964 |title=Harlem unrest has famed Apollo Theatre in middle |page=11 |work=Afro-American |id={{ProQuest|532170449}}}}</ref><ref name="Variety 1964">{{cite magazine |date=July 22, 1964 |title=Apollo Theatre Owner Ponders on Calm Before Another Harlem Storm? |magazine=Variety |volume=235 |issue=9 |pages=1, 78 |id={{ProQuest|1014824591}}}}</ref> The lobby and auditorium were renovated in 1967;<ref>{{cite news |date=August 12, 1967 |title=Apollo Theater To Reopen Next Week |page=19 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226809516}}}}</ref> the project was conducted almost entirely by black workers and cost $50,000.<ref>{{cite news |date=August 26, 1967 |title=Black Workers Give Theatre A New Look |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226720589}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 16, 1967 |title=Apollo renovation was a black affair |page=11 |work=Afro-American |id={{ProQuest|532192871}}}}</ref> Business began to decline after the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] was passed, allowing black entertainers to perform in nightclubs and hotels.<ref name="Josh 1999" /><ref name="nyt-1991-05-31">{{cite news |last=Shipp |first=E. R. |date=May 31, 1991 |title=Harlem's Apollo Fights to Keep the Lights On |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/31/nyregion/harlem-s-apollo-fights-to-keep-the-lights-on.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102157/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/31/nyregion/harlem-s-apollo-fights-to-keep-the-lights-on.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Carter 1998">{{cite magazine |last=Carter |first=Chelsea J. |date=November 30, 1998 |title=Show Goes on at the Apollo Theatre |magazine=Network Journal |volume=6 |issue=2 |page=5 |id={{ProQuest|222637371}}}}</ref> The Apollo was smaller than similar venues; the neighborhood's economy was in decline; and the Apollo was not near other popular venues.<ref name="Carter 1998" /><ref name="nyt-1975-04-15">{{cite news |last=Fraser |first=C. Gerald |date=April 15, 1975 |title=Apollo Finds It Hard for the Show to Go On |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/15/archives/apollo-finds-it-hard-for-the-show-to-go-on.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100546/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/15/archives/apollo-finds-it-hard-for-the-show-to-go-on.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Other issues included a perception of rising crime<ref name="Hamill 1977" /><ref name="CC p. 169" /> and a lack of parking.<ref name="Hamill 1977" /> The theater's production manager, [[Charles Coles]], said in 1967 that white audiences avoided the Apollo because of the 1964 riots and the rise of race-integrated venues.<ref name="nyt-1967-11-09">{{cite news |last=Caldwell |first=Earl |date=November 9, 1967 |title=Fewer Whites Are Taking 'A' Train to Harlem's Night spots; Nightlife Scene Manes in Harlem |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/09/archives/fewer-whites-are-taking-a-train-to-harlems-night-spots-nightlife.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907211304/https://www.nytimes.com/1967/11/09/archives/fewer-whites-are-taking-a-train-to-harlems-night-spots-nightlife.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apollo continued to decline through the late 1960s and early 1970s.<ref name="CC p. 153">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=153}}</ref>

The Schiffman family was looking to sell the Apollo to black entrepreneurs in the 1960s, having rejected several purchase offers from white theatrical operators.<ref name="CC p. 169" /> There was also growing support for [[grassroots]] performances at the theater.<ref name="CC pp. 178–179">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=178–179}}</ref> During that time, the Apollo continued to host variety shows every night and was often sold out during weekends;<ref name="nyt-1967-11-09" /> many of these live acts were accompanied by films.<ref name="wsj-2011-04-04" /><ref name="Hart 1973">{{cite news |last=Hart |first=Gail |date=September 25, 1973 |title=The Apollo Theatre: A New Look |page=12 |work=Philadelphia Tribune |id={{ProQuest|532631424}}}}</ref><ref name="Campbell 1970">{{cite news |last=Campbell |first=Mary |date=September 20, 1970 |title='If You Can Make If at the Apollo...' |page=T1 |work=The Austin Statesman |id={{ProQuest|1635529416}}}}</ref> In 1972, a group of investors led by ''New York Amsterdam News'' editor [[Clarence B. Jones]] expressed interest in buying the theater,<ref name="Variety 1972" /><ref>{{cite news |first=George Jr. |last=Goodman |date=October 14, 1972 |title=Editor Said to Seek to Buy the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/14/archives/editor-said-to-seek-to-buy-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102149/https://www.nytimes.com/1972/10/14/archives/editor-said-to-seek-to-buy-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but the deal was canceled when interest rates increased sharply.<ref name="CC p. 201">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=201}}</ref> As late as 1973, it had between 42 and 45 weeks of live shows annually,<ref name="Hart 1973" /> and the Apollo's headliners earned as much as $50,000 per week.<ref name="Variety 1972" /> The theater had pivoted away from staging comedy and drama and were instead mostly presenting recording groups. Frank Schiffman recalled that the theater's audience at the time was predominantly black and largely consisted of local residents.<ref name="Campbell 1970" />

==== Decline and closure ====
[[File:Apollo Theatre from west.jpg|alt=The 125th Street facade of the Apollo Theater as seen from the west|thumb|The theater as seen from the west]]
Although the Apollo did host some successful shows between 1970 and 1974, the theater's offerings dropped sharply afterward; Herb Boyd wrote in 2009 that "Apollo lovers had to resort to memories rather than performances".<ref name="CC p. 153" /> By the 1970s, the Apollo was the only remaining black vaudeville theater in the U.S.;<ref name="nyt-1975-04-15" /><ref name="Campbell 1970" /> other such theaters had closed because they were attracting fewer entertainers and could not compete with large venues.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-15" /> The Apollo Theater was struggling financially by early 1975, forcing its owners to lay off over 100 staff members.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stuart |first=Reginald |date=February 16, 1975 |title=Economic Pinch Felt by Small Businesses Here Putting Blacks in Squeeze |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/16/archives/economic-pinch-felt-by-small-businesses-here-putting-blacks-in.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095842/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/02/16/archives/economic-pinch-felt-by-small-businesses-here-putting-blacks-in.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apollo had been forced to cut back its schedule of live shows to 20–22 weeks per year, less than half of the 45–50 weeks that the theater had presented in its peak.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-15" /> Management could not raise prices, even by a few cents, because that would drive away the local residents who frequented the theater.<ref name="CC pp. 200–201" /> In addition, the surrounding area was deserted at night; the Apollo could not afford to pay performers at the significantly higher rates that they demanded; and patrons preferred to watch headliners' performances instead of multi-act shows.<ref name="CC pp. 201–202">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=201–202}}</ref>

To raise money, Robert Schiffman wanted to show [[First run (filmmaking)|first runs]] of films featuring black actors but faced competition from other Manhattan theaters.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-15" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Murray |first=James |date=July 27, 1974 |title=Urban League enters fight on Black film premieres |page=A1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226704104}}}}</ref> The Apollo's managers began running for-sale advertisements in several major papers in 1975.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-15" /> The area had also become dangerous;<ref name="enc-nyc" /> for example, a young patron was killed at the theater later the same year.<ref>{{cite news |date=December 7, 1975 |title=Gunman Kills a Man and Shoots Two During Show at the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/07/archives/gunman-kills-a-man-and-shoots-two-during-show-at-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100316/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/07/archives/gunman-kills-a-man-and-shoots-two-during-show-at-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=December 8, 1975 |title=Gunman Kills One At Apollo Theater |page=8B |work=The Hartford Courant |issn=1047-4153 |id={{ProQuest|544270933}}}}</ref> The Apollo was used exclusively for movies and gospel shows in the mid-1970s<ref>{{cite news |last=Patterson |first=Michael |date=September 10, 1976 |title=Harlem nocturne |pages=47 |work=The Reporter Dispatch |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-harlem-nocturne/130821847/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101435/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-harlem-nocturne/130821847/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and was closed in January 1976.<ref name="CC p. 201" /> The theater had faulty stage equipment and deteriorating facilities, and many of the Apollo's onetime headliners refused to perform there. More obscure acts did not draw large enough crowds to make a profit, and the Apollo had closed by 1977.<ref name="Faller 1978">{{cite news |last=Faller |first=Jan |date=September 23, 1978 |title=Apollo Theatre Alive And Well |page=17 |work=New Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202624095}}}}</ref> Robert Schiffman considered replacing the existing theater with a new 3,000-seat venue,<ref name="Hamill 1977" /> and there were also calls to renovate the Apollo or to merge it with the Victoria Theater.<ref>{{cite news |last=Poster |first=Thomas |date=January 23, 1978 |title=A Double Play on 2 Great Theaters? |pages=127 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-double-play-on-2-great-thea/130824812/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102359/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-double-play-on-2-great-thea/130824812/ |url-status=live}}</ref> During the Apollo's closure, the already-dilapidated seats and decorations continued to decay, and burst water pipes destroyed the stage.<ref name="CC p. 201" />

Robert Schiffman sold the Apollo in early 1978<ref>{{cite news |last=Ford |first=Robert Jr. |date=March 25, 1978 |title=Secrecy clouds Apollo's new owners |page=D3 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226451523}}}}</ref><ref name="CC p. 201" /> to a group of black businessmen,<ref name="Ford 1978" /><ref name="The Billboard 1978">{{cite magazine |date=April 8, 1978 |title=General News: MacDonald Will Reopen N.Y.'s Apollo Theatre |magazine=The Billboard |volume=90 |issue=14 |pages=6 |id={{ProQuest|1286321818}}}}</ref> who became the first black owners of the theater.<ref name="nyt-1978-05-05">{{cite news |last=Palmer |first=Robert |date=May 5, 1978 |title=Lights Go On Again at the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/05/archives/lights-go-on-again-at-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100318/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/05/archives/lights-go-on-again-at-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The new owners included Rich and Elmer T. Morris<ref name="The Billboard 1978" /> and [[Guy Fisher]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Branch |first=John |date=November 26, 2010 |title=A Notorious Name, Cast in a New Light |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/sports/ncaabasketball/26villanova.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102402/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/sports/ncaabasketball/26villanova.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The group spent $250,000 renovating the Apollo,<ref name="Faller 1978" /><ref name="Ford 1978">{{cite news |last=Ford |first=Robert Jr. |date=April 1, 1978 |title=Here comes the Apollo – again |page=D12 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226404295}}}}</ref> which entailed replacing the sound system, renovating backstage areas, and furnishing the lobby.<ref name="Faller 1978" /> In addition, the new owners hired David E. McCarthy as the general manager<ref name="nyt-1978-04-28">{{cite news |date=April 28, 1978 |title=May Reopening Set For Apollo Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/28/archives/may-reopening-set-for-apollo-theater.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101432/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/04/28/archives/may-reopening-set-for-apollo-theater.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and added reserved seating.<ref name="nyt-1978-05-05" /> The theater reopened on May 6, 1978,<ref>{{cite news |last=Fierman |first=Jaclyn |date=May 8, 1978 |title=The Apollo: Harlem's Music Showcase Is Back |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/05/08/the-apollo-harlems-music-showcase-is-back/bdfdbbd5-00d9-4771-a3d1-977be59e9368/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=August 28, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828152813/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/05/08/the-apollo-harlems-music-showcase-is-back/bdfdbbd5-00d9-4771-a3d1-977be59e9368/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Rockwell |first=John |date=May 7, 1978 |title=The Apollo Theater Reopens With Ralph Mac Donald |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/07/archives/the-apollo-theater-reopens-with-ralph-macdonald.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100316/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/05/07/archives/the-apollo-theater-reopens-with-ralph-macdonald.html |url-status=live}}</ref> with a performance by percussionist [[Ralph MacDonald]] that was beset by technical issues.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Ford |first=Robert |date=May 20, 1978 |title=Talent: Apollo Theatre Reopening Marred By Sound Snafus |magazine=The Billboard |volume=90 |issue=20 |pages=64 |id={{ProQuest|1505924205}}}}</ref> In the months after it reopened, the Apollo hosted numerous acts and was moderately successful.<ref name="Faller 1978" /> The [[Internal Revenue Service]] raided the theater in November 1979 after finding that the new owners had failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in taxes over the two preceding years.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=November 10, 1979 |title=General News: IRS Seizes Harlem Apollo Theatre |magazine=The Billboard |volume=91 |issue=45 |pages=56 |id={{ProQuest|1286415237}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=George |first=Nelson |date=November 3, 1979 |title=Apollo Theatre closed |page=2 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226516384}}}}</ref> The theater's operators filed for bankruptcy in May 1981<ref>{{cite news |date=May 7, 1981 |title=Apollo Theater Seeks Financial Overhaul |page=A21 |work=The Hartford Courant |issn=1047-4153 |id={{ProQuest|546399214}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kennedy |first=John |date=May 7, 1981 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater Files for Bankruptcy |page=F10 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|147415974}}}}</ref> after Elmer Morris's arrest on drug charges.<ref name="CC p. 202">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=202}}</ref>

=== Sutton operation ===
[[Inner City Broadcasting]], a firm owned by Percy E. Sutton, agreed in late 1981 to buy the theater;<ref name="Browne 1981">{{cite news |last=Browne |first=J Zamgba |date=November 28, 1981 |title=Sutton buys Apollo for cable programs |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226427283}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=January 6, 1982 |title=Miscellany: Inner City Buys Apollo Theatre; Plans Satellite Network For Fall |magazine=Variety |volume=305 |issue=10 |pages=2, 71 |id={{ProQuest|1438356883}}}}</ref> he paid either $220,000<ref name="Fadden 1988" /><ref name="Walker 1987" /><ref name="CC p. 202" /> or $225,000.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /> Inner City had beat out a competing bid from the Bible of Deliverance Evangelist Church.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 2, 1982 |title=Inner City Broadcasting Plans to Buy the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/02/arts/inner-city-broadcasting-plans-to-buy-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100316/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/02/02/arts/inner-city-broadcasting-plans-to-buy-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Sutton recalled that there were "roaches, dead rats, swimming rats" in the flooded basement.<ref name="Stimpson 1993">{{cite news |last=Stimpson |first=Jeff |date=July 28, 1993 |title=Apollo Theater Returns to Center Stage |pages=422 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-theater-returns-to-cen/130595348/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100909/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-theater-returns-to-cen/130595348/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Inner City acquired an 81 percent stake in the theater's legal owner, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group,<ref name="Schatz 1991 2">{{cite news |last=Schatz |first=Robin |date=May 20, 1991 |title=A Family Moves To Center Stage It's showtime at Inner City Broadcasting, featuring a cast of new leaders who face some tough problems |page=27 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278359777}}}}</ref><ref name="Gluck 1988">{{cite news |last=Gluck |first=Andrew M. |date=September 11, 1988 |title=Show Biz Is The Biz for Percy Sutton |pages=183 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-show-biz-is-the-biz-for-percy/130990971/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-show-biz-is-the-biz-for-percy/130990971/ |url-status=live}}</ref> while Sutton owned the remaining 19 percent of the group.<ref name="Gluck 1988" /> According to Sutton, the purchase price was "the cheapest part of bringing the Apollo back", since the theater needed extensive renovations.<ref name="CC p. 202" />

The [[New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission]] (LPC) started to consider designating the Apollo Theater as a city landmark in early 1982,<ref>{{cite news |last=Miele |first=Al |date=March 30, 1982 |title=Landmark list is a real 'What's What' in buildings |page=181 |newspaper=Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-landmark-list-is-a-real-what/65358175/ |access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref> and it hosted hearings for the theater's landmark status during the middle of that year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Howell |first=Ron |date=April 13, 1982 |title=Panel Takes a Landmark Look at the Old Apollo |pages=161 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-panel-takes-a-landmark-look-a/130892308/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102148/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-panel-takes-a-landmark-look-a/130892308/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Bennetts |first=Leslie |date=June 9, 1982 |title=Panel Declares Treatment Plant City Landmark |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/09/nyregion/panel-declares-treatment-plant-city-landmark.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=March 31, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230331170047/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/06/09/nyregion/panel-declares-treatment-plant-city-landmark.html |url-status=live}}</ref> That July, state officials also proposed listing the theater on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (NRHP) after nonprofit [[New York Landmarks Conservancy]] had conducted a report of the theater.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rosario |first=Ruben |date=July 1, 1982 |title=Theater Plan Taking Off |pages=359 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-theater-plan-taking-off/130892283/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110940/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-theater-plan-taking-off/130892283/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apollo's facade and interior were designated as New York City landmarks in June 1983.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lake |first=Katharine |date=June 30, 1983 |title=Apollo Gets Landmark Billing |pages=19 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-gets-landmark-billing/130825723/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102407/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-gets-landmark-billing/130825723/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=July 1, 1983 |title=Apollo Theater Is Designated NYC Landmark |pages=19 |work=Democrat and Chronicle |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-apollo-theater-is/130825817/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102158/https://www.newspapers.com/article/democrat-and-chronicle-apollo-theater-is/130825817/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater was added to the NRHP in November 1983;<ref name="Newsday 1984">{{cite news |date=June 21, 1984 |title=Apollo Theatre Is Cited as National Landmark |pages=18 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-apollo-theatre-is-cited-as-natio/130981794/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110943/https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-apollo-theatre-is-cited-as-natio/130981794/ |url-status=live}}</ref> the NRHP listing became official in June 1984.<ref name="Newsday 1984" /><ref name="Burke 1984">{{cite news |last=Burke |first=Cathy |date=June 21, 1984 |title=The Apollo is Officially Historic |page=D.9 |work=Philadelphia Inquirer |id={{ProQuest|1820033213}}}}</ref>

