Back By Popular Demand
Apollo Club Harlem
Hosted, Directed, and Choreographed by Maurice Hines and Featuring Jazz Vocalist Kevin Mahogany and Boardwalk Empire’s Margot B
February 20th , 21st , 22nd and 23rd
FREE Apollo Open House Weekend
An Apollo 80th Celebration with a Gospel Concert Featuring
Pastor Shirley Caesar
Saturday, February 8th & Sunday, February 9th
Apollo Education “Live Wire” Discussion Series Continues
with Black Style on Stage
Thursday, February 6th - 6:30 p.m.
Apollo Music Café Series Kicks-Off Month with Intimate Concerts by Innovative Artists Including Alison Carney, Lucius Clark, Ava Luna and Rachel Brown
Friday, February 7th & Saturday, February 8th - 10p.m.
This February, the world famous Apollo Theater will host a series of artistic and community programs to celebrate Black History Month. Throughout its history, the Apollo has consistently been a model of innovation and excellence, and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the nation. The Apollo’s 2014 Black History Month programming includes the return of the 1930s/1940s nightclub –style show Apollo Club Harlem; a free Open House Weekend in celebration of Apollo’s 80th Anniversary with a concert featuring the incomparable Pastor Shirley Caesar; the return of the popular independent emerging artist concert series Apollo Music Café; and Apollo “Live Wire” discussion series Black Style on Stage.
Full listings on each program below
Apollo Live Wire: Black Style on Stage
Thursday, February 6th - 6:30 p.m.
While the Apollo is known for its legendary performers, many of the performers who have graced the Apollo stage have been known for their trendsetting style. Clara Ward, Little Richard, The Moments, Stevie Wonder, The Temptations, LaBelle….. The list goes on.
In honor of the Apollo’s 80th birthday, Black Style on Stage digs deep into Apollo archival photos to uncover the depths of Black style as embodied by both well and lesser known performers. Led by Apollo archivist and Harlem style and culture maven, Lana Turner, Black Style on Stage, will focus on the style (clothes, costumes, hair and other style elements) of Apollo performers that captured the moment and our imaginations. From the classic, dapper suits and elegant décolletage of the 1940s and 50s, to the sultry silhouettes and funky ‘fros of the 1960s and 70s; from Moms Mabley’s colorful caps and housecoats to the prom queen-like dresses and coiffed hair of the Shirelles, Black Style on Stage will explore the sometimes hidden messages that style conveys about an entertainer while discovering which of today’s celebrity artists are channeling style icons of the past. Panelists scheduled to participate include:Maurice Hines (Stage, film and TV actor, jazz singer, choreographer and Apollo legend), Randal Jacobs (Curator and Creative Director), Maxine Brown (R&B and Soul Legend) and Emilio Sosa (Costume Designer for “Motown the Musical”, “The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess”, and Apollo Club Harlem)
RSVP required at www.apolloeducation.org.This event is FREE.
Apollo Music Cafe
Friday, February 7th - 10 p.m.
Saturday, February 8th - 10 p.m.
Now in its fourth season, Apollo Music Café showcases creative underground artists in a series of diverse performances across genres, including R&B, hip hop, soul, jazz, pop, funk, and rock. Presented in the Theater’s intimate Soundstage, Music Café offers a lounge-like atmosphere to experience innovative, avant-garde performances, with a bar and stage-side seating. Continuing the Apollo’s commitment to nurturing up-and-coming talent, Music Café has attracted a wide array of music and art lovers from the downtown hipsters to Harlem tastemakers. The series is designed to create opportunities for independent artists to shine, while cultivating unique experiences for its audience. This season the Apollo Music Café audiences will experience innovative performances by vocalists, spoken word artists and DJ Hard Hittin’ Harry on the turntable. Apollo Music Café will run monthly through June 2014.
Tickets for Apollo Music Café are $20 and $15 in advance for the Apollo’s A-List (Sign up at www.apollotheater.org).Tickets are available at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street, and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
Alison Carney and Lucius Clark
Friday, February 7th, 10 p.m. (doors open for bar and food at 9 p.m.)
Chosen by Complex Magazine & Guinness as an “Emerging Artist,” singer/songwriter Alison Carney uses music, art, education and fashion as her muses. From her unconventional songwriting to her genre bending sound, Carney takes audiences on an unforgettable ride through her electronic fantasy world.
Influenced by the legendary Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, Lucius Clark has been singing since the tender age of six. Clark has traveled extensively throughout the world and performed with a wide range of artists across multiple genres – Opera, Chamber, R&B and Jazz. Described as “the skinny boy with the fat man’s voice,” Clark’s expansive range reminds us all why we first fell in love with soul music.
