The Apollo’s Winter/Spring 2022 Season “The Renaissance is Now”

Harlem, NY – (December 6, 2021; updated December 21, 2021) – The Apollo announced today details of its Winter/Spring 2022 season, with an array of free and ticketed programming in-person at the Apollo’s historic theater and online on the Apollo’s Digital Stage. Highlights include the long-anticipated return of the Amateur Night at the Apollo competition on Wednesday, February 16 at 7:30pm EST; Apollo Master Artist-in-Residence Ta-Nehisi Coates and The Roots’ Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter, in conversation; the Lyricist Lounge 30th Anniversary Concert featuring hip-hop trailblazers to be announced; the premiere of The Gathering: A Collective Ring Shout, co-presented by the American Composers Orchestra and the Apollo and co-curated by National Black Theatre; the return of Africa Now! featuring East African jazz vocalist and Grammy nominee Somi; and more. The non-profit Apollo’s season centers

‍

Black artists and voices from the African Diaspora with myriad opportunities for artists and audiences to come back together at the iconic theater.

‍

“As we continue our 88th season, the Apollo remains steadfast in its commitment to serve our community, audiences, and artists. We are thrilled to welcome audiences back to once again uplift and unite one another while celebrating resiliency and artistry in Harlem,” said Apollo President and CEO Jonelle Procope. “I’m incredibly grateful to our donors and sponsors who continue to support the Apollo, ensuring that we remain a beacon of Black creativity.”

‍

Building on the Apollo’s dedication to creating a diverse 21st-century American performing arts canon, Grammy and Emmy nominated multi-instrumentalist, composer, and producer Kamasi Washington will serve as the Apollo’s second Master Artist-in-Residence. The three-year residency, which will include in- person and digital events such as performances, curated events, conversations, and more, will further deepen the relationship between the non-profit organization and Washington, who most recently performed on the Apollo stage in February 2019 with his band The Next Step. The concert was filmed and released on Amazon Prime Video in 2020. The residency provides leading artists of color with a home to create new works, develop and curate programs, support artists of color across disciplines, and also serve as an artistic, educational, and community resource. Washington follows Ta-Nehisi Coates, the Apollo’s inaugural resident artist, whose Between the World and Me was adapted for the stage and premiered in 2018, with encore performances at the Apollo in 2019, and became an award-winning HBO special in 2020.

‍

“From the return of our hallmark, in-person Amateur Night competitions, to the Africa Now! festival featuring the incredible Somi, the much-anticipated premiere of The Gathering, and so much more, this is a season of celebration at the Apollo as we once again open our doors and continue to engage virtually with our artists and communities near and far,” said Apollo Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes. “It is an honor to welcome Kamasi Washington to the Apollo as our Master Artist-in-Residence for the next three years. He continues to be an innovator, weaving together Hip Hop, soul, jazz, and R&B while creating a sound uniquely his own. We look forward to providing him a home for his work and ideas.”

‍

The Apollo’s famed Amateur Night at the Apollo, one of New York’s most popular live entertainment experiences, attracting performers and audiences the world over, returns to Harlem following the theater’s March 2020 closure. The classic competition is known for its notoriously “tough” audience, enthusiastically deciding who will “Be Good or Be Gone.” Artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, D’Angelo, Machine Gun Kelly, and H.E.R. have all rubbed the famed Tree of Hope before taking the stage. This year’s line-up of contestants will compete for an ultimate cash prize of $20,000. Coca- Cola is the lead sponsor of Amateur Night at the Apollo.