==== Initial renovation ====
[[File:Apollo Theater, Harlem (2011).jpg|alt=Close-up view of the upper facade and marquee of the Apollo Theater|thumb|The upper facade and marquee of the Apollo]]
Sutton initially intended to spend $5.7 million on renovating the Apollo,<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /><ref name="Hinckley 1991" /> and he intended to host and broadcast live shows from the theater.<ref name="Browne 1981" /><ref>{{cite news |date=December 18, 1981 |title=Apollo Theatre to Launch Cable-TV |page=3 |work=Atlanta Daily World |id={{ProQuest|491571243}}}}</ref> The Apollo Entertainment TV Network was formed in mid-1982 to broadcast programs from the theater's studios.<ref>{{cite news |last=Yarrow |first=Andrew L. |date=July 4, 1982 |title=Cable TV Moves to the Music |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/04/business/cable-tv-moves-to-the-music.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110941/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/07/04/business/cable-tv-moves-to-the-music.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Gupta |first=Udayan |date=October 1, 1982 |title=Scanlines: Cable Comes From Harlem |magazine=American Film |issue=1 |page=20 |id={{ProQuest|964087393}}}}</ref> The Harlem Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) announced a $1 million grant for the theater in May 1982.<ref>{{cite news |last=Todd |first=George |date=May 22, 1982 |title=New lease on life for Apollo |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226477233}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Dunlap |first=David W. |date=May 18, 1982 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater to Be a Cable TV Studio |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/18/nyregion/harlem-s-apollo-therater-to-be-a-cable-tv-studio.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101904/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/05/18/nyregion/harlem-s-apollo-therater-to-be-a-cable-tv-studio.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The original reopening date of July 1982 was postponed due to the complexity of the project,<ref name="Back Stage 1982" /> and the state government expressed concerns that Sutton could not afford to pay for increasing renovation costs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Keith |date=September 22, 1982 |title=Fate of Apollo Theater in Doubt |pages=252 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-fate-of-apollo-theater-in-dou/130950519/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102401/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-fate-of-apollo-theater-in-dou/130950519/ |url-status=live}}</ref> That September, the U.S. federal government gave a $1.5 million [[Urban Development Action Grant]]<ref>{{cite news |date=September 30, 1982 |title=The City; U.S. Aid Awarded To Apollo Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/30/nyregion/the-city-us-aid-awarded-to-apollo-theater.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101048/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/09/30/nyregion/the-city-us-aid-awarded-to-apollo-theater.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Browne |first=J Zamgba |date=October 9, 1982 |title=Apollo gets Fed grant for renewal |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226493334}}}}</ref> to the city government, which lent the money to the Apollo's operators.<ref name="nyt-1982-12-12">{{cite news |last=Haitch |first=Richard |date=December 12, 1982 |title=Follow-up on the News; New Act at Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/12/nyregion/follow-up-on-the-news-new-act-at-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095842/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/12/nyregion/follow-up-on-the-news-new-act-at-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The city's Industrial Development Agency also issued $2.8 million in bonds to fund the construction of a recording studio.<ref name="Back Stage 1982">{{cite magazine |date=October 29, 1982 |title=Apollo Theatre Gets Grants For Concerts & TV |magazine=Back Stage |volume=23 |issue=44 |pages=69 |id={{ProQuest|962825829}}}}</ref> Percy Sutton and his brother Oliver wished to raise the rest of the $6.8 million cost by themselves.<ref name="nyt-1982-12-12" />

The Suttons announced in December 1982 that they would withdraw from the project after the [[New York State Mortgage Agency]] rejected the Suttons' request for insurance assistance.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rule |first=Sheila |date=December 26, 1982 |title=Revival Plans for Apollo Theater Are Dropped |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/26/nyregion/revival-plans-for-apollo-theater-are-dropped.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/26/nyregion/revival-plans-for-apollo-theater-are-dropped.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=December 21, 1982 |title=Deal to Save Apollo Theater Collapses |pages=200 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-deal-to-save-apollo-theater-c/130825989/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102529/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-deal-to-save-apollo-theater-c/130825989/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=December 27, 1982 |title=Apollo Theater to Stay Shut as Renewal Falters |pages=15 |work=The Buffalo News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-apollo-theater-to-stay/130826070/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102816/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-apollo-theater-to-stay/130826070/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Despite this, mayor [[Ed Koch]] expressed optimism that the renovation would continue.<ref>{{cite news |last=Browne |first=J Zamgba |date=January 1, 1983 |title=Koch: Apollo rehab plan is still kicking |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226510956}}}}</ref> The renovation was restarted in May 1983 after the state UDC agreed to give the theater $2.5 million;<ref>{{cite news |last=Gottlieb |first=Martin |date=May 27, 1983 |title=Plans to Reopen Apollo Revived by U.D.C. Aid |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/27/nyregion/plans-to-reopen-apollo-revived-by-udc-aid.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095840/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/05/27/nyregion/plans-to-reopen-apollo-revived-by-udc-aid.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Sutton |first=Larry |date=May 27, 1983 |title=A-OK for Apollo |pages=5 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-ok-for-apollo/130950826/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102148/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-ok-for-apollo/130950826/ |url-status=live}}</ref> without this funding, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group would have canceled the project entirely.<ref>{{cite news |last=Caarten |first=Michael |date=May 19, 1983 |title=Harlem Still Keeps Its Fingers Crossed |pages=64 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-harlem-still-keeps-its-finger/130950902/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110942/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-harlem-still-keeps-its-finger/130950902/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Sutton transferred the theater building and underlying land to the New York state government, as he wished to receive a $9 million state grant.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /> He then leased the theater for 99 years.<ref name="Vaughn 1985">{{cite magazine |last=Vaughn |first=Christopher |date=May 23, 1985 |title=Harlem's reopened Apollo Theatre striving toward profitability |magazine=The Hollywood Reporter |volume=287 |issue=8 |page=6 |id={{ProQuest|2594606404}}}}</ref> Sutton ultimately obtained $10 million from a consortium of lenders.<ref name="Hinckley 1991">{{cite news |last=Hinckley |first=David |date=May 20, 1991 |title=Can the Apollo Survive? |pages=25, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo/130587655/ 31] |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-can-the-apollo-survive/130586956/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-can-the-apollo-survive/130586956/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Lurie 1985">{{cite news |last=Lurie |first=Theodora |date=May 24, 1985 |title=Amateurs line up to bask in the Apollo's new glory |page=E6 |work=The Globe and Mail |id={{ProQuest|1151680364}}}}</ref> The renovation experienced more delays, and a construction management firm incurred nearly $800,000 in charges before work had even started.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" />

The renovated theater included a production studio for TV broadcasts and video productions,<ref name="Burke 1984" /><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1991" /> as well as a new hall of fame with memorabilia from the theater's history.<ref name="Colford 1985 2" /><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1985">{{cite news |date=July 6, 1985 |title=Apollo Hall of Fame accepting nominations |page=23 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226417138}}}}</ref> Air-conditioning and an elevator were added,<ref name="Goodman 1985" /><ref name="Span 1985">{{cite news |last=Span |first=Paula |date=June 16, 1985 |title=The Rebirth Of the Boos: Amateur Night Lives On at a Renovated Apollo |page=101 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|138616485}}}}</ref> and the theater also received new lights, sound systems, and dressing rooms and a restored interior.<ref name="Goodman 1985" /> By late 1983 and early 1984, the Apollo was expected to open in late 1984.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rule |first=Sheila |date=February 23, 1984 |title=The Apollo Reopens, Heartening Harlem |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/23/nyregion/the-apollo-reopens-heartening-harlem.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102816/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/02/23/nyregion/the-apollo-reopens-heartening-harlem.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 28, 1983 |title=Happy 75th for the Apollo |pages=364 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-happy-75th-for-the-apollo/130981027/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101904/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-happy-75th-for-the-apollo/130981027/ |url-status=live}}</ref> To advertise the Apollo's return, Sutton briefly reopened the theater for several events during its renovation.<ref name="CC p. 206">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=206}}</ref> These included the [[AUDELCO]] awards in November 1983,<ref>{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Keith |date=November 18, 1983 |title=Showtime at the Apollo Again |pages=210 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-showtime-at-the-apollo-again/130951647/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102816/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-showtime-at-the-apollo-again/130951647/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Fraser |first=C. Gerald |date=November 23, 1983 |title=Black Theater Stars Given Awards |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/23/theater/black-theater-stars-given-awards.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102308/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/11/23/theater/black-theater-stars-given-awards.html |url-status=live}}</ref> an Amateur Night that December,<ref>{{cite news |date=January 26, 1984 |title=Apollo Theatre Reopens |page=B5 |work=Los Angeles Sentinel |id={{ProQuest|565413264}}}}</ref><ref name="p1286423635">{{cite magazine |last=Nelson |first=George |date=January 14, 1984 |title=Black: Apollo Theatre Reopens Doors |magazine=The Billboard |volume=96 |issue=2 |pages=53 |id={{ProQuest|1286423635}}}}</ref> and a revue in June 1984.<ref>{{cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Philip H. |date=June 14, 1984 |title=Advertising; Dewar's Scotch Ties In With Apollo Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/14/business/advertising-dewar-s-scotch-ties-in-with-apollo-theater.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101433/https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/14/business/advertising-dewar-s-scotch-ties-in-with-apollo-theater.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=June 16, 1984 |title=Schedule salute to Apollo Theatre |page=5 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226447798}}}}</ref> Sutton estimated that it cost $72,000 just to operate the theater once a month.<ref name="p1286423635" /> At the end of 1984, the State Mortgage Agency agreed to insure three-fourths of a $2.9 million mortgage that the [[Manufacturers Hanover Corporation]] had placed on the theater;<ref>{{cite news |date=January 6, 1985 |title=Postings; Apollo's Financing Plan Complete |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/06/realestate/postings-apollo-s-financing-plan-complete.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101602/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/06/realestate/postings-apollo-s-financing-plan-complete.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=November 19, 1984 |title=Apollo Has Guarantee from State |pages=113 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-has-guarantee-from-sta/130986507/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101136/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-has-guarantee-from-sta/130986507/ |url-status=live}}</ref> that bank had provided $6 million in total funding.<ref name="New Pittsburgh Courier 1985" /><ref>{{cite news |date=May 17, 1985 |title=Rebirth of Harlem's Landmark and a 50-year Heritage |pages=168 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-rebirth-of-harlems-landmark/130987692/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095841/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-rebirth-of-harlems-landmark/130987692/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The first phase cost $5.5 million in total.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Nelson |first=George |date=June 15, 1985 |title=The World of Black Music: Relighting the Apollo at 50: New Luster for Harlem Landmark |magazine=The Billboard |volume=97 |issue=24 |pages=BM6 |id={{ProQuest|1286455098}}}}</ref> Local residents hoped that the Apollo's renovation would spur a revival of the neighboring stretch of 125th Street.<ref name="Colford 1985 2" />

==== Reopening and late 1980s ====
The first shows at the refurbished theater were hosted on May 22, 1985.<ref name="Vaughn 1985" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=May 22, 1985 |title=The Pop Life; Disco Revival May Be in the Making |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/22/arts/the-pop-life-disco-revival-may-be-in-the-making.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/22/arts/the-pop-life-disco-revival-may-be-in-the-making.html |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time of the rededication, the recording studio was not complete.<ref name="Span 1985" /> Sutton had intended to stage a wide variety of genres on different evenings:<ref name="Terry 1985" /> for example, the Apollo hosted jazz and rock on Friday and Saturday nights, gospel on Sunday mornings, and Amateur Nights on Wednesday nights.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davis |first=William A. |date=November 24, 1985 |title=Harlem Bubbles Over With a Restored Sense of Pride |pages=100 |work=The Buffalo News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-harlem-bubbles-over-wit/130989261/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102401/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-buffalo-news-harlem-bubbles-over-wit/130989261/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The revived theater also had a mixed-race dance company, which according to Sutton was intended to "send a message that everyone is welcome here".<ref name="Lurie 1985" /> By October 1985, the theater had closed temporarily to accommodate the construction of the recording studio;<ref>{{cite news |last=Tapley |first=Mel |date=October 5, 1985 |title=Apollo Theatre re-opening threatened by delays? |page=23 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226500033}}}}</ref> the ''New York Amsterdam News'' reported two months later that the work would last until late 1986.<ref name="Goodman 1985" /> ''[[Showtime at the Apollo]]'', a TV series showcasing Amateur Night performers, was launched in 1987.<ref name="Walker 1987" /><ref>{{cite magazine |date=April 8, 1987 |title=Apollo Weekly Television Show Set To Premier This September |magazine=Washington Informer |volume=23 |issue=25 |page=19 |id={{ProQuest|340453141}}}}</ref> The facilities were not all complete until mid-1988,<ref name="Gluck 1988" /><ref name="Moss 1988">{{cite magazine |last=Moss |first=Linda |date=April 11, 1988 |title=Live From the Apollo |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=4 |issue=15 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|219156292}}}}</ref> and the renovation ended up costing $20 million.<ref name="Hinckley 1991" /><ref name="Schatz 1991 3">{{cite news |last=Schatz |first=Robin |date=April 21, 1991 |title=Accounting Burlesque at the Apollo Missing files, loose hiring practices cited |page=19 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278369524}}}}</ref><ref name="CC p. 203">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=203}}</ref>

Sutton's lenders allowed him to defer payments on the loans until 1992 while he tried to make a profit.<ref name="Gluck 1988" /> To raise money, Sutton sold recordings of shows on a [[pay-per-view]] basis and tried to create [[Syndicated television|syndicated TV]] programs at the theater.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /><ref name="Hinckley 1991" /> He also planned to earn money from ''Showtime at the Apollo'', the Apollo Theater Records label, and licensing agreements,<ref name="Gluck 1988" /><ref name="Moss 1988" /><ref name="CC p. 203" /> but the theater remained unprofitable.<ref name="CC p. 206" /> Advertising firm [[Saatchi & Saatchi]] signed a contract in 1989 for the exclusive use of the Apollo's broadcast studios,<ref name="nyt-1989-04-28">{{cite news |last=Rothenberg |first=Randall |date=April 28, 1989 |title=The Media Business: Advertising; At the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/28/business/the-media-business-advertising-at-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102641/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/28/business/the-media-business-advertising-at-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but only one syndicated program was created through 1991.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /> The theater was also being used only 50 percent of the time, while the studio's [[uptime]] was 30 percent.<ref name="Rojas 1991">{{cite news |last1=Rojas |first1=Don |last2=Boyd |first2=Herb |date=April 13, 1991 |title=Saving the Apollo: Hectic efforts now underway to rescue famous landmark |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226372939}}}}</ref> The Apollo was losing $2.4 million a year by 1990<ref name="The Reporter Dispatch 1991">{{cite news |date=April 27, 1991 |title=Bank has faith in Apollo Theater |pages=9 |work=The Reporter Dispatch |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-bank-has-faith-in/130588464/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095841/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-bank-has-faith-in/130588464/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Schatz 1991">{{cite news |last=Schatz |first=Robin |date=April 12, 1991 |title=Apollo Theater Closing Notice Posted |page=7 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278356562}}}}</ref> and was predicted to lose $2.1 million over the next year.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1991" /><ref name="CC p. 206" /> Sutton had expected to earn $1.7 million from videos and pay $1.3 million in salaries in 1990, but he ended up earning $280,000 and paying $1.8 million.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /> The theater still faced competition from larger venues and was affected by perceptions of high crime.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /><ref name="Hinckley 1991" /> The Apollo Theatre Investor Group was delinquent on payments to the UDC by early 1991.<ref>{{cite news |last=Schatz |first=Robin |date=April 6, 1991 |title=Apollo Seeks Loan Help Lenders cooperate as payments missed |page=10 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278352954}}}}</ref> ''Newsday'' reported in 1991 that the group had never kept a formal [[ledger]], which may have worsened its financial issues.<ref name="Schatz 1991 3" />