Ava Luna and Rachel Brown
Saturday, February 2nd, 10 p.m. (doors open for bar and food at 9 p.m.)
Ava Luna is unlike any other group. Praised by SPIN as “a beaming mix of ice-cool vintage ’80s no wave grooves and extra-lush three-part girl group harmonies,” this Brooklyn based 6-piece band has a 100% organic sound with a mix of R&B, punk and avant-garde experimentation.
The hype is justified,” declares Daily Candy about Rachel Brown, the highly sought after leader of an eclectic eight-piece band. With her guitar and ukulele, the singer/songwriter’s unique voice combines sweetness, sultriness and vulnerability. Performing a set that spans nearly every genre, from world music to hip hop, Rachel delights audiences with her distinct vocal styling.
Apollo Theater Open House Weekend – An Apollo 80th Anniversary Celebration
Saturday, February 8th and Sunday, February 9th
In celebration of Black History Month and Apollo’s 80th Anniversary, the Theater will open its doors for a FREE weekend to give visitors a glimpse into our rich history with a sneak preview of our future activities. Open House Weekend will feature live performance and a family workshop.
Weekend Features:
On Saturday, February 8th, 1pm-5pm, journey through time at the Apollo, rejoicing in the diversity of genres that make the theater so special. Hosted by the Apollo’s Tour Director and Ambassador, Billy Mitchell, the afternoon will showcase past Amateur Night contestants, entertainment from the Broadway show, Motown: the Musical, RhythmAndSoulRadio.com and from other NYC cultural organizations. The afternoon will be capped with a lively discussion about the Apollo’s exciting direction for the future and an honoring of some of the “Apollo family members” that have paved the way.
FREE and open to the public. No RSVP required.
On Sunday, February 9th, 2pm-4pm, the Apollo presents Family Sing: Hush Arbor: Living Legacies of African American Spirituals with Imani Uzuri. Vocalist, Composer and Cultural Worker Imani Uzuri has crafted an engaging intergenerational workshop to share in song & community. Hush Arbors were hidden “safe” spaces intentionally created by enslaved African Americans in wooded areas throughout the southern United States as a place to secretly worship, commune, transcend, strategize, revolt and plan escape. American Spirituals were communally created in spaces such as these. This intergenerational workshop celebrates the rich heritage of this seminal (Black) American folk music acknowledged as a “national treasure” by the U.S. Congress in 2007.
Participants will uncover this body of music’s multi-layered and coded history and how its healing, contemplative and revolutionary inheritance continued to remain activated through the Civil Rights Era and within our contemporary musical landscape today. All will be invited to share in communal singing of some of these inspiring songs such as “This Little Light of Mine”, “Deep River” and “Wade in The Water”. We will also explore the early history of the Blues and Gospel music. Bring a tambourine, rattle, small drum or just your feet to stomp, your hands to clap and your voices to sing!
FREE and open to the public. RSVP required at www.apolloeducation.org.
Open House Weekend will culminate with a rousing gospel concert starring the incomparable Apollo Legend Pastor Shirley Caesar on Sunday, February 9th, 5pm, hosted by WBLS’s Liz Black and featuring Refining Faith. No stranger to the Apollo stage, Pastor Caesar first performed at the Theater in the 1950’s, as a part of Thurman Ruth’s Gospel Caravan. Born in Durham, North Carolina, Shirley Caesar began singing at a young age, singing in church with her father and her siblings. Her professional career began at the age of 18 when she joined The Caravans, the renowned gospel group that featured other influential gospel singers, such as Albertina Walker, Inez Andrews and Reverend James Cleveland. She left The Caravans in 1966 to pursue a solo career, and continues to record solo, as well as with others.
FREE and open to the public. RSVP required at www.apollotheater.org.
Apollo Club Harlem
February 20, 2014 – 8pm (7:30pm – preshow)
February 21, 2014 – 8pm (7:30pm – preshow)
February 22, 2014 – 3pm and 8pm (2:30pm and 7:30pm – preshows)
February 23, 2014 -5pm (4:30pm – preshow)
Transforming the legendary theater into a nightclub reminiscent of Harlem clubs of the 1930s and 1940s, the second annual Apollo Club Harlem is a 90 minute, fast-paced revue that showcases the Apollo’s glorious musical legacy. Contemporary performers join host, director, and choreographer Maurice Hines and the Apollo Club Harlem Orchestra to recall the era when Harlem was home to New York’s hottest clubs, and where the music of Billie, Ella, Dinah, Sarah, Duke and Dizzy became legends.