‍

The Apollo’s winter/spring season kicks off on Sunday, January 9 at 3:00pm EST with the annual celebration of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Returning in person and presented by the Apollo and WNYC, in collaboration with the March on Washington Film Festival, Uptown Hall: MLK – Activism and the Arts is hosted by WNYC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, host of The Takeaway from WNYC Studios and PRX. This year’s program features a discussion on how Dr. King leveraged the influence of artists in the civil rights movement and how that legacy of activism in the arts continues today. Focusing on the long- standing connection between activism and artistry, participants will discuss how the struggle for social justice affected icons from Nina Simone and Muhammad Ali to John Legend and Colin Kaepernick, and how they, in turn, helped drive the struggle for social justice. Jami Floyd, of WNYC’s Race & Justice Unit, will emcee; the event features Brian Lehrer, host of The Brian Lehrer Show; Alison Stewart, host of All of It; Kai Wright, host of The United States of Anxiety; and WQXR host and author Terrance McKnight. This year’s panelists include The Honorable Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta, first Black UN Ambassador, and former civil rights activist; Reverend Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network and internally renowned civil rights activist; National Black Theatre Executive Artistic Director Jonathan McCory, who conceived and will direct The Gathering; award-winning sports journalist and author Bill Rhoden; Color of Change President Rashad Robinson; Tony award-winning actress Trazana Beverly; sports journalist and author of “Full Dissidence” and “The Heritage” Howard Bryant; founder of Black Art in America (BAIA) and visual artist Najee Dorsey; Dr. Harry Edwards, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, UC-Berkeley focused on experiences of African-American athletes; and curator, Museum of Sports for Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, Damion Thomas. Artistic presentations and performances will enhance the timely conversations. Music director Gregory Hopkins will direct The Gathering Quartet (Maria Antoinette Freeman, Soprano; Tanya Tatum, Alto; Ronald Smith, Tenor; Victor Chapman, Baritone) in a preview performance from Joel Thompson’s oratorio Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, a powerful, multi-movement choral work honoring Black men killed by police performed in advance of its full presentation at The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout, co- presented by the Apollo and the American Composers Orchestra and co-curated with National Black Theatre, debuting in May at the Apollo. MLK – Activism and the Arts will also feature a video presentation by classical music curator Garrett McQueen on the history of activism by Pan-African musicians, and rappers Javier Gooden and JSWISS will close out the program by delivering a message to the youth and an electrifying tribute to black trailblazers. The event will also be broadcast on the Apollo Digital Stage and WNYC on Monday, January 17, at 11:00am and 7:00pm EST.

‍

Audience-favorites Apollo Comedy Club and Apollo Music Café, which highlight the best independent and emerging artists and comedians, return to the Apollo’s Soundstage in January. Writer and actor Rob Stapleton hosts the return of Apollo Comedy Club, curated by Bob Sumner on Friday, January 14 at 9:00pm EST featuring Cool DJ Marv. Apollo Comedy Club will continue Friday, March 4, as part of Africa Now!, and Friday, May 13 at 9:00pm EST with a line-up of the best up-and-coming talent from the continent. Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter and Prince protégé Liv Warfield kicks off the spring season of Apollo Music Café on Saturday, January 15 at 9:00pm EST. She was most recently featured on the Prince album “Welcome 2 America.” Warfield will give a rare and intimate performance of her extensive repertoire of original music. Apollo Music Café will offer a special Africa Now! edition on Saturday, March 5 at 9:00pm EST, with Congolese dancer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Nkumu Katalay and DJ YB. On Saturday, May 14 at 9:00pm EST, rising star and New York native Samara Joy takes to the Apollo stage, following in the footsteps of her idols Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan. Joy, who won the 2019 New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, will be performing works from her self-titled debut album.

‍

The Apollo’s bi-annual Africa Now! festival returns with an array of programming recognizing the best of today’s African contemporary music and celebrating its ongoing impact around the world beginning on Friday, March 4 and culminating on Saturday, March 19 with East African jazz vocalist Somi and surprise guests. Somi will be performing music from her latest album Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba, a celebration of the late South African singer-songwriter and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba.

‍

Apollo Film Presents: ImageNation’s Cocktails and Sol Cinema returns on Thursday, March 10 at 6:00pm EST. The evening is part of the Africa Now! celebration and will feature a special screening of Queen of Glory, which premiered as the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Written and directed by Nana Mensah (Netflix’s “The Chair,” and “BONDiNG”), the film, which follows a doctoral student at Columbia University who unexpectedly loses her mother, vividly captures the Ghanaian-American experience of being caught between two worlds.

‍

Apollo Master Artist-in-Residence Ta-Nehisi Coates will be joined by multi-talented rapper, singer, and actor Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots on the Apollo stage on Wednesday, March 30 at 7:00pm EST. The writer, who works across mediums including writing novels, comics, and films, and the artist, who will have just finished the Off-Broadway premiere of Black No More, in which he stars and composed the music for, will discuss their work, what has inspired them, and the ways in which they are reimagining their artforms for the future.

