What better way to kick-off an 85th anniversary than to announce a spectacular Winter/Spring/Fall/Winter 2019 Season ~ at Harlem’s Apollo Theater.
The celebration will begin on February 2nd with an Open House beginning at 2pm, hosted by Billy “Mr. Apollo” Mitchell, and including Jazzmobile and the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art and Storytelling. The Apollo has a lot to celebrate, with its recent announcement that the famed theater has begun its first phase of construction at its neighboring Victoria Theatre, scheduled for a Fall 2020 opening.
“From Africa Now! and Amateur Night, to the premiere of Twisted Melodies, and all the important work our education team is doing with teens and young adults, I am thrilled that our spring season continues to advance our mission and advocacy for African American and Harlem-based artists,” said Kamilah Forbes, Apollo Theater Executive Producer.
The 2019 Winter/Spring Season continues with the Apollo’s famed Amateur Night at the Apollo, opening on February 20th; Race Music weekend in conjunction with AFROPUNK will take place on February 21-23, with feature films curated by ImageNation Cinema Foundation and a special screening of Mr. Soul!
With an ode to Women’s History Month, the third annual WOW – Women of the World Festival will return to the Apollo from March 12 through March 17th, with a plethora of great programming and more than 60 WOW Festivals.
The annual Africa Now! ~ DanceHall returns on Saturday, April 13th, celebrating the best of today’s African contemporary music and highlighting how the music of the diaspora has impacted the continent of Africa. The weekend will also include a film series in partnership with the New York African Film Festival.
Also in April, WiLDFLOWERr, a work-in-progress being developed as part of National Black Theater’s Soul L.A.B. Residency and the Apollo Theater (which began in 2016) will take place on April 26 and 27. WiLDFLOWER is a new musical that follows a rebellious, but devoted young mother who unwittingly meets a Sangoma, learns her ancestors’ purpose for her young son, and then must choose between the cost of obeying her ancestors or the higher cost of defying them. Set in the tumult of the early 90’s in both South Africa & the US, WiLDFLOWER features an exciting South African Pop & Gospel score to tell this epic tale. Tshidi Manye (The Lion King) and Quentin Earl Darrington (Once on this Island) will take center stage.
The Season will end with Twisted Melodies, a one-man theater production highlighting the life, artistry, and struggles of 1970s souls singer and composer Donny Hathaway, running from May 30th through June 2, 2019.
We can’t end this post without a close-up shot of the famed Tree of Hope stump that sits on a gold pillar in the wings of the right stage. The 12-inch log originally was planted six blocks away and was considered to bring good luck to the community. When it was cut down in 1934, Ralph Cooper Sr., the Apollo’s host at the time, bought this piece ~ to bring good luck to all who grace the stage.
Join The Apollo Theater on Friday, January 25th for a #TwitterChat to kick off its 85th anniversary! Artists, institutions, arts presenters, tastemakers and YOU are invited to use #DoItForTheCulture for a real-time conversation about the impact of black artists + creatives on global culture! #Apollo85
Also of note, the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival will open with a documentary on The Apollo Theater, and it will be screened at the historic theater on April 24th.
Monday, September 23, 2019 at 7:00pm: Apollo Presents Ta-Nehisi Coates in Conversation: The Water Dancer. In his boldly imagined first novel, Ta-Nehisi Coates brings home the most intimate evil of enslavement: the cleaving and separation of families.
Friday, October 4, 2019 at 7:00 pm: Apollo Film Presents: HBO’s Documentary ‘The Apollo’ ~ Join The Apollo Theater for a community screening of the HBO documentary, The Apollo, directed by Academy Award-winner Roger Ross Williams. This is a Free Event with RSVP.
Friday, October 25th at 8:00pm, Saturday, October 26th at 8:00pm, and Monday,, October 28th at 8:00pm ~ Between The World and Me. Based on the award-winning book by Ta-Nehisi Coates, the theatrical event, Between the World and Me, takes difficult, but necessary conversations around Black life and death and places them center stage.
Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 6:30pm ~ Live Wire: She’s a Rebel: A Tribute to the Girl Groups of the 50s, 60s, and 70s. In celebration of the Theater’s 85th Anniversary.
Thursday, November 21, 2019 at 6:00pm ~ Apollo Film Presents: Imagenation’s Cocktails & Cinema ~ cocktails & Cinema evening feature premier and advance screenings of Pan-African films preceded by a reception with live DJ/performance, followed by a talkback.
Friday, November 22 at 8PM and Saturday, November 23 at 8:00pm ~ The Apollo Theater’s partnership with Ballet Hispánico continues with three works including a world premiere and restrings of two works all by women choreographers.
Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 2:00pm ~ Under the twinkling lights of the marquee, the Apollo and Coca-Cola invite families to gather for holiday-themed activities including picture taking with Santa Claus and performances from local choirs. Free Event.
Saturday, December 14, 2019 at 7:30pm ~ Amateur Night Holiday Special. Light up the holiday season at the annual event showcasing talented young performers.
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 ~ Apollo Theater Academy Presents: Careers in Graphic Novels & Visual Storytelling.
Saturday, December 21, 2019 at 7:00pm ~ Holiday Joy: A Gospel Celebration Featuring Yolanda Adams and Donald Lawrence.
Saturday, December 28, 2019 at 2:00pm and 7:30pm ~ Kwanzaa Celebration: Regeneration Night
Amateur Night at The Apollo takes places on Wednesdays at 7:30pm. Don’t miss out on Apollo Late Nights ~ Comedy Club and Music Cafe.