The Apollo Theater Reveals Exciting Lineup for Fall 2023 Season

The Apollo has announced details of its fall 2023 season featuring a variety of performances and events across music, comedy, and discussions of arts and ideas. With the fall season, The Apollo continues to amplify Black voices in arts and entertainment, serving as a hub for creativity and innovation, and presenting concerts with BeBe Winans, audience favorites such as Amateur Night, Apollo Music Cafe, Apollo Comedy Club, and annual holiday programs including the Kwanzaa celebration with Abdel R. Salaam’s Forces of Nature Dance Theatre and additional programs to be announced. A highlight of the fall season, [at] The Intersection, is a three-day convening of artists, activists, writers and scholars to explore the global impact of Black art and culture through live panel discussions and music performances, curated by the award-winning author and Apollo Artist-in-Residence Ta-Nehisi Coates. In addition, The Apollo announced that its Victoria Theater located a few doors down from the Historic Theater will open in Spring 2024.

Designed by Kostow Greenwood Architects, the Victoria will include two new theater spaces, marking the first major expansion and renovation in The Apollo’s 90-year history and allowing The Apollo to expand the scope and scale of its programs. 

“The Apollo’s fall programming demonstrates our commitment to stewarding Black culture in Harlem and beyond,” said Michelle Ebanks, the newly appointed CEO of The Apollo. “As we launch the new season, I look forward to welcoming the world to the next chapter of The Apollo. With new programs and new spaces, we can continue to provide a platform for artists to create and perform their work and hold important conversations, such as the Arts and Ideas Festival, while weaving in programs rooted in our nearly 90-year Apollo tradition, such as Amateur Night, and everything in-between.” 

This season features leading Black artists and creatives from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints who will explore the contributions of Black culture and innovation in shaping global culture in the inaugural [at] The Intersection, The Apollo’s Festival of Art and Ideas. Panelists and participants include Ted Bunch, Bisa Butler, Jordan E. Cooper, Ghetto Gastro, Stefon Harris, Jemele Hill, Marlon James, Bomani Jones, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Michael R. Jackson, Dominique Morisseau, Diallo Riddle, Stephen Satterfield, Salamishah Tillet, Scheherazade Tillet, Liesl Tommy, and Kerry Washington, among others. They will discuss topics ranging from telling new stories on Broadway and the prominence of Black athletes in sports entertainment, to the historical context of Black erasure, exploring traditional African American food and its impact on culture, and more. This season, The Apollo will also showcase their rich archives with an on-demand video series on the Apollo Digital Stage highlighting the life and work of the famed Apollo house photographer and Harlem filmmaker Gordon Anderson who captured some of The Apollo’s most iconic moments from the 1940s to the 1970s. 

The Apollo will welcome audiences into its new spaces in 2024 with performances and exhibitions. Located a few steps east of the Historic Theater, The Apollo’s Victoria will feature two new flexible theaters, one with 99 seats and one with 199 seats, which will provide vibrant, year-round artistic offerings that incubate new works, build on the cultural heritage of Harlem and celebrate uptown’s enormous well of creativity, further solidifying The Apollo as a civic and economic cornerstone of Harlem and New York City. The new 25,000-square-foot facility will provide an opportunity for The Apollo to be an additional resource for local artists, artist collectives, and small and mid-size Harlem and NYC-based arts organizations for the development and presentation of work. 

Kamilah Forbes, The Apollo’s Executive Producer states, “From championing artists and talent to the gathering of great contemporary thinkers and creators, this season at The Apollo demonstrates the institution’s enduring reputation of being the center of Black creativity.” 

The Apollo’s season of programs follows below. More will be announced shortly. Learn more at apollotheater.org/fall-2023. 

CALENDAR OF APOLLO’S FALL 2023 SEASON:

ARTS & IDEAS 

[at] The Intersection, The Apollo’s Festival of Art and Ideas 

Friday, October 6-Sunday, October 8 
 

Curated by critically acclaimed thinker and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates, [at] The Intersection will bring together Black artists, intellectuals, creators and cultural movers, who will explore the global impact of Black art and culture through live panel discussions, workshops, and music performances. Participants include: Sage Adams, Dr. Yaba Blay, Ted Bunch, Bisa Butler, Jelani Cobb, Jordan E. Cooper, Ghetto Gastro, Carla Hall, Michael Harriot, Stefon Harris, Jemele Hill, Michael R. Jackson, Marlon James, Barry Jenkins, Bomani Jones, Nikole Hannah-Jones, Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, Chelsea Miller, Dominique Morisseau, Terence Nance, Diallo Riddle, Stephen Satterfield, Bashir Salahuddin, Salamishah Tillet, Scheherazade Tillet, Liesl Tommy, Kamasi Washington, and Kerry Washington. The three-day event will be held at The Apollo’s Historic Theater. Festival passes are available for purchase at https://www.apollotheater.org/event/at-the-intersection-festival. 