‍

In celebration of its 30th anniversary, the Apollo welcomes the Lyricist Lounge to the Historic Theater on

Saturday, April 16 at 8:00pm EST. Featuring artists to be announced, this one-night-only event highlights

the Lyricist Lounge, which was initially created as a safe space for Hip Hop artists to hone their skills, evolved to become an integral part of Hip Hop history. Lyricist Lounge is known for its ability to curate and showcase authentic, high-quality talent, as has been evidenced in its live shows and previous MTV program.

‍

On Saturday, May 7 at 8:00pm EST, the Apollo will offer The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout. This evening-length work brings the ancestral tradition of the Ring Shout into a contemporary context, taking audiences on a sonic quest rooted in the ritual tradition with a diverse array of contemporary, multi-disciplinary artists. Anchored by a 70-member orchestra and 60-voice choir composed of both professional and amateur singings from multiple African American churches and choral ensembles in New York, including Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir, Broadway Inspirational Voices, Convent Avenue Baptist Church Choir, and Sing Harlem Choir. The Gathering is co-presented with the American Composers Orchestra and co-curated with National Black Theatre in partnership with Gateways Music Festival and Harlem Chamber Players. Directed by National Black Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director, Jonathan McCrory and conducted by Chelsea Topton, the program features the New York premieres of Carlos Simon’s Amen! and Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson, plus Courtney Bryan’s Sanctum. These works are in conversation with new commissions by Herb Alpert Award-winner Toshi Reagon and Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb, which were created to honor the present need for a collective space of remembrance.

‍

An array of powerful community engagement activities leads up to The Gathering, with the intent of creating space for hope, healing, and the collective exhale. On Thursday, February 3 at 7:00pm EST, the Apollo will partner with WQXR and the American Composers Orchestra to present Deep River: Black Currents in Classical Music at The Greene Space. Dr. Howard Watkins, renowned pianist and Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, curates a recital delving into the rich repertoire by Black American composers. It will feature internationally acclaimed soprano Karen Slack and baritone Kenneth Overton. The performance will be followed by a panel discussion about the over 100-year tradition of Blacks as creators, conductors and patrons of classical music.

‍

On Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00pm EST the Apollo and the CUNY School of Medicine present Healing, Liberation and Joy: A Conversation on Mental Health and the Arts, focusing on community healing and the importance of conversations about trauma, its effects, and how to transmute those feelings into opportunities for introspection, creation, and celebration. Learn how to get, keep and spread joy in this conversation with panelists composed of mental health experts and artists. On Sunday, April 24 at 3:00pm EST, the Apollo, the American Composers Orchestra, and the National Black Theatre explore the historic origins and significance of the Ring Shout in Resistance and Healing: Engaging The Ring Shout. Following this panel with experts, thought-leaders, and artists, audiences will participate in the storied ritual.

‍

Widely considered a cornerstone of Black culture, the Apollo continues to provide a home for artists. Apollo New Works, the theater’s first major commissioning initiative, which launched in 2020, offers new works this spring. Friday, April 22 through Monday, April 25, the Apollo will present the New Black Fest¸ curated by Keith Josef Adkins, featuring 18 new 10-minute plays shared over three staged readings, with six works per reading. Commissioned by New Black Fest and the Apollo, the playwrights have created works in response to the prompt, “How did the artists of the Harlem Renaissance respond to the historic events that shaped their time? And how are contemporary creatives dealing with the issues of the present moment in their own work?” Also on Saturday, April 23, Apollo New Works artist Kamau Ware and Black Gotham Experience present Kuzaliwa, 90-minute walking tours of the community, highlighting the neighborhood’s ever-present ties to the Harlem Renaissance.

‍

A cultural anchor in Harlem and New York City, the Apollo continues its role as a catalyst for social engagement with community and education offerings. This spring, Apollo Young Producers returns with a virtual panel, In Service: Young Changemakers on Monday, January 17 at 6:00pm EST, offering

young people a space to share resources, find support, and discuss their experiences. In honor of MLK’s legacy and the National Day of Service, this year’s event will focus on young people making changes in their communities.