Sutton announced in April 1991 that he would shutter the theater on June 1 unless his lenders restructured the loans.<ref name="Schatz 1991" /> After Sutton made a payment of $36,000 later that month,<ref name="Schatz 1991 2" /> the Manufacturers Hanover Corporation agreed to waive further loan payments for six months.<ref name="The Reporter Dispatch 1991" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Sack |first=Kevin |date=April 27, 1991 |title=Apollo Theater Wins Reprieve on Repayments |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/27/nyregion/apollo-theater-wins-reprieve-on-repayments.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101306/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/27/nyregion/apollo-theater-wins-reprieve-on-repayments.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Sutton considered transferring the theater's operation to a new nonprofit organization, which would cost him $6 million.<ref name="nyt-1991-05-31" /> He asked entertainers such as [[Bill Cosby]] to perform at the Apollo to raise money,<ref name="Hinckley 1991" /><ref name="Rojas 1991" /> A network TV special, benefit performances, and film screenings were organized to raise money, and numerous celebrities formed an organization called Save the Apollo Film Committee.<ref>{{cite news |last=Farley |first=Christopher John |date=May 6, 1991 |title=Curtain for Apollo?; Debt threatens landmark Harlem theater;Stars rally to save the cultural icon |page=1D |work=USA Today |id={{ProQuest|306429605}}}}</ref> Three hundred churches with black congregations also donated to the Apollo,<ref>{{cite news |date=August 2, 1991 |title=Black Churches to Aid Hale House, Apollo Theater |pages=34 |work=The Reporter Dispatch |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-black-churches-to/130591105/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101607/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-reporter-dispatch-black-churches-to/130591105/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and State Assembly member [[Geraldine L. Daniels]] asked [[the Recording Academy]] to consider hosting the [[Grammy Awards]] there.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 24, 1991 |title=New York Assemblywoman wants Grammy at the Apollo: Daniels calls for awards program in Harlem |page=12 |work=New Journal and Guide |id={{ProQuest|569460465}}}}</ref> By July 1991, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group was creating a nonprofit to take over the theater's operation.<ref name="Moore 1991">{{cite news |last=Moore |first=Keith |date=September 27, 1991 |title=Bank Sets New Deal on Apollo |pages=124 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-bank-sets-new-deal-on-apollo/130593168/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102816/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-bank-sets-new-deal-on-apollo/130593168/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Apollo Theater Foundation operation ===
In September 1991, the [[New York State Urban Development Corporation]] (UDC) bought the Apollo and assigned its operation to the nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation (ATF). As part of the deal, Manufacturers Hanover agreed to [[Debt relief|forgive]] $2.9 million in unpaid mortgage payments.<ref name="Moore 1991" /><ref name="nyt-1991-09-27">{{cite news |date=September 27, 1991 |title=Apollo Goes Nonprofit to Survive |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/27/nyregion/apollo-goes-nonprofit-to-survive.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095841/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/09/27/nyregion/apollo-goes-nonprofit-to-survive.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Collins 1991">{{cite news |last=Collins |first=T. J. |date=September 27, 1991 |title=Good News for Apollo |pages=18 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-suffolk-edition-good-news-for/130592963/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101138/https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-suffolk-edition-good-news-for/130592963/ |url-status=live}}</ref> In addition, the state UDC agreed to restructure a $7.67 million grant,<ref name="Collins 1991" /> although it was unwilling to forgive the entire debt, which totaled $11.4 million.<ref name="Moore 1991" /> Performers such as [[Natalie Cole]] continued to host shows to raise money for the Apollo.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hinckley |first=David |date=February 19, 1992 |title=Natalie Sings to Save the Apollo |pages=215 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-natalie-sings-to-save-the-apo/130593767/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102359/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-natalie-sings-to-save-the-apo/130593767/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Sutton remained involved with the theater as an unpaid consultant, and Inner City provided $500,000 per year in radio advertising for the Apollo.<ref name="Stimpson 1993" /> In addition, Inner City Theater Group licensed the Apollo's name and the rights to use the theater for five years.<ref name="nyt-1998-05-11">{{cite news |last1=Finder |first1=Alan |last2=Ramirez |first2=Anthony |date=May 11, 1998 |title=For the Apollo, Audits and Anger; A Landmark, in Eclipse, Faces Questions About Finances |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/11/nyregion/for-apollo-audits-anger-landmark-eclipse-faces-questions-about-finances.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908001726/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/05/11/nyregion/for-apollo-audits-anger-landmark-eclipse-faces-questions-about-finances.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 1990s ====
The ATF took over the theater in September 1992.<ref name="Chicago Tribune 1992" /><ref name="Poster 1992" /> A plaque, celebrating the Apollo's listing on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], was added to the theater the same month,<ref name="Chicago Tribune 1992">{{cite news |date=September 9, 1992 |title=Now the Apollo Theater Has a Plaque to Showcase Its Status |pages=46 |work=Chicago Tribune |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-now-the-apollo-theater-h/130593394/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101603/https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-now-the-apollo-theater-h/130593394/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Poster 1992">{{cite news |last1=Poster |first1=Tom |last2=Hester |first2=Jere |date=September 9, 1992 |title=A New Creed for Apollo |pages=584 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-new-creed-for-apollo/130593658/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101433/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-new-creed-for-apollo/130593658/ |url-status=live}}</ref> although the plaque was stolen in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |last=Chetty |first=Sharon |date=April 28, 1996 |title=Neighborhood Report: Harlem; Apollo Bronze Gone |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/28/nyregion/neighborhood-report-harlemapollo-bronze-gone.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102148/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/04/28/nyregion/neighborhood-report-harlemapollo-bronze-gone.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Leon Denmark was appointed as the foundation's director.<ref name="nyt-1996-02-11">{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Felicia R. |date=February 11, 1996 |title=At the Apollo, Past Meets Future |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/11/style/at-the-apollo-past-meets-future.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101739/https://www.nytimes.com/1996/02/11/style/at-the-apollo-past-meets-future.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The foundation sought to attract notable black performers and to reduce the theater's debts.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fisher |first=Ian |date=April 11, 1993 |title=Street of Dreams |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/11/style/street-of-dreams.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101612/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/11/style/street-of-dreams.html |url-status=live}}</ref> During its first operating season in 1993–1994, the ATF subsidized performances at the main auditorium and a smaller auditorium, and it launched the Community Arts Program to attract less experienced entertainers.<ref name="Iverem 1994">{{cite news |last=Iverem |first=Esther |date=July 28, 1994 |title=The Landmark Apollo Theater... home of amateur and pro alike |page=C!1 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278764726}}}}</ref> In addition, local TV station [[WPIX]] began broadcasting events from the Apollo.<ref name="Stimpson 1993" /> The ATF also created a public museum and held events to pay for maintenance.<ref name="nyt-1996-02-11" /> The revitalization of the Apollo Theater led to increased pedestrian traffic along West 125th Street,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kamen |first=Robin |date=August 8, 1994 |title=Loans add spice to Harlem eatery |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=10 |issue=32 |page=14 |id={{ProQuest|219176294}}}}</ref> while the theater itself had 12 events per month, attracting 17,000 guests.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Felicia R. |date=February 18, 1996 |title=Apollo Mission Woman Aims to Restore Harlem Landmark's Heritage |pages=498 |work=Chicago Tribune |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-apollo-mission-woman-aim/130599757/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102816/https://www.newspapers.com/article/chicago-tribune-apollo-mission-woman-aim/130599757/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Grace Blake became the ATF's director in 1996.<ref name="nyt-1996-02-11" /> The next year, the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation allocated funding for a gift shop next to the theater.<ref>{{cite news |date=May 31, 1997 |title=Empowerment Zone unveils $7M in funding recommendations |page=8 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390178477}}}}</ref> The ATF began raising $30 million for the theater in the late 1990s,<ref name="Carter 1998" /><ref name="Span 1998" /> but the city and state governments refused to issue $750,000 in grants unless the foundation could provide financial statements.<ref name="Span 1998" /><ref>{{cite news |date=May 6, 1998 |title=State, City Officials Block Money for Apollo Theater |pages=21 |work=The Daily Times |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-state-city-officials-bl/130604392/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100316/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-daily-times-state-city-officials-bl/130604392/ |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, there was a dispute over how much Inner City owed the ATF for the use of the Apollo's name.<ref name="nyt-1998-05-11" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Grant |first=Peter |date=June 22, 1998 |title=Impasse on Apollo Could Force 'Showtime' Off Air |pages=53 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-impasse-on-apollo-could-force/130602074/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100545/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-impasse-on-apollo-could-force/130602074/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apollo was mostly empty by 1998, except on Amateur Nights, and it was physically deteriorating.<ref name="Josh 1999" /><ref name="Span 1998">{{cite news |last=Span |first=Paula |date=May 28, 1998 |title=Worn Velvet And Fractured Finances At the Apollo; Theater Repairs Await Outcome of Funding Fight |page=B01 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|408366836}}}}</ref> The only other major show at the theater was ''Showtime at the Apollo'', and the Apollo was rented out for other events for the rest of the time.<ref name="Carter 1998" /> Many black performers shunned the theater because of its small size and because larger venues were no longer segregated.<ref name="Span 1998" />

In 1998, the [[Attorney General of New York]]'s office began investigating whether Inner City was underpaying ATF.<ref>{{cite news |last=Goodnough |first=Abby |date=August 4, 1998 |title=New York State To Investigate Apollo Contract |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/04/nyregion/new-york-state-to-investigate-apollo-contract.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101456/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/08/04/nyregion/new-york-state-to-investigate-apollo-contract.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Wong |first=Henry |date=July 29, 1998 |title=Apollo Theater: The Center Of Controversy |page=1 |work=New York Voice, Inc. Harlem USA |id={{ProQuest|367935985}}}}</ref> Then–attorney general [[Dennis Vacco]] accused the foundation's board of directors of mismanagement and sued the six black members of the 10-member board, including chairman [[Charles Rangel]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Dobnik |first=Verena |date=October 28, 1998 |title=Apollo Theater Board Members Say Attorney General Has No Case |pages=5 |work=The Record |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-apollo-theater-board-members/130604206/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100323/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-record-apollo-theater-board-members/130604206/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Chen |first=David W. |date=October 2, 1998 |title=Vacco Seeks Removal of 6 From Apollo Theater Board |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/02/nyregion/vacco-seeks-removal-of-6-from-apollo-theater-board.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102815/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/02/nyregion/vacco-seeks-removal-of-6-from-apollo-theater-board.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Vacco also unsuccessfully requested that New York Supreme Court justice [[Ira Gammerman]] place the theater into receivership.<ref>{{cite news |last=Browne |first=J. Zamgba |date=February 25, 1999 |title=Victory for Apollo |page=1.1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390257951}}}}</ref> Rangel and Sutton denied Vacco's accusations,<ref name="Josh 1999" /> and Vacco's successor [[Eliot Spitzer]] calculated that Inner City owed the ATF only $1 million.<ref name="nyt-2000-09-17">{{cite news |last=Pristin |first=Terry |date=September 17, 2000 |title=Big Ideas for Apollo Theater Are Held Up by Internal Squabbles |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/17/nyregion/big-ideas-for-apollo-theater-are-held-up-by-internal-squabbles.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101440/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/09/17/nyregion/big-ideas-for-apollo-theater-are-held-up-by-internal-squabbles.html |url-status=live}}</ref> By early 1999, [[Time Warner]] was considering taking over the Apollo's board,<ref>{{cite news |last=Grant |first=Peter |date=August 4, 1999 |title=Warner Letter Asking Apollo Board Shakeup |page=13 |work=New York Daily News |issn=2692-1251 |id={{ProQuest|313683630}}}}</ref> and the state government was willing to drop the lawsuits if Time Warner took over the board and ousted Rangel as chairman.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pristin |first=Terry |date=April 7, 1999 |title=State Seeks Rangel's Ouster at Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/07/nyregion/state-seeks-rangel-s-ouster-at-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101909/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/04/07/nyregion/state-seeks-rangel-s-ouster-at-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> That August, Time Warner donated $500,000 and expanded the ATF's board to 19 members;<ref>{{cite news |last1=Pristin |first1=Terry |last2=Blumenthal |first2=Ralph |date=August 5, 1999 |title=Rescue Time at the Apollo: Time Warner to Control Board |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/05/nyregion/rescue-time-at-the-apollo-time-warner-to-control-board.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101904/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/05/nyregion/rescue-time-at-the-apollo-time-warner-to-control-board.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=August 6, 1999 |title=Time-Warner Pumping Money Into Apollo Theater |pages=41 |work=The Journal News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-time-warner-pumping-mon/130604532/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101137/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-journal-news-time-warner-pumping-mon/130604532/ |url-status=live}}</ref> the agreement would go into force when Rangel resigned as chairman.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pristin |first=Terry |date=August 26, 1999 |title=Time Warner Sets Deadline on Control of the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/26/nyregion/time-warner-sets-deadline-on-control-of-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095840/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/26/nyregion/time-warner-sets-deadline-on-control-of-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Rangel initially refused to step down,<ref>{{cite news |last=Pristin |first=Terry |date=August 20, 1999 |title=In a Showdown at the Apollo, Rangel Is Fighting to the End |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/20/nyregion/in-a-showdown-at-the-apollo-rangel-is-fighting-to-the-end.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101145/https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/20/nyregion/in-a-showdown-at-the-apollo-rangel-is-fighting-to-the-end.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Grant |first=Peter |date=August 10, 1999 |title=Roadblock in Apollo Deal / Time Warner Attempts at Rescue Hitting Financial, Legal Snags |page=35 |work=New York Daily News |issn=2692-1251 |id={{ProQuest|313706517}}}}</ref> but [[Ossie Davis]] was ultimately appointed as the new chairman that September.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Windeler |first=Robert |date=September 23, 1999 |title=Davis replaces Rangel as Apollo Theatre chairman |magazine=Back Stage |volume=40 |issue=38 |pages=4 |id={{ProQuest|221107256}}}}</ref> Spitzer dropped his office's lawsuits in late 1999,<ref>{{cite news |last=Boyd |first=Herb |date=November 4, 1999 |title=Curtains up for Apollo |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390155939}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pristin |first=Terry |date=October 29, 1999 |title=Spitzer Asks Court to End Suit Against Apollo Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/29/nyregion/spitzer-asks-court-to-end-suit-against-apollo-theater.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405073702/http://www.nytimes.com/1999/10/29/nyregion/spitzer-asks-court-to-end-suit-against-apollo-theater.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and governor [[George Pataki]] approved a $750,000 grant for the Apollo.<ref>{{cite news |last=Browne |first=J. Zamgba |date=November 18, 1999 |title=The Apollo, crown jewel of Harlem, gets $725,000 for restoration |page=5 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390249223}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=November 4, 1999 |title=Pataki Announces $85M Project in Harlem |pages=33 |work=Newsday |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-pataki-announces-85m-project-in/130637250/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101139/https://www.newspapers.com/article/newsday-pataki-announces-85m-project-in/130637250/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Time Warner planned to host events such as TV specials, pay-per-view shows, and concerts there.<ref>{{cite news |last=Grant |first=Peter |date=August 9, 1999 |title=A New Era for Apollo |pages=215 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-new-era-for-apollo/130637678/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100318/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-a-new-era-for-apollo/130637678/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

==== 2000s ====
[[File:Apollo Marquee 2006.jpg|alt=The theater's marquee seen in 2006. The Gorillaz and Demon Days are advertised on the marquee.|thumb|Seen in 2006]]
By 2000, Time Warner planned to fully renovate the Apollo, but this was delayed by internal disputes over whether Time Warner should replace Blake as the ATF's director. The ATF's board hired [[Caples Jefferson Architects]] to design the renovation, and the [[New York Landmarks Conservancy]] created a report on the theater's condition.<ref name="nyt-2000-09-17" /> Time Warner executive Derek Q. Johnson was appointed as the ATF's president in early 2001,<ref>{{cite news |last=Pristin |first=Terry |date=March 30, 2001 |title=Executive Named to Head Apollo Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/30/nyregion/executive-named-to-head-apollo-theater.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102201/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/30/nyregion/executive-named-to-head-apollo-theater.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 31, 2001 |title=AOL Executive Will Lead Apollo Theater |pages=4 |work=Star-Gazette |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-gazette-aol-executive-will-lead-apo/130639450/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102815/https://www.newspapers.com/article/star-gazette-aol-executive-will-lead-apo/130639450/ |url-status=live}}</ref> when annual patronage totaled 115,000.<ref name="nyt-2009-02-26" /> Plans for the renovation were announced that May, with a tentative budget of $6 million<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Haire |first=Patricia |date=May 10, 2001 |title=Harlem's Past Key to Apollo's Future |page=50 |work=New York Daily News |issn=2692-1251 |id={{ProQuest|305605809}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=May 9, 2001 |title=A New Show at the Apollo Raises Hopes in Harlem |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/09/theater/a-new-show-at-the-apollo-raises-hopes-in-harlem.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101139/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/09/theater/a-new-show-at-the-apollo-raises-hopes-in-harlem.html |url-status=live}}</ref> or $6.5 million.<ref name="The Christian Science Monitor 2001 x131" /><ref name="Block 2001">{{cite magazine |last=Block |first=Valerie |date=June 4, 2001 |title=It's showtime at the Apollo |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=17 |issue=23 |page=3 |id={{ProQuest|219132430}}}}</ref> The ATF also wished to lease the neighboring [[Victoria Theater (Harlem)|Victoria Theater]] for 99 years and expand into the Victoria,<ref name="Block 2001" /><ref>{{cite news |date=June 5, 2001 |title=Report: Apollo Theatre plans expansion |pages=12 |work=The Ithaca Journal |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-report-apollo-theatr/130645204/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101137/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ithaca-journal-report-apollo-theatr/130645204/ |url-status=live}}</ref> although this was expected to inflate the cost of the renovation to almost $200 million.<ref name="Block 2001" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Hinckley |first=David |date=June 10, 2001 |title=Inflated Price for Glory |pages=146 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-inflated-price-for-glory/130645326/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102150/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-inflated-price-for-glory/130645326/ |url-status=live}}</ref> [[The Coca-Cola Company]] signed a ten-year sponsorship agreement with the ATF that August,<ref>{{cite news |date=August 16, 2001 |title=For one decade, Apollo will go better with Coke |page=20 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390384521}}}}</ref> and the [[Dance Theatre of Harlem]] also partnered with the Apollo that year.<ref>{{cite news |last=McGee |first=Celia |date=June 5, 2001 |title=A Legendary Pas De Deux Dance Theatre, Apollo Pair Up |page=37 |work=New York Daily News |issn=2692-1251 |id={{ProQuest|305621755}}}}</ref> Between 2001 and 2003, the theater's annual budget increased from $3 million to $10 million,<ref name="Kreinin Souccar 2003">{{cite magazine |last=Kreinin Souccar |first=Miriam |date=August 18, 2003 |title=New Executive: Jonelle Procope, Show time at the Apollo |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=19 |issue=33 |page=17 |id={{ProQuest|219180570}}}}</ref> and the theater began to host events such as musicals, galas, and fundraisers.<ref name="lat-2002-07-06">{{cite web |last=Ferguson |first=Chaka |date=July 6, 2002 |title=Renovation Playing at the Apollo |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jul-06-et-apollo6-story.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102816/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jul-06-et-apollo6-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="wp-2002-08-13">{{cite news |last=Duke |first=Lynne |date=August 13, 2002 |title=It's Showtime Again At Harlem's Apollo |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2002/08/13/its-showtime-again-at-harlems-apollo/164c7917-6a35-41bb-8943-ef5a0b99a51f/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