MUSIC 

Apollo Music Café  
The Apollo’s Soundstage – Live and In-person 
Doors open at 9pm EST | Shows begin at 10pm EST 

Tickets start at $30 

 
Friday, October 6: rum.gold 
Saturday, October 7: Ali Caldwell 

Friday, November 3: Susan Carol 

Saturday, November 4: Joshua Banbury 

Friday, December 9: Rajna Swaminathan 

Saturday, December 8: Gabby Samone 

The Apollo Music Café features performances across a myriad of genres (R&B, hip-hop, soul, folk, jazz, blues, gospel, pop, funk, and rock) in an intimate setting. The series showcases artists drawn from the independent music scene who are making their mark in the industry. 

BeBe Winans Live at The Apollo 

Saturday, December 2, 2023 | 8:00pm EST 

The Apollo’s Historic Theater – Live and In-person 

Six-time Grammy winner BeBe Winans returns to The Apollo to perform a one-night-only live album recording concert backed by members of Donald Lawrence’s choir. 

COMEDY 

Apollo Comedy Club 

The Apollo’s Soundstage – Live and In-person 
Doors open at 9pm EST | Shows begin at 10pm EST  
Tickets start at $30 

 
Thursday, October 5: Dylan Tucker, Saya Meads and Kenney Woo 

Thursday, November 2: Aminah Shabazz, Anthony Oakes, and Rio Paris  

Thursday, December 7: Mason Victor King, Lisha Perkins, and Comedian Roy 

The Apollo Comedy Club is back for another year of laughs, drinks, and tasty bites. Curated by Bob Sumner, the Comedy Club continues to highlight the very best up-and-coming comedic talent. 

NY Comedy Festival: Nicole Byer 

Friday, November 10, 2023 | 8:00pm EST 

The Apollo’s Historic Theater – Live and In-person 

Tickets start at $34 

The New York Comedy Festival will return to The Apollo this fall to present the hilarious actress, comedian, author, and podcaster Nicole Byer. 

EDUCATION 

Live Wire From The Apollo Archives: The Photographs and Films of Gordon Anderson 
On Demand on The Apollo’s Digital Stage 

The Apollo presents this video series highlighting the life and work of the famed photographer and filmmaker Gordon Anderson who captured some of the most iconic moments on The Apollo stage from the 1940s into the 1970s. 

  

In each episode of this four-part digital series, Apollo Archivist Brad San Martin dives deep into The Apollo’s treasured archives and will be joined in conversation with scholars, documentarians, and the Anderson family to explore the ways in which Anderson captured Black life, and how these works impact our view of the culture today. 

In-School Workshops & Residencies 

Ongoing starting in September 2023 

Workshops start at $175 per session 

Learn More: https://www.apollotheater.org/education/schools/workshops-and-residencies/ 

Apollo Education’s Workshops and Residencies are available to NYC schools grades K-12 and offer an array of instruction in dance, theater, and music, each led by an Apollo Teaching Artist. All workshops can be extended to a residency series, which aim to meaningfully relate the arts to classroom subject areas over several sessions. 

AMATEUR NIGHT AT THE APOLLO 

Amateur Night at The Apollo

Every Wednesday at 7:30pm EST through November 22, 2023 
In-Person Auditions Saturday, September 9, 2023 | 9am-5:00pm EST 

Digital Auditions ongoing: https://www.apollotheater.org/amateur-night/auditions/ 

Amateur Night has long been revered by artists as a transformative experience where up-and-coming talent feel the power of the legendary performers who have come before them, and where audience responses can help make or break a career. The current Amateur Night season opened on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 and continues each Wednesday night through the Grand Finale on November 22, 2023. http://www.apollotheater.org/ 

The Apollo is holding in-person auditions for the 2024 season on September 9. One of the longest-running continuous events in New York City, Amateur Night attracts performers and audiences from around the world. Adults aged 18+ who are chosen from the audition will have the chance to perform and compete for the grand prize of up to $20,000. Performers ages 5-17 can compete to be recognized as a “Child Star of Tomorrow” for an opportunity to win a prize of $5,000. Live auditions will be held at The Apollo located at 253 West 125th Street, New York, NY 10027. 