‍

Apollo Live Wire conversations–the popular free series that honors iconic individuals who have had an impact on the Apollo’s history– continue on Tuesday, February 22 at 6:30pm EST with Live Wire: Black Notes/Femme Futures. Featuring DJ LiKWUiD and internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and composer Frae-Frae: Daughter of Drexciya, the conversation will contemplate the future of Black life while expanding past and present Black women who have shifted the ways in which people think about, practice, and experience the arts, social sciences, and social justice. Live Wire: Black Notes/Femme Futures is presented as part of the Apollo’s programming in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Afrofuturism Festival. On Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30pm EST Live Wire: Bridging the Diaspora explores ways the Apollo has played a role in honoring the music of Africa, as well as of the U.S. and the Diaspora. Curated by ethnomusicologist Fredara Hadley, it will explore some of the legendary African artists and historic performances that have taken place on the Apollo stage, and the ongoing significance and importance of the Apollo’s Africa Now! festival. From the Archives continues on Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30pm EST with cultural anthropologist, curator, and dancer, Derrick Leon Washington helping the audience to imagine new ways to think about culture, performance, and the stage as archives. On Thursday, May 5 at 6:30pm EST, Live Wire: The Social Justice Playlist will explore the ways in which Black artists have been utilizing their musical abilities to perform a type of protest that brings Black communities together by providing a place to reflect, recharge, and revolutionize towards freedom.

‍

Apollo Career Panels returns to the Digital Stage on Monday, March 28 at 6:00pm EST with Costume Design: Telling the Story and Creating the Character. Focusing on the important role costume designers play in bringing characters to life, the Apollo will bring together a panel of specialists including Tony and Emmy Award-winning designer Paul Tazewell (Hamilton, The Wiz Live!) to discuss the tools they use on the stage and screen. In celebration of Black Music Month in June, the Apollo offers Career Panel: Crossfade on Thursday, June 16 at 6:30pm EST. Beatmakers and music producers are key components to the process of music production, assisting artists with bringing their vision to fruition and guiding their sound along the way. In this panel, participants will gain new insights from some of the industry’s most prolific creators who will share tangible lessons on developing a career, tips on identifying a signature sound, and techniques that will help improve production skills. Moderated by Antoine “Amadeus” Thompson, one of the most sought-after producers in the recording industry today and who has worked with numerous popular recording artists including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Trey Songz, Talib Kweli, Tyga, and The Game.

‍

On Monday, June 13, the Apollo will hold its annual Spring Benefit, the Apollo’s biggest fundraiser. Additional details to be announced.

‍

**A complete calendar listing of upcoming programming is available on the following page.**

‍

‍

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 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 and 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, 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 www.ApolloTheater.org.

# # #

‍

‍

TICKETS

Tickets for the Apollo’s Winter/Spring 2022 season are available now for Apollo members at www.ApolloTheater.org and go on sale to the general public on Thursday, December 9 at 12:00pm EST. General tickets to the 2022 season of Amateur Night at the Apollo and The Gathering: A Collective Ring Shout are on sale now. Tickets to Uptown Hall: MLK – Activism, Athletics, and the Arts are free and available on January 3, 2022. Tickets for Apollo Young Producers, Live Wire, Career Panels, and Apollo Education events are free with RSVP.

‍

‍

COVID-19 PROTOCOLS

The health and safety of our audiences, artists, and staff is the Apollo’s top priority. Please note that all attendees must present a government-issued picture ID prior to entry and show a completed vaccination cord authorized by the FDA or WHO against COVID-19 (dated at least 14 days before the show). Proof of vaccination can be displayed on smartphones. Proof of vaccination may also include a CDC Vaccination Card (or photo), NYC Vaccination Record, or an official immunization record from outside New York City or the United States. Photo ID for children under 12 will not be required if they are accompanied by parents/guardians with government-issued photo ID. All attendees are required to wear masks inside the theater, except while actively eating or drinking. For a complete list of the Apollo’s COVID-19 safety protocols, please visit www.ApolloTheater.org.

‍

‍

SUPPORT

The Apollo’s 2022-23 season is made possible by leadership support from Coca-Cola, Accenture, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Citi, the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Howard Gilman Foundation, the Jerome L. Greene Arts Access Fund in the New York Community Trust, HBO, and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

‍

Public support for the Apollo Theater is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.

‍

Coca-Cola is the lead sponsor of Amateur Night at the Apollo.

‍

The inaugural Master Artist Residency is supported by the Ford Foundation. The Master Artist Residency program is generously funded by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

‍

Leadership support for the Apollo New Works initiative is provided by the Ford Foundation. The New Black Fest is funded by the HBO Fund for Theater, The Black Seed and is also supported in part by an

award from the National Endowment for the Arts. Commissioning support for Soul Science Lab is provided by the New York State Council on the Arts.