The first phase of renovation involved restoration of the facade and marquee,<ref name="Jet 2002" /> which was underway by 2002 and was expected to cost $12 million.<ref name="nyt-2002-09-10">{{cite news |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=September 10, 2002 |title=Apollo Postpones Expansion; Foundation's Chief Resigns |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/theater/apollo-postpones-expansion-foundation-s-chief-resigns.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110941/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/09/10/theater/apollo-postpones-expansion-foundation-s-chief-resigns.html |url-status=live}}</ref> That July, the ATF announced that it planned to close the theater for eight months.<ref name="lat-2002-07-06" /><ref name="Jet 2002">{{cite magazine |date=July 22, 2002 |title=New York's Apollo Theatre to undergo complete renovation |magazine=Jet |volume=102 |issue=5 |page=38 |id={{ProQuest|200002062}}}}</ref> [[Davis Brody Bond]] and [[Beyer Blinder Belle]] were hired as restoration architects, while local firms Bordy-Lawson Associates and Jack Travis Architect designed other parts of the renovation.<ref name="lat-2002-07-06" /> Johnson resigned in September 2002 after the ATF's board canceled plans to lease the Victoria and approved a smaller renovation project costing $53–54 million.<ref name="Kreinin Souccar 2003" /><ref name="nyt-2002-09-10" /> [[Jonelle Procope]] was named as the Apollo's director in 2003.<ref name="Kreinin Souccar 2003" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Tremayne-Pengelly |first=Alexandra |date=June 13, 2023 |title=How Jonelle Procope Saved the Apollo Theater |url=https://observer.com/2023/06/jonelle-procope-apollo-theater/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Observer |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200900/https://observer.com/2023/06/jonelle-procope-apollo-theater/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The ATF was involved in another proposal to renovate the Victoria in the mid-2000s,<ref>{{cite news |last=Pogrebin |first=Robin |date=February 1, 2005 |title=Groups Vie to Reimagine Historic Theater in Harlem |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/01/arts/design/groups-vie-to-reimagine-historic-theater-in-harlem.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/02/01/arts/design/groups-vie-to-reimagine-historic-theater-in-harlem.html |url-status=live}}</ref> but this proposal was unsuccessful.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bagli |first=Charles V. |date=May 17, 2006 |title=The Lights Are Still Out at the Victoria |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/nyregion/the-lights-are-still-out-at-the-victoria.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102325/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/17/nyregion/the-lights-are-still-out-at-the-victoria.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The ATF launched an annual spring benefit in 2005 to raise money.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bernard |first=Audrey J. |date=June 30, 2005 |title=Apollo Theatre star-studded spring benefit raised $900,000 to support theater's legacy |page=18 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|368073240}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Coleman |first=Chrisena |date=June 14, 2005 |title=Apollo Foundation's Liftoff |pages=89 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-foundations-liftoff/130650037/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-apollo-foundations-liftoff/130650037/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The renovation of the facade was finished that December,<ref name="Coleman 2005" /><ref name="nyt-2005-12-15" /> and the ATF installed wider seats in early 2006.<ref name="Misani 2006" /><ref name="nyt-2006-02-19">{{cite news |last=Ramirez |first=Anthony |date=February 19, 2006 |title=A Star in Harlem Is Reborn, One Velour Seat at a Time |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/nyregion/a-star-in-harlem-is-reborn-one-velour-seat-at-a-time.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102148/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/19/nyregion/a-star-in-harlem-is-reborn-one-velour-seat-at-a-time.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The first phase of the renovation also included replacing the stage and dressing rooms.<ref name="nyt-2006-02-19" /> By then, the theater had 1.3 million annual visitors;<ref>{{cite news |last=Blake |first=John |date=December 28, 2006 |title=One and only: Apollo Theater, a wellspring for African-American culture, is respected for its power to make or break careers |page=E.1 |work=The Atlanta Journal – Constitution |id={{ProQuest|337322535}}}}</ref> many tourists visited the theater just to tour it or learn its history, but the Apollo still hosted events and performances, and it remained an important gathering space for Harlem's residents.<ref name="CC pp. 230–231">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=230–231}}</ref>

The ceilings, walls, and other interior decorations were to be restored in the second phase of renovations.<ref name="nyt-2006-02-19" /> As part of the Apollo Rising Capital Campaign,<ref name="Financial Times j967">{{cite web |last=Varadarajan |first=Tunku |date=9 Feb 2008 |title=Apollo's mission to innovate Investment in Harlem's Apollo Theater, home of great African-American music, will allow it to build on its roots |url=https://www.ft.com/content/beaa74fc-d5da-11dc-bbb2-0000779fd2ac%27 |access-date=September 28, 2023 |website=Financial Times |archive-date=28 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928163140/https://www.ft.com/content/beaa74fc-d5da-11dc-bbb2-0000779fd2ac%27 |url-status=live}}</ref> by the beginning of 2008, the ATF had raised $51.5 million for the project's first phase and was planning to raise another $44.5 million for the second phase. The lobby would be expanded by {{Convert|4000|ft2}}, which would have required that the theater be closed for several months in 2009.<ref name="Barker 2008" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kreinin Souccar |first=Miriam |date=January 21, 2008 |title=Apollo Theater stages its next fundraising drive |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=24 |issue=3 |page=10 |id={{ProQuest|219204919}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Ramirez |first=Anthony |date=March 21, 2008 |title=Working Toward a Future to Rival the Apollo's Glittering Past |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21lives.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928111010/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/21/nyregion/21lives.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The work also entailed recladding the lobby, restoring the auditorium's decorations, and adding a walk of fame.<ref name="Barker 2008" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Gross |first=Samantha |date=January 23, 2008 |title=Legendary Apollo Theater seeks restoration money |page=B7 |work=New Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|2538704997}}}}</ref> In addition, a multi-purpose space would have been established on the second floor.<ref name="Barker 2008" /> The ATF delayed the interior renovation and paused its capital campaign in 2009.<ref name="nyt-2009-02-26" /><ref name="Flamm 2009">{{cite magazine |last=Flamm |first=Matthew |date=July 13, 2009 |title=It's not quite showtime at the Apollo |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=25 |issue=28–29 |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|219149930}}}}</ref> Although the Apollo was receiving many [[grassroots]] donations, Procope had decided to focus on expanding the theater's programming;<ref name="Flamm 2009" /> it sold 400,000 tickets per year at the time.<ref name="nyt-2009-02-26" />

==== 2010s ====
In the early 2010s, the Apollo was used primarily for TV shows, benefit parties, special events, and Amateur Nights.<ref name="wsj-2011-04-04" /> These included the Dining with the Divas luncheon, which started in 2011,<ref>{{cite web |date=March 31, 2011 |title=Audrey's Society Whirl: Legendary Apollo Theater's first ever 'Dining with the Divas' onstage |url=https://wzakcleveland.com/2467601/audreys-society-whirl-legendary-apollo-theaters-first-ever-dining-with-the-divas-onstage/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=93.1 WZAK |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102444/https://wzakcleveland.com/2467601/audreys-society-whirl-legendary-apollo-theaters-first-ever-dining-with-the-divas-onstage/ |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as the Apollo Theater Spring Gala.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bernard |first=Audrey J. |date=July 2, 2015 |title=Harlem's main attraction – Apollo Theater Spring Gala – raises $2M |page=12 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|1696635895}}}}</ref> A walk of fame was dedicated outside the theater in May 2010, recognizing performers in the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.<ref name="WNYC 2010 g077">{{cite web |last=Williams |first=Janaya |date=May 10, 2010 |title=Apollo Theater Unveils Walk of Fame on 125th Street |url=https://www.wnyc.org/story/60591-apollo-theater-unveils-walk-fame-125th-street/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=WNYC |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100915/https://www.wnyc.org/story/60591-apollo-theater-unveils-walk-fame-125th-street/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Weichselbaum 2010 u638">{{cite web |last=Weichselbaum |first=Simone |date=May 11, 2010 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater unveils own walk of fame, featuring likes of James Brown, Patti LaBelle |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/harlem-apollo-theater-unveils-walk-fame-featuring-likes-james-brown-patti-labelle-article-1.446898 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=New York Daily News |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200909/https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/harlem-apollo-theater-unveils-walk-fame-featuring-likes-james-brown-patti-labelle-article-1.446898 |url-status=live}}</ref> That year, the ATF decided to expand its board to 27 members.<ref>{{cite news |last=Thomas |first=Don |date=December 16, 2010 |title=Apollo Theater elects seven new members to its Board of Directors |page=29 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|873638452}}}}</ref> By 2011, the ATF was looking to expand into the site of the neighboring Showman's Cafe club, which had been vacant for 35 years, and was looking to raise $12 million for the project.<ref>{{cite news |last=Klan |first=Anthony |date=February 14, 2011 |title=Apollo in Talks to Expand |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703361904576142712823913244 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101904/https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703361904576142712823913244 |url-status=live}}</ref> The foundation revamped the Amateur Nights website, placed advertisements in the subway system, developed a mobile app for Amateur Nights, and invited a more diverse slate of performers.<ref name="Lagnado 2012">{{cite news |last=Lagnado |first=Lucette |date=October 3, 2012 |title=Even the Executioner has to evolve: Harlem's famed Apollo Theater trying to keep up as neighbourhood changes around it |page=A18 |work=The Globe and Mail |id={{ProQuest|1695857805}}}}</ref><ref name="wsj-2011-10-24">{{cite news |last=Walzer |first=Robert P. |date=October 24, 2011 |title=The Apollo Auditions for the Future |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204644504576649253158964130.html |access-date=September 9, 2023 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref> The ATF launched the 21st Century Apollo Campaign in 2014, seeking to raise $20 million; at the time, it had raised $10 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Catton |first=Pia |date=January 29, 2014 |title=Apollo Theater Launches Fundraising Campaign |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304428004579351091440308788.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0099-9660}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=January 31, 2014 |title=Apollo Theater Fundraising |url=https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2014/01/31/apollo-theater-launches-fundraising-campaign/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=The Real Deal |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102438/https://therealdeal.com/new-york/2014/01/31/apollo-theater-launches-fundraising-campaign/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Three-fourths of this amount was to be used to expand programming, $4 million would be raised for a reserve fund, and $1 million would be raised for smaller improvements.<ref name="Kreinin Souccar 2014">{{cite magazine |last=Kreinin Souccar |first=Miriam |date=February 24, 2014 |title=Apollo lifts off |magazine=Crain's New York Business |volume=30 |issue=8 |page=29 |id={{ProQuest|1504237542}}}}</ref>

By the mid-2010s, the ATF's finances had stabilized, with an annual operating budget of $13.2 million, and the organization had 30 trustees, six more than in 2009. A growing number of tourists were visiting the Apollo as well; for instance, Amateur Nights had attracted 60,000 viewers in 2013, of which nearly half were tourists.<ref name="Kreinin Souccar 2014" /> The ATF recorded surpluses in its budget for several consecutive years in the 2010s.<ref name="nyt-2018-12-04">{{cite news |last=Deb |first=Sopan |date=December 4, 2018 |title=Apollo Theater to Build New Performance Spaces |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/arts/music/apollo-theater-harlem-expansion.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826221605/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/04/arts/music/apollo-theater-harlem-expansion.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The foundation announced in 2018 that it would build two auditoriums, one with 199 seats and another with 99 seats, on the third and fourth stories of the Victoria Theater.<ref>{{cite web |last=Walker |first=Ameena |date=December 4, 2018 |title=Apollo Theater to expand with two new Harlem venues |url=https://ny.curbed.com/2018/12/4/18126099/apollo-theater-harlem-expansion-performing-arts-center |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Curbed NY |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101608/https://ny.curbed.com/2018/12/4/18126099/apollo-theater-harlem-expansion-performing-arts-center |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt-2018-12-04" /> The new stages, the first major expansion of the Apollo since 1934, would host works by rising artists and would also allow the ATF to produce a wider variety of content.<ref name="nyt-2018-12-04" />

==== 2020s expansion ====
Due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in New York City]], the Apollo Theater was temporarily closed in March 2020<ref>{{cite web |last=Rooney |first=David |date=March 12, 2020 |title=Broadway to Go Dark, NYC Venues Shutter Amid Coronavirus Pandemic |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/coronavirus-nyc-venues-shutter-1284249/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100635/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/coronavirus-nyc-venues-shutter-1284249/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 12, 2020 |title=Coronavirus ban hits Tribeca Film Festival, Apollo Theater |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-tribeca-film-festival-20200312-bqbaohmuhzejbld5z24najfroy-story.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=New York Daily News |archive-date=August 27, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230827085049/https://www.nydailynews.com/coronavirus/ny-coronavirus-tribeca-film-festival-20200312-bqbaohmuhzejbld5z24najfroy-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and did not reopen until August 2021.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lee |first=Ron |date=August 28, 2021 |title=Apollo Theater reopens roars back to life after pandemic-induced closure |url=https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2021/08/29/apollo-theater-reopens-to-ecstatic-crowds-after-pandemic-induced-closure- |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Spectrum News NY1 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2021/08/29/apollo-theater-reopens-to-ecstatic-crowds-after-pandemic-induced-closure- |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=August 28, 2021 |title=Apollo Theater in Harlem reopens with star-studded show after being shut down during COVID pandemic |url=https://abc7ny.com/apollo-theater-reopens-nyc-harlem/10982924/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=ABC7 New York |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102405/https://abc7ny.com/apollo-theater-reopens-nyc-harlem/10982924/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The ATF announced in late 2021 that they would open the auditoriums in the Victoria Theater the next year.<ref>{{cite web |last=Garber |first=Nick |date=July 2, 2021 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater To Open Historic Expansion Next Year |url=https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/harlems-apollo-theater-open-historic-expansion-next-year |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Harlem, NY Patch |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095840/https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/harlems-apollo-theater-open-historic-expansion-next-year |url-status=live}}</ref> The expansion into the Victoria Theater, which also included office space operated by the ATF, occurred amid increased interest in tourism in Harlem.<ref>{{cite news |last=King |first=Kate |date=2023-08-08 |title=Harlem, Pummeled by the Pandemic, Experiences a Tourism Revival |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/harlem-pummeled-by-the-pandemic-experiences-a-tourism-revival-f58ca260 |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=2023-09-13 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230913195416/https://www.wsj.com/articles/harlem-pummeled-by-the-pandemic-experiences-a-tourism-revival-f58ca260 |url-status=live}}</ref> ATF officials announced in October 2022 that they would renovate the original theater in early 2024, which would require that the main auditorium be closed for six months.<ref name="Crain's New York Business 2022 u078">{{cite web |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater to get transformative renovation, new leadership |url=https://www.crainsnewyork.com/arts/harlems-apollo-theater-get-transformative-renovation-new-leadership |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Crain's New York Business |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824210912/https://www.crainsnewyork.com/arts/harlems-apollo-theater-get-transformative-renovation-new-leadership |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Garber |first=Nick |date=October 20, 2022 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater To Get Major Renovation |url=https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/harlems-apollo-theater-get-major-renovation-first-time |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Harlem, NY Patch |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200902/https://patch.com/new-york/harlem/harlems-apollo-theater-get-major-renovation-first-time |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater had raised $63 million for its capital campaign<ref name="Crain's New York Business 2022 u078" /><ref name="nyt-2022-10-18">{{cite news |last=Bahr |first=Sarah |date=October 18, 2022 |title=Apollo Theater's Longtime President Will Step Down |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/arts/music/apollo-theater-jonelle-procope.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200907/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/arts/music/apollo-theater-jonelle-procope.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and was planned to be renamed the Apollo Performing Arts Center when the renovations were completed.<ref>{{cite web |date=June 20, 2023 |title=The Apollo Is Changing Its Name, and Here's How You Can Own a Seat at the World-Famous Institution |url=https://www.ebony.com/apollo-theater-name-change-own-seats/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=EBONY |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824200908/https://www.ebony.com/apollo-theater-name-change-own-seats/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Procope announced in late 2022 that she would step down as the Apollo's director the following June.<ref name="nyt-2022-10-18" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Hall |first=Margaret |date=October 19, 2022 |title=Jonelle Procope, Longtime President of the Apollo Theater, to Step Down in 2023 |url=https://playbill.com/article/jonelle-procope-longtime-president-of-the-apollo-theater-to-step-down-in-2023 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Playbill |archive-date=August 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825021014/https://playbill.com/article/jonelle-procope-longtime-president-of-the-apollo-theater-to-step-down-in-2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The 99-seat performance space in the Apollo Victoria Theater was renamed after Procope in early 2023.<ref>{{cite web |date=March 29, 2023 |title=Theater in The Apollo's New Cultural Space to Honor Jonelle Procope |url=https://thecitylife.org/2023/03/28/theater-in-the-apollos-new-cultural-space-to-honor-jonelle-procope/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=City Life Org |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102822/https://thecitylife.org/2023/03/28/theater-in-the-apollos-new-cultural-space-to-honor-jonelle-procope/ |url-status=live|postscript=none}}; {{cite web|last=Daniels |first=Karu F. |date=March 29, 2023 |title=New theater to be named for departing Apollo Theater CEO |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-apollo-theater-names-new-space-jonelle-procope-ceo-20230329-fqcgjug62fhe3fc6x4c4afwzam-story.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=New York Daily News |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824202407/https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ny-apollo-theater-names-new-space-jonelle-procope-ceo-20230329-fqcgjug62fhe3fc6x4c4afwzam-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> That June, [[Michelle Ebanks]] was appointed as the Apollo's director.<ref name="Mitchell 2023 s733" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Bahr |first=Sarah |date=June 6, 2023 |title=Apollo Theater Names New President |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/arts/music/apollo-theater-new-president-michelle-ebanks.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230824220018/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/arts/music/apollo-theater-new-president-michelle-ebanks.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apollo Stages at the Victoria opened in March 2024;<ref name="Mitchell 2024 w484">{{cite web | last=Mitchell | first=Jessi | title=Apollo Theater officially opens auxiliary space at Victoria Theater | website=CBS New York | date=March 7, 2024 | url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/apollo-auxiliary-space-victoria-theater/ | access-date=March 9, 2024|postscript=none}}; {{cite web| last=Charles | first=Charline | title=Inside look at the Apollo stages at Harlem's Victoria Theater | website=PIX11 | date=March 8, 2024 | url=https://pix11.com/news/local-news/manhattan/inside-look-at-the-apollo-stages-at-harlems-victoria-theater/ | access-date=March 9, 2024}}</ref> it consisted of a lobby, offices, and two additional stages.<ref name="Ginsburg 2023 h076">{{cite web | last=Ginsburg | first=Aaron | title=First expansion of Harlem's historic Apollo Theater to open this winter | website=6sqft | date=November 27, 2023 | url=https://www.6sqft.com/first-expansion-of-harlems-historic-apollo-theater-to-open-this-winter/ | access-date=January 9, 2024|postscript=none}}; {{cite web| last=Rahmanan | first=Anna | title=Legendary theater the Apollo is about to undergo a major expansion | website=Time Out New York | date=November 22, 2023 | url=https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/legendary-theater-the-apollo-is-about-to-undergo-a-major-expansion-112223 | access-date=January 9, 2024}}</ref> The ATF announced further details of the renovation that June. The plans included a restoration of the facade; expansion of the lobby; and upgrades to the seating, lighting, sound systems, restrooms, and soundstage.<ref name="Kvetenadze 2024 d490" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Higgins |first=Molly |date=August 15, 2024 |title=Harlem's Apollo Theater Announces Full-Scale Renovation |url=https://playbill.com/article/harlems-apollo-theater-announces-full-scale-renovation |access-date=August 20, 2024 |website=Playbill}}</ref> The theater temporarily closed on July 1, 2025.<ref name="Barron y300">{{cite web | last=Barron | first=James | title=The Apollo Theater’s Home, 108 Years Old, Gets a Refresh | website=The New York Times | date=July 1, 2025 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/01/nyregion/apollo-theater-renovation-nyc.html | access-date=July 1, 2025 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref name="Meminger b673">{{cite web | last=Meminger | first=Dean | title=Apollo Theater to close for yearlong renovation Wednesday | website=Spectrum News NY1  | date=June 23, 2025 | url=https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/human-interest/2025/06/23/apollo-theater-to-close-for-yearlong-renovation-this-week | access-date=July 1, 2025}}</ref> During the closure, Amateur Nights were suspended,<ref name="Barron y300"/> and other performances were moved to the Victoria Theater.<ref name="Meminger b673"/> The old seats were donated to a theater on [[Long Island]].<ref>{{Cite web|date=2025-07-29|title=Apollo Theater in NYC donates seating to new Glen Cove venue|url=https://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/apollo-theater-glen-cove-charles-wmkogrgd|access-date=2025-07-31|website=Newsday|first=Joseph|last=Ostapiuk|issn=2574-5298|language=en}}</ref>

