In Honor of the Apollo’s 85th Anniversary

Wednesday, February 20 at 7:30 p.m.

Featuring a Special Performance by Raheem DeVaughn

Harlem, NY, January 28, 2019 – Amateur Night at the Apollo returns on February 2o at 7:30 p.m. In honor of the Apollo’s 85th Anniversary, 850 tickets for Opening Night will be $8.50, made possible with support from sponsor Coca-Cola. The exciting program will feature a special performance by R&B artist Raheem DeVaughn.

Apollo Theater’s signature original, large-scale talent show and one of the longest-running continuous events in New York City is hosted by comedian Capone and features staples like C.P. Lacey in the role of the “Executioner” (in charge of ushering off “booed” contestants), Joe Gray the “Set It Off Man,” and the Apollo’s Amateur Night house band led by music director, Michael Mitchell.

Since introducing the first Amateur contests in 1934, Amateur Night has been the launching pad for some of the biggest artists in the world including Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and Ella Fitzgerald who won the very first year. Now, 85 years later Amateur Night continues to be a primary source for discovering and nurturing new talent and spotlighting up-and-coming artists including Sung Lee, NUMBERS, Christian Guardino, Machine Gun Kelly, Moses Harper, Matthew Whitaker, and Wé McDonald.

Apollo Theater Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes said, “Amateur Night was created with the idea that anyone could have a chance at stardom and the Apollo Theater has been a place for opportunity and growth for thousands of performers for 85 years.”

This season, contestants will once again “Be Good or Be Gone” to compete for the chance to win a grand prize of $20,000. Amateur Night has played a major role in the cultivation of artists and in the emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Select performances including opening night will be live streamed via the Apollo Theater’s Facebook page, also sponsored by Coca-Cola, a sponsor of Amateur Night for more than 30 years.

Tickets and Information:

Tickets for the Amateur Night 2019 season opener on Feb. 20 begin at $8.50 and are available at the Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, https://www.ticketmaster.com/amateur-night-at-the-apollo-tickets/artist/839690. Tickets purchased online or over the phone are subject to additional fees. Amateur Night’s 2019 Season runs every Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m., February 20, 2019 through November 27, 2019.

ABOUT RAHEEM DEVAUGHN

Three-time Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Raheem DeVaughn, son of renowned jazz musician Abdul Wadud, grew up in Maryland and cut his teeth performing in clubs throughout the Washington, D.C. area. His debut album, The Love Experience (2005), reached No. 46 on the US Billboard 200 album chart. It featured the singles “Guess Who Loves You More” and “You”. His second album Love Behind the Melody (2008) featured the popular single “Woman”, which was nominated for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards. His sixth studio album Decade of a Love King (2018) takes listeners to new heights and celebrate the sound that the last 10 years have brought him to, creatively and sonically.

ABOUT 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, the world premiere theatrical reading of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s National Book Award-winning Between the World and Me, 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; and the Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information visit https://www.apollotheater.org/.

Amateur Night at the Apollo is sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company.

Get social! For exclusive photos, updates and more use the hashtags #AmateurNight

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Facebook.com/apollotheater

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The Apollo Theater Education Program extends the Apollo’s commitment to enhancing the life of the community. The Education Program focuses on four distinct areas of learning and engagement: residencies, workshops and tours for schools; curriculum materials aligned to state and national learning standards and study guides derived from the Theater’s history; career development for teens and adults through the Apollo Theater Academy; and discussions and lectures for the public that highlight the history of the Apollo and its impact on American art, culture and entertainment. For more information on Apollo Theater Education, visit www.apollotheater.org/education/; follow on Twitter @ApolloEd or stay connected through Apollo Theater Education’s Facebook page.
About The Apollo Theater
The legendary Apollo Theater—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging talents 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, performance art, spoken word initiatives, and more.
This includes the October 2014 premiere and 2015 international tour of the dance celebration project – James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, the annual Africa Now! Festival, Apollo Club Harlem and the upcoming New York premiere of the opera Charlie Parker’s YARDBIRD. The Apollo is a presenting organization that also produces festivals, large-scale dance and music works organized around a set of core initiatives: Apollo Music Signature Programs—Amateur Night, Salon Series, Apollo Music Café; Legacy Series – work that celebrates and extends 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 work 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, D’Angelo, 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.
The Apollo Theater is a not-for-profit organization and currently in the midst of fundraising for its 21st Century Apollo Campaign, created to extend the institution’s role in fostering artistic innovation and in building appreciation of American culture around the world. Visit www.apollotheater.org.
Leadership support for Apollo Education programs from Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation. Additional support from the Mitsubishi UFJ Foundation, Coca-Cola Foundation, Con Edison, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, General Motors Foundation, Insperity, The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, the QBE Foundation and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
The Apollo’s 2015-2016 season is made possible by generous support from American Airlines, BNY Mellon, Citi, Coca-Cola, Troy and Keisha Dixon, EmblemHealth, Frederick Wildman, The Howard Gilman Foundation, Carla A. Harris, Robert K. Kraft, The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, The Parsons Family Foundation, the Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation, JoAnn Price, Earl W. and Amanda Stafford, Time Warner Inc., the Reginald Van Lee New Works Fund, the Apollo Board of Directors and many other generous donors.
Lead annual support is also provided by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. Stafford, Time Warner Inc., the Reginald Van Lee New Works Fund, the Apollo Board of Directors and many other generous donors.

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