Alice Smith to Headline The Apollo Theater's WOW - Women Of The World Festival

The Apollo Theater announced today that Grammy nominated singer/songwriter Alice Smith will headline the Apollo's WOW - Women of the World Festival. The performance, featuring new music from her upcoming Full LP Mystery set to release at the end of 2018, is a part of the 3rd annual gathering of artists, activists, and leaders from around the globe at the Apollo Theater beginning March 12 and running through March 17, 2019. Smith will bring her intoxicating mix of R&B, pop and rock along with a special musical tribute to the world famous Apollo Theater stage on Friday, March 15, 2019 at 8pm.

The 4-octave range chanteuse, makes "soulful music draped with vocal stylings that run the spectrum from playful, to seductive, to eerily haunting." (Okayplayer) Her voice is a rare and deeply expressive instrument, anchoring her R&B-meets-jazz songwriting with a treasure trove of memorable, personal lyrics. Apollo Theater's Program Director Jamilla Deria noted, "as we celebrate the continued liberation of women globally, we are thrilled to be joined by Alice Smith, whose singularity and uncompromising authenticity embodies the power of the unleashed woman."

Smith is the first name announced for this season's festival line-up. Past participants of the Apollo's WOW have included Nobel Prize Winner, Leymah Gbowee; Academy Award winner Lupita Nyong'o; Phoebe Robinson (of Two Dope Queens); Olympian Gabby Douglas; actress Gabourey Sidibe, Iyanla Vanzant, Macy Gray and Women's March leaders Tamika Mallory and Carmen Perez.

Part of the Apollo Theater's artistic mission, the WOW Festival extends the Apollo's role as a cultural and civic anchor dedicated to providing forums for meaningful discussion and exchange of ideas.

Founded in 2010 by Artistic Director Jude Kelly CBE and originating at Southbank Centre, London, the international festival celebrates women and girls and promotes gender equity with 20 festivals over five continents. Apollo Theater in partnership with The WOW Foundation will present a six day experience featuring a unique mix of performances, discussions and workshops celebrating the achievements of women and girls from all walks of life exploring a variety of issues across cultural, civic, and social boundaries with a focus on empowerment and activism.

The WOW Foundation Director and WOW, Women of the World festival Founder, Jude Kelly said: "WOW - Women of the World Festivals are designed to be agents of change in their host cities, providing a space for women to participate in discussion, education and collaboration on the issues that most impact their lives. WOW is the biggest gathering of women and girls across the globe, and I'm so pleased that Harlem and the Apollo Theater continue to be part of this story for change

Please visit www.wowapollo.com or www.ApolloTheater.org/WOW for updates and more information on the festival.

Tickets and Information:

Tickets for Alice Smith, a part of the WOW- Women of the World Festival, begin at $30 and are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.

About Alice Smith

Raised between Washington, D.C. and Augusta, Georgia, on a steady diet of gospel, pop, soul and go-go, Alice is a passionate singer, songwriter, and producer who has an unshakable sense of self and an attitude to match. Her 2006 debut, For Lovers, Dreamers & Me, garnered a GRAMMY nomination in Best Urban/Alternative category, her second album She was released in 2013. Smith's latest single House of the Rising Sun, is an arresting rendition and breathtakingly powerful version of the American standard classic. She decided to record and release the song after performing it live at the Kennedy Center earlier this year. Her Full LP Mystery compiled of all original compositions will be released at the end of 2018, as previewed on NPR's Tiny Desk and the CW hit TV series Black Lightning earlier this year.

Smith's prior release was a stunningly chilling version of Nina Simone's I Put A Spell on You from the Nina Simone all-star tribute album Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone RCA (2015), which included songs from Lauryn Hill, Usher, Mary J. Blige and more. Smith's version of Fool For You popularized by Cee-Lo Green has garnered licenses including Gotham, Being Mary Jane, and Fox's hit series Empire.

About the Apollo Theater

The legendary Apollo Theater-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.

With music at its core, the Apollo's programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo, 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella, the annual Africa Now! Festival, and the New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved. The Apollo is a performing arts presenting organization that also produces festivals and large-scale dance and music works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend the Apollo's legacy through a contemporary lens; global festivals including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival and Breakin' Convention, international and U.S.-based artist presentations focused on a specific theme; and Special Projects, multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater 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 D'Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder; and the Apollo's forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy.

About The WOW Foundation

WOW - Women of the World festival is a global movement launched by Jude Kelly CBE at Southbank Centre London in 2010, celebrating women and girls and looking at the obstacles that stop them from achieving their potential. To date, WOW has reached over 2 million people worldwide.

The WOW Foundation creates groundbreaking programs for change - incubators, platforms, women and girl leaders. The WOW Foundation produces WOW festivals across the world to celebrate women and girls, take a frank look at what prevents them from achieving their potential, and raise awareness globally of the issues they face and possible solutions. It is the biggest, most comprehensive and most significant festival dedicated to presenting work by women and promoting equality for women and girls.

WOW Festivals are presented by arrangement with Southbank Centre, London.

https://www.thewowfoundation.com/

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