Apollo Theater Announces New Programs and Partnerships

The Apollo Theater has announced a series of programs and partnerships which build on its longstanding role as a creative catalyst for Harlem, New York, and the nation. New initiatives, including the launch of the interactive Amateur Night Digital website and mobile app, are expanding the Apollo's reach beyond the walls of the Theater, while artistic and community programs continue to make the Apollo a vital cultural resource and an important platform for both emerging and established artists. 

Since it opened in 1934, the Apollo Theater has been a cornerstone of the Harlem community and has launched and nurtured the careers of countless legendary performers, including Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, JAmes Brown, Michael Jackson, Lauryn Hill, and Alicia Keys. The Apollo's new and expanded initiatives for 2012 reflect the Theater's ongoing commitment to education, community, and artist development. Highlights include: 

• The launch of Amateur Night Digital, featuring a new website and mobile app that bring the Theater's signature show to audiences around the world for the first time, and the return of the Apollo's 78-year-old talent competition, Amateur Night.
• A new partnership with London's Hackney Empire for a transatlantic Amateur Night competition coinciding with the 2012 Summer Olympics.  
• Apollo Music Café, showcasing creative underground artists including Abby Dobson, Bradd Marquis, and Nucomme in intimate performances on the Apollo's Soundstage.
• A new partnership with the City of New York Theater Subdistrict Council to present Apollo Celebrates Broadway, a series of events including a Broadway-themed Amateur Night and Music Café featuring stars Leslie Uggams, Lillias White, Jason Samuels Smith, and Chester Gregory, and a Broadway-focused career panel.
• A diverse concert program featuring tributes to legendary musicians Hubert Sumlin and Robert Johnson, an exclusive performance by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band presented in coordination with SiriusXM Radio, and a festive night of world music with Pino Daniele.
• The Apollo Salon Series, supporting the development of exciting new works including Queen Esther's Billie Holiday Project and the family musical Mr. Chickee's Funny Money.
• The second annual Harlem Jazz Shrines festival, celebrating the neighborhood's history as a jazz mecca and showcasing today's top talents, presented in collaboration with Harlem Stage, Jazzmobile, and Columbia University.
• TEDxHarlem, a locally-focused installment of the global creative conference series exploring, celebrating and empowering the informal methods of social innovation that grow organically in the Harlem community and beyond.
• The Apollo's annual Spring Gala Benefit Concert and Awards Ceremony, featuring the newest inductees to the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame.
• An Open House Weekend, when the Apollo will give visitors a behind-the-scenes look at the Apollo's rich history and current programs for audiences of all ages.