‍

Leadership support for Somi and Friends: The Reimagination of Mariam Makeba is provided by the HBO Fund for Theater. Additional support is provided by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.

‍

The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout is generously supported by Art for Justice and the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Linda and Stuart Nelson, Anonymous, JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, and The New York Community Trust.

‍

Apollo Community Programs are supported by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with New York City Council Member Mark Levine.

‍

Leadership support for the Apollo Education Programs is provided by BNY Mellon, Fund II, the Hearst Foundations, the Jerome L. Greene Arts Access Fund in the New York Community Trust, The Pinkerton Foundation, and public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with New York Council Members Ben Kallos and Bill Perkins.

‍

Apollo Young Producers is a part of the Apollo’s Pathway to Careers in the Arts which is generously supported by Steve and Connie Ballmer, Disney, Fund II, the Hearst Foundations, The Neuberger Berman Foundation, the Ellis L. Phillips Foundation, The Pinkerton Foundation, and the Verizon Foundation.

.

# # #

‍

CALENDAR OF APOLLO THEATER’S 2022 WINTER/SPRING SEASON:

Uptown Hall: MLK – Activism and the Arts Sunday, January 9, 2022, at 3:00pm EST Apollo Mainstage – Live and In-person

Advance tickets, available January 3, 2022, are free and required for entry

Monday, January 17 at 11:00am and 7:00pm EST – Apollo Digital Stage, WNYC Facebook – Virtual Broadcast

‍

Returning in person and presented by the Apollo and WNYC, in collaboration with the March on Washington Film Festival, Uptown Hall: MLK – Activism and the Arts is hosted by WNYC’s Melissa Harris-Perry, host of The Takeaway from WNYC Studios and PRX. This year’s program features a discussion on how Dr. King leveraged the influence of artists in the civil rights movement and how that legacy of activism in the arts continues today. Focusing on the long-standing connection between activism and artistry, participants will discuss how the struggle for social justice affected icons from Nina Simone and Muhammad Ali to John Legend and Colin Kaepernick, and how they, in turn, helped drive the struggle for social justice. Jami Floyd, of WNYC’s Race & Justice Unit, will emcee; the event features Brian Lehrer, host of The Brian Lehrer Show; Alison Stewart, host of All of It; Kai Wright, host of The United States of Anxiety; and WQXR host and author Terrance McKnight. This year’s panelists include The Honorable Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta, first Black UN Ambassador, and former civil rights activist; Reverend Al Sharpton, President of National Action Network and internally renowned civil rights activist; National Black Theatre Executive Artistic Director Jonathan McCory, who conceived and will direct The Gathering; award-winning sports journalist and author Bill Rhoden; Color of Change President Rashad Robinson; Tony award-winning actress Trazana Beverly; sports journalist and author of “Full Dissidence” and “The Heritage” Howard Bryant; founder of Black Art in America (BAIA) and visual artist Najee Dorsey; Dr. Harry Edwards, Professor Emeritus of Sociology, UC-Berkeley focused on experiences of African-American athletes; and curator, Museum of Sports for Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture, Damion Thomas. Artistic presentations and performances will enhance the timely conversations. Music director Gregory Hopkins will direct The Gathering Quartet (Maria Antoinette Freeman, Soprano; Tanya Tatum, Alto; Ronald Smith, Tenor; Victor Chapman, Baritone) in a preview performance from Joel Thompson’s oratorio Seven Last Words of the Unarmed, a powerful, multi- movement choral work honoring Black men killed by police performed in advance of its full presentation at The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout, co-presented by the Apollo and the American Composers Orchestra and co-curated with National Black Theatre, debuting in May at the Apollo. MLK – Activism and the Arts will also feature a video presentation by classical music curator Garrett McQueen on the history of activism by Pan-African musicians, and rappers Javier Gooden and JSWISS will close out the program by delivering a message to the youth and an electrifying tribute to black trailblazers.

