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Step behind the curtain of the world-famous Apollo Theater. Located at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria’s Laura & Frank Baker Gallery, Got To Be There: The Apollo, Its People, and Its Stories is a first of its kind exhibition curated by The Apollo Archives. This collection of rare photographs, video recordings, and artifacts offers a rare glimpse into The Apollo’s 91 year history.
Free and open to the public with select viewings and conversations throughout the season, this stunning exhibition offers a glimpse into the many roles that The Apollo has played and continues to play in service to the arts, the Harlem community, and global pop culture at large.
Open Daily 10am – 6pm & 2 hours before curtain during performances
The 17th Annual Fire This Time Festival breaks ground this winter at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria! Don’t miss the incredible lineup of six world-premiere 10-minute plays cover a range from the humorous to moving, pointed, and political, all directed by preeminent director and creator, Ken-Matt Martin.
“To bring The Fire This Time Festival to The Apollo is to root our work in the very heart of Black artistic excellence. The Apollo has always been a beacon for voices that define culture and truth. This partnership allows us to continue nurturing the playwrights and storytellers who are illuminating our world in powerful new ways.”
Kelley Girod, Founder of The Fire This Time Festival and Apollo New Works Director.
Online tickets for the shows on January 23rd and January 24th are currently sold out. A limited number of tickets will be available to purchase in-person at our Box Office. In person tickets will be sold on a first come, first served basis. The Apollo's Box Office will be open from 10am to 8pm for Friday performances and from 12pm - 8pm for Saturday matinee and evening performance. Attendees are encouraged to arrive early and experience Got To Be There: The Apollo, Its People and Its Stories in the Laura and Frank Baker Gallery.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
- Friday, January 23 @ 7:30pm (Preview Performance) - SOLD OUT
- Saturday, January 24 @ 2:30pm (Opening followed by post-show discussion) - SOLD OUT
- Saturday, January 24 @ 7:30pm - SOLD OUT
- Friday, January 30 @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, January 31 @ 2:30pm
- Saturday, January 31 @ 7:30pm (Closing Night)
ABOUT THE FIRE THIS TIME FESTIVAL:
Founded in 2009 by playwright and Apollo’s Director of New Works, Kelley Nicole Girod, The Fire This Time Festival provides a platform for early career playwrights of African and African American descent. Since its founding, the Festival has produced the plays of dozens of emerging writers whose works explore a wide range of themes and perspectives. The Festival also supports actors, directors, and technical personnel to help seed the pipeline with diverse talent and amplify underrepresented voices in theater in New York and beyond. The Fire This Time playwrights have gone on to have their plays produced in cities across the United States and work as writers in film and television. The Fire This Time Festival has evolved into an annual January event and continues to grow, expanding upon its core short play presentations to offer panel discussions, staged readings, a playwright’s lab and other programs. The Festival has become a destination for diverse audiences, producers, and artists seeking new possibilities and opportunities in contemporary theater.
Culture In Motion™ is a roadshow experience that meets people exactly where they are—igniting creativity, amplifying voices, and boosting the spaces it touches. From live performances and Apollo-style showcases to SUPERCHARGED® empowerment experiences, Culture In Motion blends heritage, innovation, and community connection into an on-the-move experience designed to spark creativity and strengthen community everywhere it goes.
Culture In Motion Roadshow kicks off in Los Angeles at The Beehive, where we’ll host the world’s longest running talent competition. We’re bringing Amateur Night auditions, presented by Coca-Cola, and looking for the best singers, dancers and instrumentalists to join us at The Beehive. Top selected contestants will receive a Coca-Cola swag bag. The top musician will also receive a career opportunity to work with music engineers, writers, and producers at the Coke Studio at L.A. Live to hone their craft. Anticipated timing for Coke Studios career opportunity will be between April - June 2026, with exact date and timing to be determined by Coke Studios.
Don’t miss your chance to shoot your shot in the talent competition that launched the careers of stars like Ella Fitzgerald, D’Angelo, Jazmine Sullivan, H.E.R, and more! Signup now for your Amateur Night audition spot.*
*Due to the ongoing Historic Theater renovation, performance in New York is not guaranteed for finalists.
Auditions are part of a free, family-friendly, block party–style community experience bringing together music, storytelling, youth engagement, and creative access. If you don't want to audition but join us at The Beehive LA for a full day to connect, create, and celebrate culture together, go to the
LA – Community Boost Block Party registration page.