== Programming and governance ==
The Apollo Theater Foundation, a [[501(c)(3) organization|501(c)(3) nonprofit organization]] established in 1991,<ref name="nyt-1991-09-27" /><ref name="Collins 1991" /> controls the theater. {{As of|2024}}, Michelle Ebanks is listed as the president and CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation.<ref name="GuideStar Profile x729">{{cite web |title=The Apollo Theater Foundation Inc |url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-3630066 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=GuideStar Profile |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102950/https://www.guidestar.org/profile/13-3630066 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=May 9, 2013 |title=The Apollo Theater Foundation Inc – Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133630066 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=ProPublica |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095842/https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/133630066 |url-status=live}}</ref> For the fiscal year that ended in June 2023, the organization recorded $4,507,683 in revenue and $9,935,823 in expenses.<ref name="GuideStar Profile x729" /> The ATF hosts programs such as Amateur Night, as well as events like concerts.<ref name="Iverem 1994" />

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.<ref name="enc-nyc" /> Some performers such as [[Elvis Presley]], [[Mick Jagger]], and [[the Beatles]]' members sat in the audience.<ref name="Colford 1985 2" /> [[Bill Clinton]] visited the Apollo in 2005, after the end of his presidency,<ref name="Miller 2010" /> while Jamaican prime minister [[P. J. Patterson]] was the first Caribbean head of state to visit the theater in 2002.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pryce |first=Vinette K. |date=August 15, 2002 |title=Jamaican prime minister takes Harlem's Apollo stage |page=3 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390190213}}}}</ref>

=== Amateur Night at the Apollo ===
{{redirect|Amateur Night|the 2016 film|Amateur Night (film)}}
[[File:Apollo Theater - Amateur Night @ Nat King Cole Walk (4593575798).jpg|alt=A message on the marquee advertising Amateur Night at the Apollo|thumb|Marquee for Amateur Night at the Apollo]]
Amateur Night was first hosted in 1934<ref name="Iverem 1994" /><ref name="Pacheco 1993">{{cite news |last=Pacheco |first=Patrick |date=February 7, 1993 |title=Apollonian Nights: The Harlem theater has been reorganized and amateur night revamped, but if the audience turns on you, you're still in trouble |page=F5 |work=Los Angeles Times |issn=0458-3035 |id={{ProQuest|1851838159}}}}</ref> or 1935<ref name="nyt-1985-05-20" /><ref name="Span 1985" /> and has been hosted nearly continuously since then, except from the 1970s to 1985.<ref name="wp-2002-08-13" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Barron |first=James |date=January 7, 1993 |title=New Producer Heads Apollo Revue |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/07/nyregion/new-producer-heads-apollo-revue.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101608/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/01/07/nyregion/new-producer-heads-apollo-revue.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Schiffman had introduced an amateur night at the Lafayette Theater, where Ralph Cooper had hosted Harlem Amateur Hour;<ref name="Fadden 1988" /> Cooper hosted the event at the Apollo for fifty years.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cohn |first=Roger |date=February 28, 1988 |title=Hoots from the balconies send some performers back to singing in the showers. |page=93 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|110596888}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Grossman |first=Ron |date=February 12, 1988 |title=Emcee to history: From Ella to James Brown, he's kept talent moving at the Apollo |page=D1 |work=Chicago Tribune |issn=1085-6706 |id={{ProQuest|882591990}}}}</ref> At the Apollo, Amateur Nights were held every Wednesday evening<ref name="Goldscheider 2005" /><ref name="Pacheco 1993" /> and broadcast on the radio over [[WMCA (AM)|WMCA]] and eleven affiliate stations.<ref name="enc-nyc" /><ref name="Fitzgerald 1992">{{cite magazine |last=Fitzgerald |first=Sharon |date=August 1, 1992 |title=Amateur Night at the Apollo |magazine=American Visions |volume=7 |issue=4 |page=26 |id={{ProQuest|1297833176}}}}</ref> The shows attracted audiences of all races.<ref name="Douglas 1987">{{cite news |last=Douglas |first=Bill William |date=November 29, 1987 |title=Show Business Wednesday Night Live Amateurs at the Apollo |page=17 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|277881842}}}}</ref> Until the 1990s, Amateur Nights often ran for up to four hours and hosted as many as 30 performers. After the ATF took over the Apollo, it shortened Amateur Nights to about 12 performers per night.<ref name="Pacheco 1993" /> A mobile app for Amateur Nights was launched in 2011,<ref name="wsj-2011-10-24" /> and auditions were hosted virtually for the first time in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.<ref>{{cite news |last=Burton |first=Amber |date=March 29, 2020 |title=Apollo Theater Goes Virtual for Amateur Night Auditions |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/apollo-theater-goes-virtual-for-amateur-night-auditions-11585490401 |access-date=September 10, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110941/https://www.wsj.com/articles/apollo-theater-goes-virtual-for-amateur-night-auditions-11585490401 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lockwood |first=Devi |date=March 26, 2020 |title=Apollo Theater's Amateur Night Auditions Go Digital |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/theater/apollo-theater-amateur-night-auditions-covid.html |access-date=September 10, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100317/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/26/theater/apollo-theater-amateur-night-auditions-covid.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Amateur Nights performances were showcased in the TV series ''[[Showtime at the Apollo]]'', which ran from 1987 to 2008 and was relaunched in 2018.<ref>{{cite web |last=Holloway |first=Daniel |date=April 17, 2017 |title='Showtime at the Apollo' Series Revival Ordered by Fox |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/showtime-at-the-apollo-revival-1202032348/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908001725/https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/showtime-at-the-apollo-revival-1202032348/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Ramos Ramos 2021 l004">{{cite web |last=Ramos |first=Dino-Ray |date=February 8, 2021 |title=UTA Signs Harlem's Iconic Apollo Theater |url=https://deadline.com/2021/02/uta-the-apollo-theater-new-york-harlem-1234689823/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |website=Deadline |archive-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908001726/https://deadline.com/2021/02/uta-the-apollo-theater-new-york-harlem-1234689823/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Traditionally, many contestants would rub a stump on the stage for good luck;<ref name="wsj-2011-04-04" /><ref name="Giannotta 2018 x216">{{cite web |last=Giannotta |first=Meghan |date=May 3, 2018 |title='Showtime at the Apollo's' Steve Harvey says Harlem theater is 'ultimate proving ground' |url=https://www.amny.com/entertainment/steve-harvey-the-apollo-1-18376242/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=amNewYork |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095840/https://www.amny.com/entertainment/steve-harvey-the-apollo-1-18376242/ |url-status=live}}</ref> this stump, known as the Tree of Hope, was originally planted in the median of Seventh Avenue in Harlem.<ref>{{cite web |date=February 27, 2020 |title=Black History Month: About The Amateur Night At The Apollo's Good Luck Tree Of Hope |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/black-history-month-about-the-amateur-night-at-the-apollos-good-luck-tree-of-hope/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |website=CBS New York |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901010042/https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/black-history-month-about-the-amateur-night-at-the-apollos-good-luck-tree-of-hope/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="nyt-2009-02-26">{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Felicia R. |date=February 26, 2009 |title=Uptown Shrine's Upbeat Anniversary |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/music/27apol.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102303/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/arts/music/27apol.html |url-status=live}}</ref> A winner and three runners-up are selected after each show.<ref name="nyt-1985-05-20" /><ref name="Span 1985" /><ref name="Pacheco 1993" /> First-place winners were given money and invited to return to the Apollo;<ref name="Span 1985" /> the contests have sometimes ended in a tie.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stern |first=Rachel |date=October 28, 2010 |title=Apollo Theater's Amateur Night Finale Ends in a Tie |work=DNAInfo.com |url=http://www.dnainfo.com/20101028/harlem/apollo-theaters-amateur-night-finale-ends-tie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723125916/http://www.dnainfo.com/20101028/harlem/apollo-theaters-amateur-night-finale-ends-tie |archive-date=July 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=January 27, 1990 |title=Dancers, singer tie for 1st place |page=25 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226362738}}}}</ref> Early winners of Amateur Nights were invited to perform at the Apollo the following week;<ref name="CC p. 59" /> by the late 20th century, winners were invited to participate in monthly Show Off shows and annual Top Dog competitions.<ref name="Pacheco 1993" /><ref name="Douglas 1987" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Freedman |first=Samuel G. |date=June 11, 1986 |title=Playing Again at the Apollo: Top Dog Night |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/11/nyregion/playing-again-at-the-apollo-top-dog-night.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100407/https://www.nytimes.com/1986/06/11/nyregion/playing-again-at-the-apollo-top-dog-night.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The "executioner", holding a broom, would sweep Amateur Night performers off the stage if they were performing poorly.<ref>{{cite news |last=Holloway |first=Lynette |date=1992-08-07 |title=Show Time for Sad Time at Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/07/nyregion/show-time-for-sad-time-at-apollo.html |access-date=2023-09-28 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=2023-05-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230508132242/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/08/07/nyregion/show-time-for-sad-time-at-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The executioner might also use other objects, such as a chair, balls, gavels, or weapon props.<ref name="Lagnado 2012" /> Vaudeville tap dancer [[Howard Sims|"Sandman" Sims]] played the role from the 1950s to 2000,<ref name="enc-nyc" /> while C. P. Lacey also served as executioner for over 20 years starting in the 1980s.<ref name="Lagnado 2012" /> The performer might also be chased offstage with a cap pistol, accompanied by the sound of a siren.<ref name="enc-nyc" /><ref name="Fitzgerald 1992" /> According to ''[[Showtime at the Apollo]]'' presenter [[Steve Harvey]], some musicians were informally off limits, and contestants were booed off the stage if they missed a single note while performing these musicians' songs.<ref name="Giannotta 2018 x216" /> [[Luther Vandross]] was booed off stage four times before he won,<ref name="Span 1998" /><ref name="Pacheco 1993" /><ref name="CC p. 59" /> and [[James Brown]] was also unsuccessful in his first performance in 1952.<ref name="nyt-2009-02-26" />

Amateur Night performers came from across the U.S.<ref name="Fitzgerald 1992" /> The vast majority of Amateur Nights performers have historically been young black performers, although there have also been older or white performers.<ref name="Fitzgerald 1992" /><ref name="Pacheco 1993" /> The Amateur Nights events helped popularize young or obscure artists.<ref name="Fitzgerald 1992" /> Winners have included [[Pearl Bailey]],<ref name="Douglas 1987" /><ref name="CC p. 59" /> [[Thelma Carpenter]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=August 4, 1993 |title=Reviews/Television; Onstage at the Apollo, Competitive Tribute |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/04/theater/reviews-television-onstage-at-the-apollo-competitive-tribute.html |url-status=live |access-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408140901/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/04/theater/reviews-television-onstage-at-the-apollo-competitive-tribute.html |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> [[Ella Fitzgerald]],<ref name="nyt-1978-04-28" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Moret |first=Jim |date=June 15, 1996 |title='First Lady of Song' passes peacefully, surrounded by family |publisher=CNN |url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9606/15/fitzgerald.obit/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=January 30, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061129231320/http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/9606/15/fitzgerald.obit/index.html |archive-date=November 29, 2006}}</ref> [[The Jackson 5]],<ref name="Pesce 2014">{{cite news |last=Pesce |first=Nicole Lyn |date=January 12, 2014 |title=Historic Theater Has Hit Many High Notes |page=5 |work=New York Daily News |issn=2692-1251 |id={{ProQuest|1476632787}}}}</ref> [[Sarah Vaughan]],<ref name="CC p. 59" /><ref>{{cite news |date=April 7, 1951 |title=$4,500 Per Ain't Hay: Sarah's First Stint at Apollo Was for 'free' |page=8 |work=Afro-American |id={{ProQuest|531741500}}}}</ref> [[Frankie Lymon]] and [[The Teenagers]],<ref name="nyt-1985-05-20" /><ref name="Douglas 1987" /> [[King Curtis]], [[Wilson Pickett]], [[Ruth Brown]], [[Gladys Knight]], [[Smokey Robinson]],<ref name="CC p. 59" /> [[The Ronettes]], [[The Isley Brothers]], [[Stephanie Mills]],<ref name="Douglas 1987" /> [[Leslie Uggams]], [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], [[Billie Holiday]], and [[Dionne Warwick]].<ref name="Pacheco 1993" /> One author wrote in 2010 that "if there had been no Apollo Theater, many of these stars would never have been given their first chance."<ref name="CC p. 59" />

=== Apollo Legends Hall of Fame ===
The Apollo Legends Hall of Fame was created in 1985.<ref name="Colford 1985 2" /><ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1985" /> The Hall of Fame initially consisted of the names of 25 performers who debuted at the Apollo before 1955,<ref>{{cite news |date=August 1, 1993 |title=This Week's Picks: Historic Apollo Theatre Salutes Its Talent in New Hall of Fame |page=O3 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|140825612}}}}</ref> as well as memorabilia representing the theater's history.<ref name="Colford 1985 2" /> Every year thereafter, up to ten people have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Nominees for the Hall of Fame are required to have either performed at the Apollo or have created a show or other artistic work inspired by those who performed at the Apollo.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1985" /> Some of the Hall of Fame's inductees are honored in the Walk of Fame, created in 2010. The walk consists of bronze plaques inset into the sidewalk.<ref name="WNYC 2010 g077" /><ref name="Weichselbaum 2010 u638" />

=== Commissioned work and educational programs ===
The theater's educational programs over the years have included lectures, such as a 1974 lecture by blues musician [[B.B. King]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Cummings |first=Judith |date=April 26, 1974 |title=B. B. King Gives a Blues Lesson |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/04/26/archives/b-b-king-gives-a-blues-lesson-singer-invites-pupils-from-harlem-to.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907224805/https://www.nytimes.com/1974/04/26/archives/b-b-king-gives-a-blues-lesson-singer-invites-pupils-from-harlem-to.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The ATF formed a partnership with the Verizon Foundation in 2007 to teach local students about the theater's history,<ref>{{cite news |last= |first= |date=November 1, 2007 |title=New partnership brings the Apollo to classrooms |page=39 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390111222}}}}</ref> and it began hosting the Master Class Series for performers in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |date=October 25, 2012 |title=Apollo Theater announces fall and winter education programs |pages=8, 15 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|1158741532}}}}</ref> Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the ATF curated numerous education programs that taught 20,000 children annually.<ref name="nyt-2022-10-18" /> In late 2022, the ATF created the Apollo Apprenticeship program, which provides internships in event management, technical production, technical direction, management, and project creation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bernard |first=Audrey J. |date=November 17, 2022 |title=Apollo Theater launches new Apollo Apprenticeship education programs |page=16 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|2753385301}}}}</ref>

In 2010, playwright [[Keith Josef Adkins]] launched New Black Fest at the Apollo,<ref>{{cite web |last=Nichloson |first=Rebecca |date=July 28, 2015 |title=The New Black Fest: African American Theatre Tackles Ferguson, Racism, and Social Injustice |url=https://www.blackenterprise.com/the-new-black-fest-african-american-theatre-tackles-ferguson-racism-social-injustice/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Black Enterprise |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101432/https://www.blackenterprise.com/the-new-black-fest-african-american-theatre-tackles-ferguson-racism-social-injustice/ |url-status=live}}</ref> an annual event that showcases theatrical works by black playwrights.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Felicia R. |date=September 22, 2010 |title=Festival Spotlights Emerging Playwrights |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/theater/23arts-FESTIVALSPOT_BRF.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102815/https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/23/theater/23arts-FESTIVALSPOT_BRF.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The ATF launched the Apollo New Works program in 2020 after receiving $3 million in grants from the [[Andrew W. Mellon Foundation]] and [[Ford Foundation]].<ref name="nyt-2020-02-27">{{cite news |last=Aridi |first=Sara |date=February 27, 2020 |title=Apollo Theater Announces New Series of Commissions |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/theater/apollo-theater-commissions-ta-nehisi-coates.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102443/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/theater/apollo-theater-commissions-ta-nehisi-coates.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Apollo New Works is intended to showcase musical, theatrical, or dance performances by black artists; a set of artists-in-residence is selected every year.<ref name="nyt-2020-02-27" /><ref>{{cite web |date=March 3, 2023 |title=New Works |url=https://www.apollotheater.org/new-works/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Apollo Theater |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101435/https://www.apollotheater.org/new-works/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The ATF and the [[United Talent Agency]] signed an agreement in 2021 to allow the UTA to promote films, TV shows, and other shows produced at the Apollo.<ref name="Ramos Ramos 2021 l004" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Aswad |first=Jem |date=February 11, 2021 |title=Music Industry Moves: Swizz Beatz Switches to ASCAP; Apollo Theater Signs With UTA |url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/apollo-theater-uta-bmg-1234903556/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908001725/https://variety.com/2021/music/news/apollo-theater-uta-bmg-1234903556/ |url-status=live}}</ref> {{As of|2023}}, the Apollo presents both remote and in-person workshops and programs to over 20,000 people per year.<ref>{{cite news |last=Bernard |first=Audrey J. |date=January 26, 2023 |title=The Apollo gears up for a historic 2023 with the opening of The Apollo's Victoria Theater |page=22 |work=New York Beacon |id={{ProQuest|2781737479}}}}</ref>