‍

‍

Apollo Young Producers – In Service: Young Changemakers

Monday, January 17 at 6:00pm EST Apollo Digital Stage – Virtual Broadcast Free with RSVP

The Apollo Young Producers are a dynamic group of alumni from the Apollo’s high school and college programs that curate a series of events for young people; the Community Meet Up was created as a space to share resources, find support, and discuss their experiences. These arts administrators of tomorrow lead an inspiring panel discussion on the pivotal role of young voices in affecting change, in honor of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the National Day of Service. Participants, including political activists and community leaders, explore how young people can harness their unique talents to better serve their communities.

‍

‍

Deep River: Black Currents in Classical Music

Thursday, February 3 at 7:00pm EST Live and In-Person

Broadcast live on WQXR from The Greene Space (44 Charlton Street, New York, NY) Free with RSVP

Presented by the Apollo, WQXR, and the American Composers Orchestra A community engagement activity of The Gathering

Deep River will explore the more than 100-year-old tradition of Black people as creators, conductors and patrons of classical music. Dr. Howard Watkins, renowned pianist and Assistant Conductor at the Metropolitan Opera, curates a recital delving into the rich repertoire by Black American composers, featuring internationally acclaimed soprano Karen Slack and baritone Kenneth Overton.

‍

‍

Amateur Night: Season Opener Wednesday, February 16 at 7:30pm EST Apollo Mainstage – Live and In-Person Tickets starting at $35

Amateur Night at the Apollo is one of New York’s most legendary live entertainment experiences, attracting performers and audiences the world over. The classic competition is known for its notoriously “tough” audience, enthusiastically deciding who will “Be Good or Be Gone” to win the grand prize. Who will be the next Ella Fitzgerald, Lauryn Hill, H.E.R., or Machine Gun Kelly? After being on hiatus in 2020 due to Covid-19, Amateur Night returns in February 2022 with a program focused on local amateur talent and special guest performances, airing every other week on Wednesdays.

‍

Additional Amateur Night Spring Dates:

March 2

March 16

March 23

April 13

April 27

May 11

May 25

June 15

June 22

‍

‍

Live Wire: Black Notes/Femme Futures Tuesday, February 22 at 6:30pm EST Apollo Digital Stage – Virtual Broadcast Free with RSVP

Featuring DJ LiKUiD and internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and composer Frae-Frae: Daughter of Drexciya, the conversion will contemplate the future of Black life while expanding past and present Black women who have shifted the ways in which people think about, practice, and experience the arts, social sciences, and social justice. Presented as part of the Apollo’s programming in partnership with Carnegie Hall’s Afrofuturism Festival.

‍

Healing, Liberation and Joy: A Conversation on Mental Health and the Arts

Tuesday, March 8 at 7:00pm EST Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Presented by the Apollo Theater and the CUNY School of Medicine present A community engagement program of The Gathering

Thought leaders and creatives will advocate community healing through honest conversations about trauma, its effects, and how to transmute those feelings into opportunities for introspection, creation, and celebration. Learn how to get, keep and spread joy in this conversation with panelists composed of mental health experts and artists.

‍

Apollo Film: Imagenation’s Cocktails and Sol Cinema – Queen of Glory

Thursday, March 10; 6:00pm reception, 7:00pm EST screening Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Tickets: $25 including appetizers and one beverage

Presented as part of the Apollo’s Africa Now! festival, director Nana Mensah (Netflix’s “The Chair”) vividly captures the Ghanaian-American experience of being caught between two worlds in her film, Queen of Glory. Sarah Obeng is set to move to Ohio with her boyfriend when her mother suddenly dies. She must then pick up the pieces of her mother’s life and put together a traditional Ghanaian funeral in New York. In the end, Sarah uncovers more than she initially expected as she explores the world her mother left behind. The evening will include a post-film conversation with the filmmaker.

‍

Live Wire from the Archives: Bridging the Diaspora

Tuesday, March 15 at 6:30pm EST Apollo Digital Stage – Virtual Broadcast Free with RSVP

From Babatunde Olatunji/Olatunji Dancers, Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba, Salif Keita, Burna Boy, Somi, and others, the Apollo stage has provided a nexus between the African and the African American performance experience. Curated by Ethnomusicologist Fredara Hadley, she will be in dialogue with contemporary artists about some of the legendary artists and historic performances from the continent and the significance of the Apollo’s Africa Now!.