Featuring ONIKA MCLEAN, MARK SIMMONS, STEPHON RAICKETT
HOSTED BY MUGGA
Jumpstart your weekend with a fun night of laughter, drinks, and tasty bites with the best up and coming talent in comedy today. Curated by Bob Sumner (legendary producer of Def Comedy Jam, creator of Laff Mobb on Aspire), The Apollo Comedy Club presents a night of comedic sets that will have you rolling in laughter.
Perfect for date night, or a night out with friends, don’t miss your chance to heat up your Thursday with the hottest ticket in Harlem. Doors open at 9pm; Showtime is 10pm.
There is a $10 food/beverage minimum.
Apollo Comedy Club is part of The Apollo’s Winter/Spring 2026 season.
Singer, songwriter, pianist, and historian Nia Drummond moves fluidly through opera, jazz, soul, gospel, and spirituals — genres that form the living archive of Black musical expression. In this month of Black History and Love, join Nia for an evening of music that lives at the crossroads of tradition and transformation.
The Essence of Lace is the debut fashion viewing of the Christopher Reavley Collection, presenting a 30-piece women's luxury ready-to-wear collection crafted with precision, elegance, and modern femininity. This immersive experience celebrates the timeless romance of lace while reimagining it through contemporary silhouettes, elevated tailoring, and refined textures.
Featuring JOEY B., KHRISTIN Y.S.F. BROOKS, COMEDIAN BUDDY LOVE
HOSTED BY DREW FRASER
Jumpstart your weekend with a fun night of laughter, drinks, and tasty bites with the best up and coming talent in comedy today. Curated by Bob Sumner (legendary producer of Def Comedy Jam, creator of Laff Mobb on Aspire), The Apollo Comedy Club presents a night of comedic sets that will have you rolling in laughter.
Perfect for date night, or a night out with friends, don’t miss your chance to heat up your Thursday with the hottest ticket in Harlem. Doors open at 9pm; Showtime is 10pm.
There is a $10 food/beverage minimum.
Apollo Comedy Club is part of The Apollo’s Winter/Spring 2026 season.
Turn down the lights and get ready for a night of Quiet Storm with singer and songwriter Alex Tyree. With lush vocals and unhurried melodies, Alex creates a night of music written in the sacred language of life and love.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with The Apollo and Harlem-based film collective Melanin Madness. After a sold-out 2025 Halloween-themed screening, we’re running it back, this time for the ladies. As always and in true Apollo fashion, the audience is a part of the experience so grab your crew and get ready to talk back, cheer and join the party in this evening of community, culture, and fun.
About Melanin Madness:
MELANIN MADNESS interactive screenings turn classic and cult films into full-on cultural celebrations! With props, character cards, and playful hosts, audiences shout lines, sip on keywords, and dive into the joy of cinema—loud, proud, and in community! Led by Obie-Award Winner Eric Lockley (The Movement Theatre Company, Harlem9), his team of multidisciplinary artists have been creating immersive theater collectively for over 5 years. Featuring: Jovany Andujar (NYC Educator), Dolores Pereira (Culture curator, Co-founder of Loud and Lyfted and DND:Two Queens Doing Things) and Jordon Waters (TheyGotTime Productions, creator of The Art of Killin’ It and Party Killer). Past partnerships include Maysles Cinema with screenings of Octavia Spencer’s villainous turn in MA, the hilarious Halle Berry cult-classic BAPS and the spectacular Jenifer Lewis’ Jackie’s Back as a tipsy sing-along. Come have a drink, laugh and engage!
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Celebrating over 90 Years of Black Culture, Creativity, and Community!
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ABOUT
A Legacy of Culture
The Apollo is an American cultural treasure. It is a vibrant non-profit organization rooted in the Harlem community that engages people from around New York, the nation, and the world. Since 1934, The Apollo has celebrated, created, and presented work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora. It has also been a catalyst for social and civic advocacy. Today, The Apollo is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity.
The Apollo is an American and global cultural and creative catalyst, dedicated to amplifying Black artistic excellence, innovation, and community through transformative performances, education, and advocacy.
The Apollo envisions a new American canon centered on contributions to the performing arts by artists of the African diaspora, in America and beyond.
The Apollo is led by a predominantly Black and women-led executive team, steered by Michelle Ebanks, the organization’s President and CEO. She succeeded Jonelle Procope, who helmed The Apollo for nearly two decades.
Apollo Education
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Celebrate the past, present, and future of Black art and creativity. Your generosity enables The Apollo to fulfill its mission and sustain its legacy of excellence.
