Apollo Theater Signs with United Talent Agency
BEVERLY HILLS, CA (February 8, 2021) – Leading global talent and entertainment company UTA has signed one of the most significant cultural venues in the world, the Apollo Theater, in all areas. For nearly nine decades, the non-profit theater, known as the soul of American culture, has been rooted in New York’s Harlem community and collaborated with artists and other cultural organizations to create and present work that centers around Black voices from the African Diaspora. The entertainment company will help expand the Apollo’s cultural influence, representation, and programming across TV, Film, Podcasts, Publishing and Events through its expansive IP.
Most recently, the Apollo’s executive producer, Kamilah Forbes, directed and executive produced a television special based on Ta-Nehisi Coates’ memoir, Between the World and Me, which premiered on HBO and HBO Max. Prior to the television premiere, Forbes conceived and directed the stage adaptation of Coates’ critically-acclaimed work for the Apollo Theater in 2018 and 2019. Coates was announced as the Theater’s inaugural Master Artist-in-Residence in 2019, enabling the Apollo to offer him a home for his work and ideas. Other recent highlights include the HBO-released Emmy-winning documentary produced by Lisa Cortes in 2020, The Apollo, which chronicles the Theater's storied history; a recent collaboration with Amazon Studios for the third season of The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, a special event with the cast and creative team on the Apollo’s Digital Stage; and, this past September, the Apollo produced one of the first live onstage concerts following COVID-protocol featuring Grammy Award winner Wyclef Jean performing his hit album, The Carnival.
The Apollo Theater has long been a vibrant platform for artistic innovation as well as a place for audiences to come together to celebrate Black culture and the arts of the African Diaspora,” said Apollo Theater President and CEO Jonelle Procope. “I look forward to working with UTA to amplify the Apollo’s influence and the artists we champion, while introducing the non-profit theater’s mission and programming to an even broader audience.”
Celebrating its 87th anniversary, the Apollo, which offers genre-spanning works from music, dance, and theater to comedy and film screenings, is a convener of Black culture and the community in Harlem that also speaks to, and welcomes, audiences from around New York, the nation, and the world. It is a catalyst for social and civic advocacy and is ideally situated to amplify Black voices on its internationally renowned stage, bringing the intersection of art and activism to its audience, from Sarah Vaughan and Billie Holiday to James Brown and Wyclef Jean. The Apollo recently announced its spring 2021 season, featuring a broad range of free and ticketed virtual events, including the Apollo Film series celebration of House Party and House Party 2 featuring performances by Kid ‘N Play among others; the return of bi- annual WOW (Women of the World) Festival featuring more than 80 thought leaders, scholars, and artists; and the return of Apollo favorites including Music Café, Comedy Club, Live Wire conversations, Career Panels, and more.
The Apollo creates opportunities for Black cultural expression by supporting emerging artists through its education programs, iconic Amateur Night contests, new collaborations and commissions, and its monthly music café and comedy nights. Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the 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. In 2019, the Apollo granted an exclusive license for Amateur Night to Yoshimoto Kogyo Co., Ltd., the largest entertainment company in Japan, expanding the programs reach globally.
About UTA
Leading global talent and entertainment company United Talent Agency represents many of the most acclaimed figures across film, television, news, music, sports, speakers, theater, fine art, literature, video games, podcasts and other social and digital content. A passionate advocate for artists, creators and innovators, the company also is recognized in the areas of film finance and packaging, branding, licensing and endorsements. UTA is known for its dedicated digital media group helping clients—from A-list talent to Fortune 500 companies—capitalize on a rapidly changing entertainment, media and business landscape. The agency's worldwide presence includes its Los Angeles headquarters and offices in New York, London, Nashville, Miami and Malmö, Sweden. Information about UTA can also be found by following the company on social media on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
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 the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Master Artist-in-Residence 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 the annual Africa Now! Festival. The non-profit Apollo Theater 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 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 Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, 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 http://www.ApolloTheater.org.
Media Contact
Kyle Boulia, UTA Kyle.Boulia@unitedtalent.com
About The Apollo
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 a commissioner and presenter; catalyst for new artists, audiences, and creative workforce; and partner in the projection of the African American narrative and its role in the development of American and global culture.
The Apollo envisions a new American canon centered on contributions to the performing arts by artists of the African diaspora, in America and beyond.