‍

Somi and Friends: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba

Saturday, March 19 at 8:00pm EST Apollo Mainstage – Live and In-Person Tickets start at $25

The Apollo presents East African jazz vocalist Somi performing the music from her new stage play, Dreaming Zenzile and her latest album, Zenzile: The Reimagination of Miriam Makeba. Both projects are the jazz singer’s celebration of the late South African singer-songwriter and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba and her “invaluable musical contributions and messages of social justice.”

‍

Career Panel – Costume Design: Telling the Story and Creating the Character

Monday, March 28 at 6:00pm EST Apollo Digital Stage – Virtual Broadcast Free with RSVP

The Apollo’s Career Panel series provides a behind-the-scenes look at lesser-known careers in arts and entertainment and shines a spotlight on people of color working in creative industries. Part panel discussion, part live demonstration, these informative events provide tangible takeaways and insightful resources to empower the next generation of creative minds in these fields. Costume designers play an essential role in bringing memorable characters to life, communicating a personality or a moment in time or space through the garments they create to help magically transform actors into people far removed from themselves. Learn more about this pivotal component of storytelling on stage and on screen from innovative voices in the field. Participants include Tony and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, who has worked on a variety of projects for theater, dance, opera, and television including Hamilton and The Wiz Live!

‍

In Conversation: Ta-Nehisi Coates and Black Thought

Wednesday, March 30 at 7:00pm EST Apollo Mainstage – Live and In-Person Tickets start at $15

Apollo Master Artist-in-Residence Ta-Nehisi Coates will be joined by multi-talented rapper, singer, and actor Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter of the Grammy Award-winning band The Roots on the Apollo stage discussing their work, what has inspired them, and the ways in which they are reimagining their artforms for the future.

‍

Lyricist Lounge 30th Anniversary Saturday, April 16 at 8:00pm EST Apollo Mainstage – Live and In-Person Tickets start at $45

This one-night-only event highlights the Lyricist Lounge, which was initially created as a safe space for hip-hop artists to hone their skills and has evolved to become an integral part of hip-hop history, known for its ability to curate and showcase authentic, high-quality talent.

‍

Live Wire from the Archives

Tuesday, April 19 at 6:30pm EST

Apollo Digital Stage – Virtual Broadcast Free with RSVP

How can people re-interpret and re-activate static materials usually associated with archives? For this inaugural edition of Live Wire from the Archives, cultural anthropologist, curator, and dancer, Derrick Leon Washington guides an audience through imagining new ways to think about culture, performance, and the stage as tangible, embodied archives and the ways in which they can shed new light on future artforms.

‍

New Black Fest

Readings: Friday, April 22 at 7:00pm EST; Saturday, April 23 at 7:00pm EST; Monday, April 25 at 7:00pm EST

Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person Tickets: $25

Playwrights in Conversation: Saturday, April 23 at 3:00pm EST Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Tickets free with RSVP

New Black Fest¸ curated with Keith Josef Adkins, will feature 18 new 10-minute plays shared over three staged readings. Commissioned by New Black Fest and the Apollo, the playwrights have created works in response to the prompt, “How did the artists of the Harlem Renaissance respond to the historic events that shaped their time? And how are contemporary creatives dealing with the issues of the present moment in their own work?” Part of Apollo New Works, the theater’s first major commissioning initiative launched in 2020.

‍

Kuzaliwa – Kamau Ware and the Black Gotham Experience

Saturday, April 23 at 11:00am, 2:00pm, and 4f:00pm EST

Tour various locations throughout Harlem – Live and In-Person Tickets: $10 per participant

Black Gotham Experience, led by Kamau Ware, will lead audiences on 90-minute walking tours of the community, highlighting its ever-present ties to the Harlem Renaissance. Part of Apollo New Works, the theater’s first major commissioning initiative launched in 2020.

‍

Resistance and Healing: Engaging The Ring Shout

Sunday, April 24 at 3:00pm EST

Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person Free with RSVP

Presented by the Apollo, the American Composers Orchestra, and the National Black Theatre A community engagement activity of The Gathering

First practiced by enslaved Africans in the Caribbean and in the United States, a Shout (or Ring Shout) is an ecstatic, transcendent ritual in which worshipers move in a circle while stomping, shuffling, and clapping to open a space to collectively grieve, awaken joy as a source of liberation, and find love as a form of resistance. This panel of experts, thought-leaders, and the creative team for The Gathering explore the historic origins and significance of the Ring Shout, and will then lead audiences through a communal ring shout.