In partnership with the [[Columbia Center for Oral History Research]], in 2008, the ATF assembled an archive of historical documents, photographs, and other media and launched an oral history project.<ref name="lat-2008-10-25">{{cite web |date=October 25, 2008 |title=Giving voice to Apollo's history |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-25-et-quick25.s6-story.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101140/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-25-et-quick25.s6-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Thielman |first=Sam |date=October 24, 2008 |title=Columbia, Apollo team for oral history |url=https://variety.com/2008/legit/news/columbia-apollo-team-for-oral-history-1117994541/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102401/https://variety.com/2008/legit/news/columbia-apollo-team-for-oral-history-1117994541/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Dozens of performers, including [[Smokey Robinson]], [[Leslie Uggams]], and [[Fred Wesley]], gave interviews for the project.<ref name="lat-2008-10-25" /> The archive includes a {{convert|100|ft|m|-long|adj=mid}} plywood wall that thousands of mourners signed after Michael Jackson's death.<ref>{{cite web |date=August 25, 2009 |title=Apollo Theater to honor Michael Jackson |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jackson-apollo-sb/apollo-theater-to-honor-michael-jackson-idUKTRE57O68Y20090825 |access-date=September 8, 2023 |website=Reuters |archive-date=September 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230908195243/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-jackson-apollo-sb/apollo-theater-to-honor-michael-jackson-idUKTRE57O68Y20090825 |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Notable performances and performers ==

=== Music ===
Among the earliest acts to play the Apollo were blues performers [[Bessie Smith]]<ref name="Reed 1982" /> and [[Lead Belly|Lead Belly Ledbetter]].<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC p. 170">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=170}}</ref> During the theater's first decade, numerous prominent jazz and big band musicians played at the Apollo; most of them were black, but some were white.<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" /> In the mid-1950s, the theater started hosting [[Mambo (music)|mambo]] performances<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1954">{{cite news |date=May 8, 1954 |title=Mambo Festival On Apollo Stage |page=22 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225702375}}}}</ref> after [[Machito]]'s Afro-Cubans performed at the Apollo 13 times in 13 years.<ref name="CC p. 222">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=222}}</ref> The theater's first [[Gospel music|gospel acts]] appeared in 1955.<ref name="CC pp. 160–161" /><ref name=p2404913515>{{cite news |date=December 10, 1955 |title=Appollo {{sic |nolink=y}} to Open Gospel Package |page=16 |work=Michigan Chronicle |id={{ProQuest|2404913515}}}}</ref> The theater also began hosting gospel performers<ref name="enc-nyc" /> and [[rock and roll]] performers in the 1950s,<ref name="CC p. 212"/> and numerous DJs also headed shows in the Apollo in the 1960s.<ref name="CC p. 197" />

Notable performers from the 1930s to the 1960s have included:<ref name="NYCL pp. 14–15">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|pp=14–15}}</ref>
{{Div col|colwidth=20em}}
* [[Cannonball Adderley]], jazz musician<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=194–196}}</ref>
* [[Nat Adderley]], jazz musician<ref name="NYCL p. 15"/>
* [[Josephine Baker]], jazz performer<ref>{{cite magazine |date=December 26, 1951 |title=House Review: Apollo. N. Y. |magazine=Variety |volume=185 |issue=3 |pages=48 |id={{ProQuest|962813929}}}}</ref>
* [[LaVern Baker]], R&B vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Charlie Barnet]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Count Basie]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Mario Bauzá]], jazz musician<ref name="CC pp. 220–221"/>
* [[Art Blakey]], jazz musician<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Alex Bradford]], gospel musician<ref name="CC pp. 160–161" /><ref name=p2404913515/>
* [[James Brown]], Soul, R&B and funk performer<ref name=wp20061229>{{cite news |last=Segal |first=David |date=December 29, 2006 |title=The Godfather Fills the Apollo One Last Time: Thousands Pay Their Respects At Wake for James Brown |page=C1 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|2688754329}}}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=27}}</ref>
* [[Maxine Brown (soul singer)|Maxine Brown]], R&B singer<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Ruth Brown]], R&B singer<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Dave Brubeck]], jazz musician<ref name="CC p. 196"/>
* [[Gary Byrd]], DJ<ref name="Reed 1982" />
* [[Shirley Caesar]], gospel singer<ref name="Apollo History" />
* [[Cab Calloway]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Betty Carter]], jazz vocalist<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196"/>
* [[Jimmy Cavallo]], rock and roll musician<ref name="CC p. 212"/>
* [[The Clark Sisters]], gospel group<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Nat King Cole]], jazz vocalist<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[John Coltrane]], jazz musician<ref name="Apollo History" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196" />
* [[Ornette Coleman]], jazz musician<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196"/>
* [[Sam Cooke]] with the [[Soul Stirrers]], gospel group<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Don Cornelius]], DJ<ref name="Reed 1982" />
* [[Frankie Crocker]], DJ<ref name=p226580512/>
* [[Bobby Darin]], jazz, pop, rock and roll, folk, swing, and country musician<ref name="CC p. 212"/>
* [[Miles Davis]], jazz musician<ref name="Apollo History" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196" />
* [[Sammy Davis Jr.]], vocalist<ref name="Apollo History">{{cite web |date=December 15, 2021 |title=Apollo History |url=https://www.apollotheater.org/about/history/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |website=Apollo Theater |archive-date=November 15, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211115210658/https://www.apollotheater.org/about/history/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="NYCL p. 15">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|p=14}}</ref>
* [[The Dixie Hummingbirds]], gospel group<ref name="Apollo History" />
* [[Billy Eckstine]], jazz and pop vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Duke Ellington]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Ralph Escudero]], jazz musician<ref name="CC pp. 220–221">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=220–221}}</ref>
* [[Little Esther]], R&B vocalist<ref>{{cite news |date=April 15, 1950 |title=Child Prodigy Headlines New Live Show at Apollo |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225818774}}}}</ref>
* [[Maynard Ferguson]], jazz musician<ref name="CC p. 196"/>
* [[Ella Fitzgerald]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Five Blind Boys of Mississippi]], gospel group<ref name="CC pp. 160–161" /><ref name=p2404913515/>
* [[The Four Aces]], traditional pop group<ref name="CC p. 212"/>
* [[Aretha Franklin]], soul singer<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/><ref name="Apollo History" />
* [[Alan Freed]], rock and roll DJ<ref>{{cite news |date=November 24, 1956 |title=Alan Freed's Rock 'N' Roll Show At Apollo |page=14 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225644553}}}}</ref>
* [[Dizzy Gillespie]], jazz musician<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196"/>
* [[Stan Getz]], jazz musician<ref name="CC p. 196"/>
* [[Jocko Henderson]], DJ<ref name=p226580512/>
* [[Vy Higginsen]], DJ<ref name="Reed 1982" />
* [[Earl Hines]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Billie Holiday]], jazz vocalist<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Buddy Holly]], rock and roll musician<ref name="CC p. 212">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=212}}</ref>
* [[Lionel Hampton]], jazz musician<ref>{{cite news |date=July 3, 1943 |title=Lionel Hampton Plus Orchestra and Revue at Apollo Theatre for Week |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225999295}}}}</ref>
* [[Erskine Hawkins]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Mahalia Jackson]], gospel singer<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Harry James]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Buddy Johnson]], big band leader<ref>{{cite news |date=July 17, 1943 |title=New Singing, Playing Sensation At Appolo {{Sic |nolink=y}}: Funmakers Scoring Laughs |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226109292}}}}</ref>
* [[Louis Jordan]], jazz musician<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196"/>
* [[B. B. King]], blues musician<ref>{{cite news |date=May 29, 1954 |title=New Satellites Spark Apollo Holiday Show |page=22 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225706184}}}}</ref>
* [[Ben E. King]], soul and R&B vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Andy Kirk (musician)|Andy Kirk]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], rock and roll musician<ref name="CC p. 212"/>
* [[Jimmie Lunceford]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Clyde McPhatter]], R&B, soul, and rock & roll vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Thelonious Monk]], jazz musician<ref name="Apollo History" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196" />
* [[Anita O'Day]], jazz vocalist<ref name="ODay Eells 1981 p. ">{{cite book | last1=O'Day | first1=Anita | last2=Eells | first2=George | title=High Times, Hard Times | publisher=Penguin Adult HC/TR | date=1981 | isbn=978-0-399-12505-8 | page=169}}</ref>
* [[Eddie O'Jay]], DJ<ref name="Reed 1982" />
* [[Wilson Pickett]], soul singer<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/><ref name="Apollo History" /> 
* [[Pilgrim Travelers]], gospel group<ref name="CC pp. 160–161" /><ref name=p2404913515/>
* [[Louis Prima]], jazz, swing, and blues musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Lou Rawls]], gospel musician<ref name="Campbell 1970" />
* [[Otis Redding]], soul singer<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/><ref name="Apollo History" />
* [[Vivian Reed (actress, born 1945)|Vivian Reed]], vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Buddy Rich]], jazz musician<ref name="CC p. 196">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=196}}</ref>
* [[Max Roach]], jazz musician<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="CC pp. 194–196"/>
* [[Sam & Dave]], soul and R&B singers<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/><ref name="Apollo History" />
* [[Horace Silver]], jazz musician<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Tommy Smalls]], rock and roll DJ<ref>{{cite news |date=November 15, 1956 |title=Tommy Smalls Is Box Office King |page=6 |id={{ProQuest|491095498}}}}</ref>
* [[The Staple Singers]], gospel, soul, and R&B group<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Symphony Sid]], DJ<ref name=p226580512>{{cite news |last=Matthews |first=Les |date=April 22, 1978 |title=Apollo opens to celebration |page=A1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226580512}}}}</ref>
* [[Joe Tex]], soul vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Sister Rosetta Tharpe]], gospel singer<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Juan Tizol]], jazz musician<ref name="CC pp. 220–221"/>
* [[Leslie Uggams]], vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
* [[Sarah Vaughan]], jazz vocalist<ref name="enc-nyc" />
* [[Fats Waller]], jazz musician<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1940" />
* [[Clara Ward]], gospel musician<ref>{{cite news |date=April 7, 1956 |title=Clara Ward Singers Draw 22,000 To Apollo Theatre |page=B19 |work=New Journal and Guide |id={{ProQuest|568422285}}}}</ref>
* [[Dinah Washington]], jazz vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13">{{harvnb|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983|ps=.|p=13}}</ref><ref name="Apollo History"/>
* [[Billy Williams Quartet]], rock and roll group<ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 19, 1958 |title=House Reviews: Apollo, N. Y. |magazine=Variety |volume=209 |issue=12 |page=56 |id={{ProQuest|1032380958}}}}</ref>
* [[Cootie Williams]], jazz, jump blues, and R&B musician<ref>{{cite news |date=September 14, 1946 |title=Cootie Williams and Ella Fitzgerald Headline New Revue at Apollo Theatre |pages=10 |work=The New York Age |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-cootie-williams-and-ell/131056495/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901225942/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-cootie-williams-and-ell/131056495/ |url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Jackie Wilson]], R&B and soul vocalist<ref name="NYCL p. 13"/>
{{Div col end}}

Bands such as [[Parliament-Funkadelic]], [[T-Connection]], [[Sister Sledge]], and [[War (band)|War]] performed at the Apollo when it briefly reopened in the late 1970s.<ref name="Apollo History" /> The theater seldom hosted Latin music after it opened, except for special occasions such as a 1983 tribute to Machito.<ref name="CC p. 224">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=224}}</ref> After the Apollo was renovated in the 1980s, it hosted such diverse acts as the [[New York Philharmonic]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Kozinn |first=Allan |date=December 7, 1988 |title=Review/Philharmonic; Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky Play the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/07/arts/review-philharmonic-mendelssohn-and-tchaikovsky-play-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110941/https://www.nytimes.com/1988/12/07/arts/review-philharmonic-mendelssohn-and-tchaikovsky-play-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> rock and soul band [[Hall & Oates]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Robins |first=Wayne |date=May 25, 1985 |title=Music Review: Hall and Oates' Rock 'n' Soul at the Apollo |page=B17 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|1470050774}}}}</ref> and pop musician [[Prince (musician)|Prince]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=March 26, 1993 |title=Review/Rock; The Eternal Seductions Of Prince |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/26/arts/review-rock-the-eternal-seductions-of-prince.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101602/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/26/arts/review-rock-the-eternal-seductions-of-prince.html |url-status=live}}</ref> During the 2000s, the Apollo also attempted to launch a Latin music series<ref name="CC p. 224" /><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Waddell |first=Ray |date=May 5, 2001 |title=Blades opens Latin series at Harlem's Apollo Theatre |magazine=Billboard |volume=113 |issue=18 |pages=8 |id={{ProQuest|227137332}}}}</ref> and hosted performers such as the band [[Gorillaz]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Sanneh |first=Kelefa |date=April 4, 2006 |title=Gorillaz Plays the Apollo Theater, but Without the Cartoons |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/arts/music/gorillaz-plays-the-apollo-theater-but-without-the-cartoons.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101602/https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/04/arts/music/gorillaz-plays-the-apollo-theater-but-without-the-cartoons.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Additionally, the Apollo partnered with [[Opera Philadelphia]] to create several operas based on black culture.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Jennifer |date=March 30, 2016 |title=Arias Find a Place on the Apollo Stage |language=en-US |work=Wall Street Journal |url=http://www.wsj.com/articles/arias-find-a-place-on-the-apollo-stage-1459377122 |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0099-9660 |archive-date=August 26, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230826221615/https://www.wsj.com/articles/arias-find-a-place-on-the-apollo-stage-1459377122 |url-status=live}}</ref> Several rappers have performed at the Apollo in the late 20th and the 21st centuries, including [[Ice Cube]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=July 18, 1991 |title=Review/Rap; Ice Cube the 'Gangsta' Heats Up the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/18/arts/review-rap-ice-cube-the-gangsta-heats-up-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110947/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/18/arts/review-rap-ice-cube-the-gangsta-heats-up-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Drake (musician)|Drake]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Reed |first=Anika |date=January 22, 2023 |title=Drake at Apollo recap: Teases tour at concert with 21 Savage, Dipset |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/01/22/drake-concert-apollo-new-york-21-savage-dipset/11101013002/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |website=USA TODAY |archive-date=August 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230804233909/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2023/01/22/drake-concert-apollo-new-york-21-savage-dipset/11101013002/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Lil Wayne]].<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Saponara |first=Michael |date=April 17, 2023 |title=Lil Wayne Reaffirms Living Legend Status With Apollo Theater NYC Show |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/lil-wayne-concert-apollo-theater-harlem-highlights-1235304126/ |access-date=September 8, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=April 24, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230424084910/https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/lil-wayne-concert-apollo-theater-harlem-highlights-1235304126/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The Apollo's musical offerings have also included competitions, such as an R&B contest in the 1960s<ref>{{cite news |date=December 2, 1967 |title=Battle Of R&B Groups At Apollo |page=20 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226793227}}}}</ref> and a gospel competition in the 2010s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Williams |first=Jasmin K. |date=February 24, 2011 |title=Gospel's best rock the Apollo Theater |page=37 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|857256839}}}}</ref>

==== Concerts ====
Some of the theater's concerts have attracted particular notice. For instance, Aretha Franklin played to sold-out crowds in 1971,<ref name="Dziemianowicz 2009" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Fraser |first=C. Gerald |date=June 4, 1971 |title=Aretha Franklin 'Soul' Ignites Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/06/04/archives/aretha-franklin-soul-ignites-apollo.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102402/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/06/04/archives/aretha-franklin-soul-ignites-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Bob Marley and The Wailers]] performed there for their [[Survival (Bob Marley and the Wailers album)|Survival Tour]] in 1979.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toynbee |first=Jason |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SkCIR0SsrM0C&pg=PA207 |title=Bob Marley: Herald of a Postcolonial World? |publisher=Polity Press |year=2007 |isbn=978-0-7456-3089-2 |series=Celebrities series |page=207 |access-date=2023-09-29 |archive-date=2023-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101139/https://books.google.com/books?id=SkCIR0SsrM0C&pg=PA207 |url-status=live}}</ref> Pop star [[Michael Jackson]] played [[Michael Jackson: Live at the Apollo 2002|a free concert at the Apollo in 2002]], raising $2.5 million for the U.S. [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]];<ref>{{cite news |last=Haughney |first=Christine |date=April 25, 2002 |title=For the DNC, It's Showtime at the Apollo |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/04/25/for-the-dnc-its-showtime-at-the-apollo/af00ce7a-e0fd-452d-8e58-5bed3cdffd26/ |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0190-8286 |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121233944/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2002/04/25/for-the-dnc-its-showtime-at-the-apollo/af00ce7a-e0fd-452d-8e58-5bed3cdffd26/ |url-status=live}}</ref> this was his last ever performance at the Apollo.<ref name="Dziemianowicz 2009" />

The theater has hosted numerous benefit concerts throughout its history. These included a fundraiser for the [[Scottsboro Boys]] in 1937,<ref name="CC p. 170" /> a concert for [[Attica Prison riot]] victims' families in 1971,<ref>{{cite news |date=December 25, 1971 |title=Attica dead honored, families aided at Apollo |page=B8 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226527175}}}}</ref> as well as a gospel concert that [[Shirley Caesar]] and The Clark Sisters performed for the [[United Negro College Fund]] in 1986.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=August 8, 1986 |title=Old and New Blend in Gospel Music |page=C3 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|425981368}}}}</ref> Starting in 1993, the theater also hosted concerts to raise money for its Hall of Fame.<ref>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=August 4, 1993 |title=Reviews/Television; Onstage at the Apollo, Competitive Tribute |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/04/theater/reviews-television-onstage-at-the-apollo-competitive-tribute.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=April 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220408140901/https://www.nytimes.com/1993/08/04/theater/reviews-television-onstage-at-the-apollo-competitive-tribute.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Iverem |first=Esther |date=June 16, 1993 |title=Stars Shine At the Apollo |page=4 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|278647116}}}}</ref>