Featuring an illustrious group of performers Apollo Club Harlem will be hosted, directed and choreographed by actor, director, jazz singer and choreographer Maurice Hines and will include singer/actress from HBO’s Boardwalk Empire Margot Bingham, jazz vocalist Kevin Mahogany, dancers The Wondertwins, The Manzari Brothers and a supporting cast of female and male dancers and musicians under the direction of music director David Berger
In paying homage to the Apollo’s early years, the setting will be similar to the Apollo’s big band production revues and its nightclub style stage show. Audience members in the orchestra level of the theater will sit at club style setting with table service, complete with drinks service, dancing, and interaction with the performers. Sultry, sexy crooners, dazzling dancers, and swingin’ big bands served-up a potent mix of high-class hijinks and entertainment.
For ticket information, please visit www.apollotheater.org. Tickets will be available
at The Apollo Theater Box Office: (212) 531-5305, 253 West 125th Street and Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
Additional Event:
Celia the Queen -Film Screening and Panel Discussion at El Museo del Barrio
A Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute presentation in collaboration with El Museo del Barrio, the Apollo Theater and National Black Programming Consortium.
Wednesday, February 5th, 7pm
Location: El Museo del Barrio - 1230 5th Ave, New York, NY 10029
In March, the Apollo Theater, in partnership with the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute and in collaboration with Omer Pardillo, will present a special concert to commemorate the life and legacy of Celia Cruz, Tribute to the Guarachera de Cuba: The Queen Celia Cruz on Saturday, March 22, 2014. In advance of this special concert the Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in collaboration with El Museo del Barrio, the Apollo Theater and National Black Programming Consortium presents Celia the Queen – Film Screening and Panel Discussion.
Celia the Queen, a film produced by Joe Cardona, is a loving look at the amazing life and legacy of a woman whose voice symbolized the soul of a nation and captured the hearts of fans worldwide. Erupting onto the Cuban music scene as the lead singer for La Sonora Matancera, Celia Cruz broke down barriers of racism and sexism. With the powerful weapon of her voice and the warm tolerance of her heart, Celia soon became all things to all people. The film shows the diversity of the people whose lives she touched, from stars like Quincy Jones, Andy Garcia, and Wyclef Jean to ordinary people all over the world who loved not only her music but her incredible spirit.
A panel discussion moderated by Aurora Flores (Musician) will follow the film screening. Panelists include Ruth Sanchez (Former hair stylist of Celia Cruz), Malin Falu (Radio personality) and Felipe Luciano (WBAI, Poet).
This event is FREE and open to the public
ABOUT THE APOLLO THEATER
The Apollo Theater is a national treasure that has had significant impact on the development of American culture and its popularity around the world. Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role in cultivating artists and in the emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald; Sarah Vaughan; Billie Holiday; Celia Cruz;; Sammy Davis, Jr.; Tito Puente ; James Brown; Michael Jackson; Bill Cosby; Gladys Knight; Luther Vandross; D’Angelo; Lauryn Hill; and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo’s stage. The Apollo Theater’s new artistic vision builds on its legacy. New Apollo programming has music as its core, driving large scale and more intimate music, dance, and theater presentations. The non-profit Theater will continue to present historically relevant presentations, as well as more forward-looking, contemporary work. Based on its cultural significance and architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org.
Apollo Club Harlem is supported by leadership gifts from the Ford Foundation Fund for Global Programs, JoAnn Price, Earl W. and Amanda Stafford, and the Reginald Van Lee New Works Fund.
Apollo Music Café is supported by the Ford Foundation Fund for Global Programs.
Apollo Education programs, including Live Wire receive leadership support from the Coca-Cola Foundation and the Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation. Additional support from the Bay and Paul Foundations, the BTMU Foundation, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, General Motors Foundation, the Hearst Foundations, Insperity, the Peter Jay Sharp 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 2013-2014 season is made possible by lead support from The Coca-Cola Company, Folonari Wines and Cavicchioli 1928, the Ford Foundation Fund for Global Programs, the Hearst Foundations, Robert K. Kraft, The Parsons Family Foundation, the Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation, JoAnn Price, Rockefeller Cultural Innovation Fund, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, Earl W. and Amanda Stafford, Time Warner Inc., the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone, 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.
The post Apollo Theater Celebrates Black History Month with Special Programs in February 2014 appeared first on Good News Planet.