‍

Live Wire: The Social Justice Playlist

Thursday, May 5 at 6:30pm EST

Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Free with RSVP

A community engagement activity of The Gathering

Black artists have been utilizing their musical abilities to bring Black communities together for decades in a myriad of ways. The Apollo will explore the timeline of political performance and discuss Black artists and their musical contributions beginning in the 19th century to the present day. As the conversation focuses on our current moment, a panel will consider what these performances and performers reveal about the systems within which Black entertainment must exist.

‍

The Gathering: A Collective Ring Shout Saturday, May 7, 2022, at 8:00pm EST Apollo Mainstage – Live and In-Person

Co-presented by the American Composers Orchestra and the Apollo Theater Co-curated with National Black Theatre

In partnership with Gateways Music Festival and Harlem Chamber Players Creative concept and direction by Jonathan McCrory

Chelsea Tipton, conductor Gregory Hopkins, choirmaster

Featuring: American Composers Orchestra with Gateway Music Festival and Harlem Chamber Players, Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir, Broadway Inspirational Voices, Convent Avenue Baptist Church Choir, and Sing Harlem Choir

Tickets start at $20

The Gathering: A Collective Sonic Ring Shout is an evening-length work which brings the ancestral tradition of the Ring Shout into a contemporary context, taking audiences on a sonic quest rooted in the ritual tradition with a diverse array of contemporary, multidisciplinary artists. Anchored by a 70-member orchestra and a 60-voice choir composed of both professional and amateur singers from multiple African American churches and choral ensembles in New York, The Gathering opens a space to collectively grieve, to awaken joy as a source of liberation, and to find love as a form of resistance. Directed by National Black Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director, Jonathan McCrory, the program features the New York premieres of Carlos Simon’s Amen! and Seven Last Words of the Unarmed by Joel Thompson, plus Courtney Bryan’s Sanctum. These works are in conversation with new commissions from Herb Alpert Award winner Toshi Reagon, and Tony Award winner Jason Michael Webb.

‍

Apollo Film: Imagenation Cocktails and Sol Cinema – It’s Different in Chicago

Thursday, May 26, 6:00pm reception, 7:00pm EST screening Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Tickets: $25 including appetizers and one cocktail

It's Different in Chicago Tells the story of how House music and Hip-Hop culture complemented and competed with each other leading to deep revelations about the different segments within the Black community of Chicago. This homegrown ode to the Chicago music scene will be preceded by a cocktail reception featuring DJ Stormin Norman, and followed by a discussion with curator Moikgantsi Kgama of ImageNation and filmmaker David Weathersby.

‍

Career Panel: Crossfade

Thursday, June 21 at 6:00pm EST Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person Free with RSVP

Beatmakers and music producers are key components to the process of music production, assisting artists

with bringing their vision to fruition and guiding their sound along the way. This career panel provides insights from some of the industry’s most prolific creators who will share tangible lessons on developing a career, tips on identifying a signature sound, and techniques that will help improve production skills. Moderated by Antoine “Amadeus” Thompson, one of the most sought-after producers in the recording industry today who has worked with numerous popular recording artists including Jennifer Lopez, Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Trey Songz, Talib Kweli, Tyga, and The Game.

‍

Apollo Comedy Club

Doors open at 9:00pm EST, shows at 10:00pm EST Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Tickets: $25 with a $10 food or drink minimum

‍

‍

Friday, January 14 – Rob Stapleton, Ambur James, Buckwild, and Ronnie Jordan

Friday, March 4 – Africa Now! edition featuring Akintunde, Alfred Kaing, Marcela Onyango, and Yedoye Travis with music by DJ Qool Marv

Friday, May 13 – Mike Woods, Shanell Renee, Think Floyd, and Derrick OC Reid

‍

‍

Apollo Music Café Line-Up

Doors open at 9:00pm EST, shows at 10:00pm EST Apollo Soundstage – Live and In-Person

Tickets: $25 with a $10 food or drink

Saturday, January 15 – Singer/songwriter and Prince protégé Liv Warfield

Saturday, March 5 – Africa Now! edition celebrating the best of contemporary African music, featuring Congolese dancer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist Nkumu Katalay and DJ YB

Saturday, May 14 – Rising star and New York native Samara Joy follows in the footsteps of her idols Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan, performing works from her self-titled debut album.

‍

‍