=== Dance ===
The theater also featured tap dancers such as the [[Berry Brothers]], [[Nicholas Brothers]], [[Buck and Bubbles]], and [[Bojangles Robinson]].<ref name="Apollo History" /><ref name="NYCL p. 15" /> The theater hosted dancers such as [[Bunny Briggs]] and [[Babe Lawrence]] during the mid-20th century,<ref name="Apollo History" /> as well as [[Cholly Atkins]], [[Bill Bailey (dancer)|Bill Bailey]], [[Honi Coles]], [[The Four Step Brothers]], and [[Tip, Tap and Toe]].<ref name="NYCL p. 15" /><ref name="CC pp. 183–184">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=183–184}}</ref> Other dancers appearing at the Apollo have included [[Carmen de Lavallade|Carmen De Lavallade]] and [[Geoffrey Holder]].<ref name="enc-nyc" /> The theater hosted the [[Les Ballets Africains]], the national dance company of Guinea, for several years starting in 1970.<ref>{{cite news |last=Rockwell |first=John |date=January 18, 1973 |title=Dance |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/18/archives/dance-harlem-fans-welcome-les-ballets-africains.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102838/https://www.nytimes.com/1973/01/18/archives/dance-harlem-fans-welcome-les-ballets-africains.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Dancing continued to feature at the Apollo in later years, such as in 1990 when the Apollo held a tap-dancing festival.<ref>{{cite news |last=Anderson |first=Jack |date=July 5, 1990 |title=Review/Dance; Feet, Bringers of Thunder: Rat-a-Tat-Tap at Apollo |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/05/arts/review-dance-feet-bringers-of-thunder-rat-a-tat-tap-at-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095840/https://www.nytimes.com/1990/07/05/arts/review-dance-feet-bringers-of-thunder-rat-a-tat-tap-at-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Starting in 2011, the [[Ballet Hispanico]] performed at the Apollo regularly.<ref>{{cite news |last=Seibert |first=Brian |date=November 20, 2016 |title=Review: Ballet Hispanico Adds Style and Bounce to an Apollo Homecoming |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/arts/dance/review-ballet-hispanico-adds-style-and-bounce-to-an-apollo-homecoming.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101454/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/arts/dance/review-ballet-hispanico-adds-style-and-bounce-to-an-apollo-homecoming.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Revues and legitimate theatre ===
The Apollo has hosted numerous revues and [[Legitimate theatre|legitimate theatrical]] productions. These included a popular revue with white and black performers during the 1930s;<ref>{{cite news |date=April 4, 1936 |title=Colored And White Show Returns To Harlem Apollo |page=A7 |work=The Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202000642}}}}</ref> a pageant honoring black soldiers during World War II;<ref>{{cite news |date=March 19, 1942 |title=Apollo to Show Negro Pageant |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1942/03/19/archives/apollo-to-show-negro-pageant.html |access-date=September 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901225946/https://www.nytimes.com/1942/03/19/archives/apollo-to-show-negro-pageant.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=March 28, 1942 |title=Apollo Theatre Presents Salute to Negro Troops |page=20 |work=Pittsburgh Courier |id={{ProQuest|202115892}}}}</ref> and separate revues led by boxer [[Sugar Ray Robinson|Ray Robinson]],<ref>{{cite news |date=December 22, 1953 |title=Ray Robinson Opening at Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/12/22/archives/ray-robinson-opening-at-apollo.html |access-date=September 2, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902005554/https://www.nytimes.com/1953/12/22/archives/ray-robinson-opening-at-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> comedian Timmie Rogers,<ref>{{cite news |date=March 7, 1953 |title=It's 'Show Time' at the Apollo; Lew Leslie's 'Harlem Nocturne' Stars Rogers, Heywood, Big May |pages=21 |work=The New York Age |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-its-show-time-at-the/131398489/ |access-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907195739/https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-new-york-age-its-show-time-at-the/131398489/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and actress [[Pearl Bailey]].<ref>{{cite news |date=October 17, 1959 |title=Pearlie Mae Returns With Revue To Apollo |page=14 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225505448}}}}</ref> The Apollo's first musical comedy, ''Tan Manhattan'', was staged in 1941.<ref name="Smith 1941" /><ref name="Burley 1941" /> The Apollo also hosted plays such as [[Anna Lucasta (play)|''Anna Lucasta'']] (1949),<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1949" /><ref name="Philadelphia Tribune 1949" /> ''[[The Respectful Prostitute]]'' (1950),<ref>{{cite news |date=March 10, 1950 |title=Sartre Play at the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1950/03/10/archives/sartre-play-at-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 2, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902005554/https://www.nytimes.com/1950/03/10/archives/sartre-play-at-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''The Detective Story'' (1951).<ref>{{cite news |date=August 1, 1951 |title=In 'Detective Story' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1951/08/01/archives/in-detective-story.html |access-date=September 2, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230902011834/https://www.nytimes.com/1951/08/01/archives/in-detective-story.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater started staging R&B revues in 1955,<ref>{{cite news |date=February 19, 1955 |title='R&B' Revue Features 'Big Mama,' Overbea |page=30 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225655262}}}}</ref> with each bill featuring up to a dozen performers.<ref name="Apollo History" /> The [[Jewel Box Revue]], a show featuring [[Drag queen|female impersonators]],<ref name="Dziemianowicz 2009">{{cite news |last=Dziemianowicz |first=Joe |date=November 2, 2009 |title=10 Events That Rocked the Apollo. Celebrating the Soul of Nyc as Harlem Jewel Marks 75 Years |page=24 |work=New York Daily News |issn=2692-1251 |id={{ProQuest|306303200}}}}</ref> was first presented at the Apollo in 1959<ref>{{cite news |date=December 5, 1959 |title=Jewel Box Revue Comes Into Apollo |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225533611}}}}</ref> and was staged several times through at least the 1970s.<ref>{{cite news |date=February 10, 1973 |title=Jewel Box Revue Wins Approval Of Harlemites |page=D8 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226668741}}}}</ref> The [[Motortown Revue]] was staged at the theater in 1962,<ref>{{cite news |date=December 22, 1962 |title=Motown Scores At Apollo Theatre |page=A7 |work=Michigan Chronicle |id={{ProQuest|2404882654}}}}</ref> featuring artists such as [[Smokey Robinson]], [[the Supremes]], [[the Temptations]], and [[Stevie Wonder]].<ref name="Dziemianowicz 2009" /> Other revues in the 1960s and 1970s included the musical drama ''Listen My Brother'',<ref>{{cite news |date=August 24, 1968 |title=Topical Revue Added To Stars At Apollo |page=16 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226728999}}}}</ref> and an all-black production of the drama ''Jazztime''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fraser |first=C. Gerald |date=May 7, 1971 |title=Apollo Audience 'Turns On' Black Troupe |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/07/archives/apollo-audience-turns-on-black-troupe.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101157/https://www.nytimes.com/1971/05/07/archives/apollo-audience-turns-on-black-troupe.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

''Harlem Song'', a revue about Harlem's history, opened at the Apollo in 2002, becoming the Apollo's first "open-ended" show with no definite end date.<ref>{{cite web |last=Vellela |first=Tony |date=August 23, 2002 |title=Apollo's show offers a tuneful tour of Harlem |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0823/p20s01-almp.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=The Christian Science Monitor |issn=0882-7729 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102400/https://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0823/p20s01-almp.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Lipson |first=Karin |date=June 30, 2002 |title=Theater / Show Time at the Apollo / Theater pins hopes on 'Harlem Song' – and the tourism dollars it may bring for the community |page=D20 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|279534061}}}}</ref> The theater has also hosted other plays, musicals, and revues in the 21st century, such as The Jackie Wilson Story in 2003<ref>{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bruce |date=April 15, 2003 |title=Theater Review; A Gymnastic Pop Singer Caught Up in a Melodrama |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/15/theater/theater-review-a-gymnastic-pop-singer-caught-up-in-a-melodrama.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928163706/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/15/theater/theater-review-a-gymnastic-pop-singer-caught-up-in-a-melodrama.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Apollo Club Harlem'' in 2013,<ref>{{cite web |last=McKinley |first=James C. Jr. |date=November 13, 2012 |title=The Apollo Theater to Relive Its Storied Past |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/the-apollo-theater-to-relive-its-storied-past/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=ArtsBeat |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101919/https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/13/the-apollo-theater-to-relive-its-storied-past/ |url-status=live}}</ref> as well as ''James Brown: Get on the Good Foot'', also in 2013.<ref>{{cite news |last=Seibert |first=Brian |date=October 25, 2013 |title=Through a Dance Kaleidoscope, the Throbbing Grooves of Soul's Godfather |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/26/arts/dance/the-apollo-presents-james-brown-get-on-the-good-foot.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/26/arts/dance/the-apollo-presents-james-brown-get-on-the-good-foot.html |url-status=live}}</ref> ''James Brown: Get on the Good Foot'' was also the first show ever produced by the Apollo that went on tour internationally.<ref name="Kreinin Souccar 2014" />

=== Comedy ===
Comic acts have also appeared on the Apollo stage. In the theater's early years, these included [[Butterbeans and Susie]], [[Moms Mabley]], [[Pigmeat Markham|Dewey "Pigmeat" Markham]], [[Redd Foxx]], [[Dick Gregory]], [[Richard Pryor]], [[Nipsey Russell]], [[Slappy White]], [[Flip Wilson]],<ref name="Reed 1982" /><ref name="NYCL p. 15" /> [[Godfrey Cambridge]],<ref name="Reed 1982" /> [[Timmie Rogers]],<ref>{{cite news |date=May 4, 1957 |title=Timmy Rogers' Revue Moves Into The Apollo |page=15 |work=New Journal and Guide |id={{ProQuest|568492419}}}}</ref> and [[Stump and Stumpy]].<ref name="Apollo History" /> Among the theater's most popular comedy acts in the mid-20th century were Mabley, who satirized [[Jim Crow laws]] in her shows, and Rogers, who performed song-and-dance routines. Russell, White, and Foxx also focused on social commentary in their shows.<ref name="CC pp. 186–188">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=186–188}}</ref> By the 1960s, the theater hosted younger comedians including [[George Kirby (comedian)|George Kirby]], [[Godfrey Cambridge]], and [[Scoey Mitchell]].<ref name="CC pp. 189–190">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=189–190}}</ref> [[Bill Cosby]] made his debut at the theater in 1968,<ref name="CC pp. 189–190" /><ref>{{cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=June 17, 1968 |title=Apollo Audience, a Tough Jury, Acquits Cosby; Comedian Makes His Debut at Harlem Theater Routines About His Affluence and Childhood Used |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1968/06/17/archives/apollo-audience-a-tough-jury-acquits-cosby-comedian-makes-his-debut.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907211304/https://www.nytimes.com/1968/06/17/archives/apollo-audience-a-tough-jury-acquits-cosby-comedian-makes-his-debut.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and Pryor and Wilson also made frequent appearances in the 1960s.<ref name="CC p. 192">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=192}}</ref> Later on, [[Chris Rock]] taped a comedy show at the Apollo in 1999.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 22, 1999 |title=Comedian ready to 'Rock' The Apollo on HBO special |page=2B |work=Philadelphia Tribune |id={{ProQuest|337760189}}}}</ref>

== Other events ==

=== Films ===
The Apollo has screened some films throughout its history. In the theater's heyday as a venue for black artists, it hosted [[Take My Life (1942 film)|''Take My Life'']] in 1943,<ref>{{cite news |date=July 4, 1942 |title='Take My Life' All-Colored Film at Apollo: Bennie Carter Band, Revue on the Stage THE CAST Harlem Tuff Kids |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam Star-News |id={{proQuest|226058342}}}}</ref> ''[[Sepia Cinderella]]'' in 1947.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 26, 1947 |title=New Negro Film Features Songs By Crippled Boro Girl: Boro Songwriter |page=13 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|225930310}}}}</ref> [[Prince of Foxes (film)|''Prince of Foxes'']] in 1950,<ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 8, 1950 |title=Pictures: 20th Opens N.Y. to Bidding; Sells 'Foxes' Away From RKO in Harlem |magazine=Variety |volume=177 |issue=9 |pages=3, 25 |id={{ProQuest|1285971641}}}}</ref> and a [[musical film]] called ''[[Rockin' the Blues]]'' in 1956.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 24, 1956 |title=Harlem 'Is For' Recent R'n R Movie |page=A20E |work=New Journal and Guide |id={{ProQuest|568365796}}}}</ref> As part of a pilot program that launched in 1965, a local community group screened films to teach local teenagers about cinema.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weinraub |first=Bernard |date=June 27, 1965 |title=There's a Place for Us?' |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1965/06/27/archives/theres-a-place-for-us.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907211304/https://www.nytimes.com/1965/06/27/archives/theres-a-place-for-us.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |date=February 24, 1965 |title=Pictures: Apollo, Harlem, Site Of Film Experiment By MPAA and HARYOU |magazine=Variety |volume=238 |issue=1 |pages=19 |id={{ProQuest|1505852502}}}}</ref> During the same decade, the Apollo also hosted gospel films<ref>{{cite news |date=December 16, 1967 |title=Gospel Show, Films At The Apollo |page=20 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226716092}}}}</ref> and a summertime film festival with films such as ''[[What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice?]]''.<ref>{{cite news |date=July 19, 1969 |title=World Premiere At Apollo Theatre Summer Festival |page=21 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226745413}}}}</ref>

The Apollo hosted the documentary [[Save the Children (film)|''Save the Children'']] in 1973<ref>{{cite news |date=September 8, 1973 |title='Save The Children' Premiere Uptown At Apollo Theater |page=D6 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226596699}}}}</ref> and first runs of the films ''[[Cleopatra Jones and the Casino of Gold]]'' in 1975 and ''[[The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars & Motor Kings]]'' in 1976,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Segers |first=Frank |date=July 14, 1976 |title=Pictures: Apollo First-Runs 'Bingo Long'; Harlem Site Reduces Its Nut |magazine=Variety |volume=283 |issue=10 |pages=3, 42 |id={{ProQuest|1401289654}}}}</ref> though the Apollo was not as successful in attracting other films at the time.<ref name="nyt-1975-04-15" /> The documentary ''[[The Liberators: Fighting on Two Fronts in World War II]]'' was also screened at the theater in 1992.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stanley |first=Alessandra |date=December 19, 1992 |title=After a Night of Unity at the Apollo, Optimism Wavers |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/19/nyregion/after-a-night-of-unity-at-the-apollo-optimism-wavers.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102442/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/19/nyregion/after-a-night-of-unity-at-the-apollo-optimism-wavers.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Recordings and tapings ===
Over the years, there have been recordings of numerous performances at the Apollo Theater. ''A Night at the Apollo'', a track released in 1957, consisted of samples of performances at the theater.<ref>{{cite magazine |date=May 9, 1956 |title=Music: 'A Night at the Apollo' As 'Typical Bill' Etching In Vanguard's Showcase |magazine=Variety |volume=202 |issue=10 |page=46 |id={{ProQuest|963056986}}}}</ref> James Brown recorded a show at the theater in 1962; this became the album [[Live at the Apollo (1963 album)|''Live at the Apollo'']],<ref name="nyt-2003-11-16">{{cite news |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |date=November 16, 2003 |title=Music: This Week; Live at the Apollo, for 40 Years |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/16/arts/music-this-week-live-at-the-apollo-for-40-years.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907195739/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/16/arts/music-this-week-live-at-the-apollo-for-40-years.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=26}}</ref> which spent 66 weeks on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' pop albums chart]].<ref name="Dziemianowicz 2009" /> Brown went on to record the albums ''[[Live at the Apollo, Volume II]]'' (1967), ''[[Revolution of the Mind: Live at the Apollo, Volume III|Revolution of the Mind]]'' (1971),<ref name="nyt-2003-11-16" /><ref>{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=31–32}}</ref> and ''[[Live at the Apollo 1995]],'' as well as the 1968 television special ''[[James Brown: Man to Man]]'', at the theater.<ref>{{cite book |last=Wolk |first=Douglas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eCzUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA116 |title=James Brown's Live at the Apollo |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |year=2004 |isbn=978-0-8264-1572-1 |series=33 1/3 |pages=114–116 |access-date=2023-09-29 |archive-date=2023-09-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100316/https://books.google.com/books?id=eCzUAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA116 |url-status=live}}</ref> Gospel recording artist [[Byron Cage]] played at the Apollo for his album ''[[Live at the Apollo: The Proclamation]]'' in 2007.<ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Steve |date=March 23, 2009 |title=Pilgrimage to Hallowed Ground With Plenty of Joyful Noise |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/arts/music/24gosp.html |access-date=September 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901225946/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/24/arts/music/24gosp.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Bruno Mars]] recorded a concert titled ''[[Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo]]'' in 2017,<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |date=September 12, 2017 |title=Bruno Mars Prepping First Primetime Special: 'Bruno Mars: 24K Magic Live at the Apollo' |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/pop/bruno-mars-24k-magic-tour-apollo-primetime-special-cbs-7964560/ |url-status=live |magazine=Billboard |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914204158/http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7964560/bruno-mars-24k-magic-tour-apollo-primetime-special-CBS |archive-date=September 14, 2017 |access-date=September 17, 2017}}</ref> and [[Guns N' Roses]] released "Live at the Apollo 2017" the same year after visiting the theater during their [[Not in This Lifetime... Tour]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Craig |date=July 21, 2017 |title=The Excesses and Extremes of Guns N' Roses |url=https://www.vulture.com/2017/07/guns-n-roses-live-at-the-apollo-review.html |access-date=September 1, 2023 |website=Vulture |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901225942/https://www.vulture.com/2017/07/guns-n-roses-live-at-the-apollo-review.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |last=Lynch |first=Joe |date=July 21, 2017 |title=Guns N' Roses Rip It Up at the Apollo Theater As 'Appetite for Destruction' Turns 30 |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/guns-n-roses-apollo-theater-siriusxm-7873976/ |access-date=September 1, 2023 |magazine=Billboard |archive-date=September 1, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230901225943/https://www.billboard.com/music/rock/guns-n-roses-apollo-theater-siriusxm-7873976/ |url-status=live}}</ref> The music video for [[Whitney Houston]]'s 1986 cover of the song ''[[The Greatest Love of All#Whitney Houston version|Greatest Love of All]]'', was filmed in the Apollo Theater, featuring Houston and her mother [[Cissy Houston]] on the stage.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.vevo.com/watch/whitney-houston/Greatest-Love-Of-All/USAV70000013 | title=Whitney Houston - "Greatest Love of All" on Vevo | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218063458/http://www.vevo.com/watch/whitney-houston/Greatest-Love-Of-All/USAV70000013 | date=February 18, 2017 | archive-date=February 18, 2017 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