Amateur Night Grand Finale

November 22, 7:30pm EST 

Winners from the Semi-Finals return in this final competition for the title of “Child Star of Tomorrow” winning $5,000 while the Grand Finale winner receives $20,000. The talented performers return for one last chance to leave it all on the line with hopes of becoming the next Ella Fitzgerald, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R, Machine Gun Kelly or Jazmine Sullivan. 

HOLIDAYS AT THE APOLLO 

Double Dutch Holiday Classic

Sunday, December 3, 2023 | 1:00pm EST 

The Apollo’s Historic Theater – Live and In-person 

Tickets start at $40 

The National Double Dutch League returns to The Apollo for the annual Double Dutch Holiday Classic where world class championship Double Dutch teams of all ages from around the world compete for the championship title of “Best of Show.” 

Winter Wonderland

Saturday, December 9, 2023 | 1:00pm EST 

The Apollo’s Marquee/Historic Theater – Live and In-person 

Tickets are FREE 

Under the twinkling lights of our famous marquee, The Apollo invites audiences to bring the family for holiday-themed activities including picture taking with Santa Claus and amazing performances. This event is hosted by The Apollo Theater’s Tour Director and Ambassador, Billy Mitchell.  

Amateur Night Holiday Special

Saturday, December 9, 2023 | 7:30pm EST 

The Apollo’s Historic Theater – Live and In-person 

Tickets start at $30 

The Apollo Amateur Night Holiday Special showcases talented alumni of the show’s Apollo Stars of Tomorrow segment. The program captures the spirit of young performers all hoping to follow in the footsteps of Apollo Legends like Ella Fitzgerald and H.E.R., whose careers were launched on the stage of The Apollo.  
 

Samara Joy: A Joyful Holiday 
Thursday, December 14, 2023 and Friday, December 15, 2023| 8:00pm EST  
The Apollo’s Historic Theater – Live and In-person  
Tickets on sale starting October 16, 2023   

Winner of the prestigious Grammy Award for Best New Artist, Samara Joy embraces the great tradition of such singers as Sarah Vaughan and Ella Fitzgerald in this holiday-themed concert featuring three generations of her family including her father Antonio McLendon, uncle Laurone McLendon, and her cousins Tiera Lovell Rowe and Alana Alexander. 

Kwanzaa: A Regeneration Celebration

Saturday, December 30, 2023 | 2:00pm and 7:30pm EST 

The Apollo’s Historic Theater – Live and In-person 

Tickets start at $25 
 

Anchored by Forces of Nature Dance Theatre under the leadership of critically acclaimed choreographer Abdel R. Salaam, The Apollo’s annual Kwanzaa Celebration returns for a joyous celebration of the Kwanzaa holiday through dance, music and spoken word, honoring the principals of Kwanzaa and traditions from across the African Diaspora.  

About The Apollo   

The legendary Apollo—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists and launching legends. Since its founding, The Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world. In 2024, The Apollo will open The Apollo’s Victoria Theaters, which will include two new theater spaces, and begin the renovation of its Historic Theater, marking the first ever expansion and renovation of The Apollo in its nearly 90-year history. Read more about the project here: www.apollotheater.org/renovation-restoration-and-transformation/   

With music at its core, The Apollo’s programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me and the New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved; special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo; 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella; and commissioned works like The Blues and Its People featuring Russell Gunn and The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout co-presented by American Composers Orchestra and co-curated with National Black Theatre. The non-profit Apollo is a performing arts presenter, commissioner, and collaborator that also produces festivals, large-scale dance and musical works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend The Apollo’s legacy through a contemporary lens, including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival as well as other multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.  

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, The Apollo has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres—including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at The Apollo are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, Fat Joe, H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Jazmine Sullivan, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miri Ben Ari; and The Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information about The Apollo, visit www.ApolloTheater.org. 

TICKETS 

Tickets for the Apollo’s 2023 Fall season are available at www.ApolloTheater.org.