Some of the Apollo's shows have also been filmed for specific purposes. For example, in April 1976, Fred and Felicidad Dukes and Rafee Kamaal produced two 60-minute television specials with [[Westinghouse Broadcasting|Group W Productions]] to help revitalize the theater.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fraser |first=C. Gerald |date=April 5, 1976 |title=Shows at Apollo Are Taped for TV: Six 90-minute Specials on Harlem Showplace Set to Begin in June |page=55 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331 |id={{ProQuest|122680988}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=April 6, 1976 |title=Harlem's World Renowned Apollo Theatre Is Scene for Upcoming TV Specials |page=8 |work=Philadelphia Tribune |id={{ProQuest|532703494}}}}</ref> A TV special called "Motown Returns to the Apollo" was taped in May 1985<ref>{{cite news |last=Holden |first=Stephen |date=May 5, 1985 |title=Apollo Theater Celebrates Its Return |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/05/nyregion/apollo-theater-celebrates-its-return.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101156/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/05/05/nyregion/apollo-theater-celebrates-its-return.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=May 6, 1985 |title=The Region: Apollo Reopens in Television Gala |page=18 |work=Newsday |issn=2574-5298 |id={{ProQuest|1473630276}}}}</ref> to celebrate the Apollo's reopening.<ref>{{cite news |last=Clark |first=Kenneth R. |date=May 19, 1985 |title=Stars Shine for a Night at the Apollo Theater |page=F.2 |work=Orlando Sentinel |id={{ProQuest|276645677}}}}</ref> [[NBC]] filmed the show ''A Hot Night in Harlem'' in 2004 to raise money for the theater's ongoing renovation.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bruce |date=March 30, 2004 |title=Heat and Light Uptown; Benefit Salutes the Apollo With Songs and Goose Bumps |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/30/arts/heat-and-light-uptown-benefit-salutes-the-apollo-with-songs-and-goose-bumps.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/30/arts/heat-and-light-uptown-benefit-salutes-the-apollo-with-songs-and-goose-bumps.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Waldron 2004">{{cite magazine |last=Waldron |first=Clarence |date=May 3, 2004 |title=Harlem's Historic Apollo Theater Celebrates 70th Anniversary |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6r0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55 |magazine=Jet |volume=105 |issue=18 |pages=54–60 |id={{ProQuest|200062505}} |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102400/https://books.google.com/books?id=6r0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA55 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Non-performance events ===
When Schiffman operated the Apollo, he frequently rented the theater for meetings on topics concerning black Americans, including discussions of civil rights and employment.<ref name="Variety 1964" /><ref name="CC p. 172">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|p=172}}</ref> Civil-rights leaders such as [[Martin Luther King Jr.]], [[A. Philip Randolph]], and [[Bayard Rustin]], as well as organizations like the [[NAACP]] and the [[Congress of Racial Equality]], hosted speeches at the Apollo during the 1950s and 1960s.<ref name="CC pp. 146, 149">{{harvnb|Carlin|Conwill|2010|ps=.|pp=146, 149}}</ref> Between 20 and 25 civil rights–related events took place at the Apollo each year between 1966 and 1971.<ref name="CC p. 172" /> There have been some religious services, such as sermons by [[Jesse Jackson]] in 1969,<ref>{{cite news |date=March 29, 1969 |title=Rev. Jesse Jackson To Preach At Apollo |page=33 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226675791}}}}</ref> [[Fela Kuti]]'s sermon and musical performance in 1991,<ref>{{cite news |last=Pareles |first=Jon |date=July 17, 1991 |title=Fela Spreads the Word in Song and Sermon at the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/17/arts/music/fela-spreads-the-word-in-song-and-sermon-at-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 7, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 7, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230907224806/https://www.nytimes.com/1991/07/17/arts/music/fela-spreads-the-word-in-song-and-sermon-at-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> and [[Suzan Johnson Cook]]'s worship series in 2008.<ref>{{cite news |last=Velez |first=A. E. |date=December 15, 2008 |title=At the Apollo, a Theater Gets Religion |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/nyregion/15apollo.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102403/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/15/nyregion/15apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref>[[File:Apollo Theater - panoramio.jpg|thumb|The exterior of the Apollo as seen after Michael Jackson died]]The Apollo has hosted memorial services, including those of civil rights leader [[Martin Luther King Jr.]] in 1972,<ref>{{cite news |date=April 5, 1972 |title=Four Years Later, Dr. King's Dream Lives On |pages=79 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-four-years-later-dr-kings/130991844/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095841/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-four-years-later-dr-kings/130991844/ |url-status=live}}</ref> James Brown in 2007, and Michael Jackson in 2009.<ref name="CBS News 2011 u810">{{cite web |date=February 2, 2011 |title=NYC Museum Features Exhibition On Apollo Theater |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nyc-museum-features-exhibition-on-apollo-theater-7309642/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=CBS News |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100554/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nyc-museum-features-exhibition-on-apollo-theater-7309642/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Pesce 2014" /> Similarly, the theater has hosted tribute shows such as a tribute to Bob Marley in 1984;<ref>{{cite news |date=February 11, 1984 |title=Tribute to Marley at the Apollo |page=2 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226431770}}}}</ref> "Swing into Spring: A Harlem Tribute to Lionel Hampton" in 1996;<ref name="The Christian Science Monitor 2001 x131" /> and a benefit honoring [[Ossie Davis]] in 2004.<ref>{{cite news |last=Weber |first=Bruce |date=March 30, 2004 |title=Heat and Light Uptown; Benefit Salutes the Apollo With Songs and Goose Bumps |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/30/arts/heat-and-light-uptown-benefit-salutes-the-apollo-with-songs-and-goose-bumps.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=August 25, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230825230902/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/30/arts/heat-and-light-uptown-benefit-salutes-the-apollo-with-songs-and-goose-bumps.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Several awards ceremonies have been held at the Apollo, including the [[Caribbean Music Awards]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Pryce |first=Vinette K. |date=March 27, 1993 |title=Caribbean music awards at the Apollo Theatre: Annual Caribbean Awards dull |page=1 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226829172}}}}</ref> and the [[Rhythm and Blues Foundation]]'s Pioneer Awards.<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Renee Minus |date=January 31, 2002 |title=R&B Rock Stars Hit the Apollo!: Foundation's 12th Annual Pioneer Awards |page=19 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|2655434950}}}}</ref>

The theater hosted a poetry recital in 1994,<ref>{{cite news |date=January 1, 1994 |title=Kwanzaa poetry jammin' at The Apollo Theater |page=28 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|2642609793}}}}</ref> as well as the first professional boxing match in the theater's history (a [[Card (professional wrestling)|card]] pitting [[Lou Savarese]] against [[David Izonritei]]) in 1997.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lewis |first=Jacob |date=October 29, 1997 |title=It's Show Time at the Apollo; For the First Time, Landmark Harlem Theater to Host a Pro Boxing Card |page=C03 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286 |id={{ProQuest|408335603}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Timothy W. |date=November 1, 1997 |title=Boxing; Theater Is Half the Show as Boxing Comes to the Apollo |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/01/sports/boxing-theater-is-half-the-show-as-boxing-comes-to-the-apollo.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102402/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/11/01/sports/boxing-theater-is-half-the-show-as-boxing-comes-to-the-apollo.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater hosted a debate between [[Al Gore]] and [[Bill Bradley]] during the [[2000 Democratic Party presidential primaries]],<ref>{{cite news |last=El-Ghobashy |first=Tamer |date=February 21, 2000 |title=Harlemites Eying Their Role |pages=247 |work=New York Daily News |via=newspapers.com |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-harlemites-eying-their-roles/130639272/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102359/https://www.newspapers.com/article/daily-news-harlemites-eying-their-roles/130639272/ |url-status=live}}</ref> and then-U.S. senator [[Barack Obama]] campaigned at the theater during [[Barack Obama 2008 presidential campaign|his 2008 presidential campaign]].<ref name="Miller 2010" /> Events in the 21st century have included a fashion show at the Apollo in 2004,<ref>{{cite news |last=White |first=Renee Minus |date=March 4, 2004 |title=Unsung Black designers hit the Apollo |page=17 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|2642584729}}}}</ref> a commencement ceremony for [[Wagner Graduate School of Public Service]] graduates,<ref>{{cite news |date=May 17, 2007 |title=A new Showtime at the Apollo: Wagner School grads' ceremony at historic theater |page=35 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|390307923}}}}</ref> as well as an annual [[skipping rope]] competition called the Double Dutch Holiday Classic.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kourlas |first=Gia |date=July 25, 2017 |title=The Art and Artistry of Double Dutch |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/arts/double-dutch-lincoln-center.html |access-date=September 8, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100318/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/25/arts/double-dutch-lincoln-center.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

== Impact ==
Particularly when Robert Schiffman managed the Apollo in the mid-20th century, the theater itself was a symbol of success for many black performers.<ref name=nyt-2023-09-15/> The ''[[Los Angeles Sentinel]]'' wrote in 1982 that "the Apollo has had a significant impact on the careers of virtually every black performer who has played there",<ref name="Reed 1982" /> and the ''[[New York Amsterdam News]]'' said the next year that the theater "led the way in the presentation of swing, bebop, rhythm and blues, modern jazz, commercially produced gospel, soul and funk".<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1983">{{cite news |date=December 3, 1983 |title=Apollo's Theatre's four decades of entertainment |page=25 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226426292}}}}</ref> ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'' wrote in 2011: "You'd be hard-pressed to find a major African-American entertainer, singer, bandleader, dancer or comic who didn't appear there."<ref name="wsj-2011-04-04" /> Record producer [[Quincy Jones]] said in 2004: "The influence of the Apollo reaches beyond the shores of this country-it is truly the premiere platform for world music."<ref name="Waldron 2004" /> Robert Schiffman claimed: "For years, you could write 'Apollo Theater' on a postcard, drop it into a mailbox anywhere and it would be delivered."<ref name=nyt-2023-09-15/><ref name="Hinckley 2014 x618"/> In July 2024, the Apollo became the first cultural institution to receive a [[Kennedy Center Honors]] award.<ref>{{cite web |date=July 18, 2024 |title=NYC's Apollo Theater receiving special Kennedy Center Honors as 'American institution' |url=https://abc7ny.com/post/nycs-apollo-theater-receiving-special-kennedy-center-honors/15068374/ |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=ABC7 New York |postscript=none}}; {{cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Jessi |date=July 18, 2024 |title=Apollo Theater becomes first institution to be awarded by Kennedy Center Honors |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/newyork/news/apollo-theater-nyc-kennedy-center-honors/ |access-date=July 25, 2024 |website=CBS New York}}</ref>

=== Works about the theater ===
The Apollo was showcased in a 90-minute episode of the ''[[David Frost Show]]'' in 1969.<ref>{{cite news |date=September 20, 1969 |title=TV Salutes Role Of Apollo Theatre |page=23 |work=New York Amsterdam News |id={{proQuest|226727014}}}}</ref> ''The Apollo ... It Was Just Like Magic,'' a musical dramatization of the theater's history, was produced [[off-off-Broadway]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite news |last=Lawson |first=Carol |date=May 15, 1981 |title=Broadway; Harlem's Apollo to be 'star' of new Broadway musical. |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/15/theater/broadway-harlem-s-apollo-to-be-star-of-new-broadway-musical.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928102723/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/05/15/theater/broadway-harlem-s-apollo-to-be-star-of-new-broadway-musical.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater's history was chronicled in the 1976 television special ''Apollo'',<ref>{{cite news |date=May 28, 1976 |title=Apollo Theatre in Harlem; Tv Special |page=3 |work=Atlanta Daily World |id={{ProQuest|491460660}}}}</ref> the 1980 NBC special ''Uptown'',<ref>{{cite news |last=O'Connor |first=John J. |date=May 30, 1980 |title=TV Weekend Harlem's Apollo Theater And Plea Bargaining |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1980/05/30/archives/tv-weekend-harlems-apollo-theater-and-plea-bargaining.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095842/https://www.nytimes.com/1980/05/30/archives/tv-weekend-harlems-apollo-theater-and-plea-bargaining.html |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=May 29, 1980 |title=Black Performers Star In 'Uptown Apollo Tribute' |page=B5 |work=Los Angeles Sentinel |id={{ProQuest|565431745}}}}</ref> and the 2019 documentary [[The Apollo (2019 film)|''The Apollo'']].<ref>{{cite web |last=Gleiberman |first=Owen |date=April 25, 2019 |title=Film Review: 'The Apollo' |url=https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-apollo-review-tribeca-film-festival-1203196296/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928100907/https://variety.com/2019/film/reviews/the-apollo-review-tribeca-film-festival-1203196296/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Kenigsberg |first=Ben |date=October 31, 2019 |title='The Apollo' Review: Showtime for a Legendary Harlem Theater |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/movies/the-apollo-review.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928110942/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/31/movies/the-apollo-review.html |url-status=live}}</ref> [[Lee Daniels]] also considered directing a documentary called ''The Apollo Theater Film Project'' in the mid-2010s.<ref>{{cite web |last=Pedersen |first=Erik |date=January 28, 2016 |title=Lee Daniels To Direct Apollo Theater Documentary |url=https://deadline.com/2016/01/lee-danielsapollo-theater-film-project-documentary-for-white-horse-pictures-1201692223/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Deadline |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101433/https://deadline.com/2016/01/lee-danielsapollo-theater-film-project-documentary-for-white-horse-pictures-1201692223/ |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=McNary |first=Dave |date=January 28, 2016 |title=Lee Daniels Directing Apollo Theater Documentary |url=https://variety.com/2016/film/news/lee-daniels-director-apollo-theater-documentary-1201691098/ |access-date=September 18, 2023 |website=Variety |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928101432/https://variety.com/2016/film/news/lee-daniels-director-apollo-theater-documentary-1201691098/ |url-status=live}}</ref>

Several books have been written about the theater. These include ''Showtime at the Apollo: The Story of Harlem's World Famous Theater'' by Ted Fox, published in 1983<ref name="New York Amsterdam News 1983" /><ref>{{cite news |date=November 29, 1983 |title="Showtime At The Apollo" Book To Be Published |page=3 |work=Atlanta Daily World |id={{ProQuest|491600366}}}}</ref> and republished in 2003.<ref name="Waldron 2004" /> A graphic novel of the same name was published in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last=Gustines |first=George Gene |date=January 2, 2019 |title=Apollo Theater Is Celebrated in a New Graphic Novel |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/arts/design/apollo-theater-graphic-novel.html |access-date=September 18, 2023 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230928095843/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/arts/design/apollo-theater-graphic-novel.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The theater was also the subject of "Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing", a 2011 exhibit at the [[Museum of the City of New York]],<ref name="CBS News 2011 u810" /><ref name="wsj-2011-04-04" /> as well as a traveling exhibition at the [[National Museum of American History]] in 2010.<ref name="nyt-2009-02-26" />

==See also==
* [[African Americans in New York City]]
* [[List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan above 110th Street]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan above 110th Street]]
* {{cl|Albums recorded at the Apollo Theater}}

==References==

=== Notes ===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
* {{cite book |last1=Carlin |first1=Richard |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=28JvDwAAQBAJ |title=Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: The Apollo Theater and American Entertainment |last2=Conwill |first2=Kinshasha Holman |publisher=Smithsonian |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-58834-269-0}}
* {{cite book |last=Fletcher |first=Tony |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-koGlfLp7DcC&pg=PA40 |title=All Hopped Up and Ready to Go: Music from the Streets of New York 1927-77 |publisher=W. W. Norton |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-393-07671-4}}
* {{cite report |last= |first= |date=October 4, 1983 |title=Apollo Theater |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_NY/83004059.pdf |access-date= |website= |publisher=[[National Register of Historic Places]], [[National Park Service]] |ref={{harvid|National Park Service|1983}}}}
* {{cite report |date=June 28, 1983 |publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission |url=https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1299.pdf |title=Apollo Theater |ref={{harvid|Landmarks Preservation Commission|1983}}}}
* {{cite report |date=June 28, 1983 |publisher=New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission |url=https://s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1300.pdf |title=Apollo Theater Interior |ref={{harvid|Landmarks Preservation Commission Interior|1983}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Schiffman |first=Jack |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=co2fAAAAMAAJ |title=Uptown: The Story of Harlem's Apollo Theatre |publisher=Cowles Book Company |year=1971 |isbn=978-0-402-12062-9}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Apollo Theater (New York City)|Apollo Theater}}
* {{Official website|www.apollotheater.org}}
* {{New York Times topic|organizations/a/apollo_theater}}

{{Harlem}}
{{Kennedy Center Honorees 2020s}}
{{New York City performance spaces}}
{{National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan}}
{{Portal bar|Architecture|New York City|New York (state)|United States|NRHP|Theatre}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Apollo Theater| ]]
[[Category:1910s architecture in the United States]]
[[Category:1914 establishments in New York City]]
[[Category:African-American arts organizations]]
[[Category:African-American culture]]
[[Category:African-American theatre]]
[[Category:Black theatre]]
[[Category:Burlesque theatres]]
[[Category:Historically African-American theaters and music venues]]
[[Category:Music venues in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Neoclassical architecture in New York City]]
[[Category:New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan]]
[[Category:New York City interior landmarks]]
[[Category:Theatres completed in 1914]]
[[Category:Theatres in Harlem]]
[[Category:Theatres on the National Register of Historic Places in Manhattan]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Manhattan]]
[[Category:George Keister buildings]]