ON THIS DAY, 1934 – The Apollo Theater reopens in Harlem, New York City. History Creation and rise The building which later became the Apollo Theater was built in 1913-14 and was designed by architect George Keister, who also designed the First Baptist Church in the City of New York. It was originally Hurtig and Seamons New (Burlesque) Theater, which enforced a strict Whites Only policy. The theatre was operated by noted burlesque producers Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon, who obtained a 30-year lease. It remained in operation until 1928, when Billy Minsky took over.[citation needed] The song I May Be Wrong (But I Think Youre Wonderful) by Harry Sullivan and Harry Ruskin, written in 1929, became the theme song. During the early 1930s the theatre fell into disrepair and closed once more. In 1933 it was purchased by Sidney Cohen, who owned other theaters in the area, and after lavish renovations it re-opened as the Apollo Theater on January 16, 1934, catering to the black community of Harlem. On February 14, 1934, the first major star to appear at the Apollo was jazz singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall in Clarence Robinsons production Chocolate Soldiers, which featured Sam Woodings Orchestra. The show ran for a limited engagement and was highly praised by the press, which helped establish the Apollos reputation. Managed by Morris Sussman, Cohens Apollo Theatre had vigorous competition from other venues, such as the Lafayette, managed by Frank Schiffman, which presented acts such as Louis Armstrong, Bill Bojangles Robinson and Bessie Smith. Leo Brechers Harlem Opera House was another competing venue. To improve the shows at the Apollo, Cohen hired noted talent scout John Hammond to book his shows. However, the deal fell through when Cohen died, and the end result was the merger of the Apollo with the Harlem Opera House. The Opera House became a movie theater, but the Apollo, under the ownership of Brecher and Schiffman, continued to present stage shows. Schiffman hired Clarence Robinson as in-house producer, Originally, a typical show presented at the Apollo was akin to a vaudeville show, including a chorus line of beautiful girls. As the years progressed, such variety shows were presented less often. During the swing era, along with bands such as Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Chick Webb, Count Basie and Andy Kirk, the Apollo also presented dance acts such as Bill Robinson, the Nicholas Brothers, Carmen De Lavallade and Geoffrey Holder, the Berry Brothers and Buck and Bubbles. Comic acts also appeared on the Apollo stage, including those who performed in blackface, such as Butterbeans and Susie, much to the horror of the NAACP and the elite of Harlem. The Apollo also featured the performances of old-time vaudeville favorites like Tim Moore, Stepin Fetchit, Moms Mabley, Dewey Pigmeat Markham, Clinton Dusty Fletcher, John Spider Bruce Mason, and Johnny Lee, as well as younger comics like Bill Cosby, Godfrey Cambridge, LaWanda Page, Richard Pryor, Rudy Ray Moore and Redd Foxx. Gospel acts which played the Apollo include the Staple Singers, Mahalia Jackson, The Clark Sisters, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Clara Ward and Sam Cooke with the Soul Stirrers. Performers of soul music on the Apollo stage included Ray Charles, Otis Redding and Aretha Franklin, and jazz was represented as well, by acts such as Art Blakey and Horace Silver. Although the theatre concentrated on showcasing African American acts, it also presented white acts such as Harry James, Woody Herman and Charlie Barnet during the swing era, and, later, Dave Brubeck, Stan Getz and Buddy Rich, who was a particular favorite of the Apollo crowd. The theaters audience was often mixed: in the 1940s it was estimated that during the week about 40% of the audience was white, which would go up to 75 percent for weekend shows.[6] Jazz singer Anita ODay headlined for the week of September 21, 1950, billed as the Jezebel of Jazz. Amateur Nights Schiffman had first introduced an amateur night at the Lafayette Theater, where it was known as Harlem Amateur Hour, and was hosted by Ralph Cooper. At the Apollo, it was originally called Audition Night, but later became Amateur Night in Harlem, held every Monday evening and broadcast on the radio over WMCA and eleven affiliate stations. One unique feature of the Apollo during Amateur Nights was the executioner, a man with a broom who would sweep performers off the stage if the highly vocal and opinionated audiences began to call for their removal. Stagehand Norman Miller, known as Porto Rico (later played by Bob Collins) might also chase the unfortunate performer offstage with a cap pistol, accompanied by the sound of a siren. The Apollo grew to prominence during the Harlem Renaissance of the pre-World War II years. Billing itself as a place where stars are born and legends are made, the Apollo became famous for launching the careers of artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, who made her singing debut at 17 at the Apollo, on November 21, 1934. Fitzgeralds performances pulled in a weekly audience at the Apollo and she won the opportunity to compete in one of the earliest of its Amateur Nights. She had originally intended to go on stage and dance, but intimidated by the Edwards Sisters, a local dance duo, she opted to sing instead, in the style of Connee Boswell. She sang Hoagy Carmichaels Judy and The Object of My Affection, a song recorded by the Boswell Sisters, and won the first prize of $25.00. Vocalist Thelma Carpenter won the amateur night in 1938, returning several times later as a headliner and also for the 1993 NBC-TV special Apollo Theater Hall of Fame, an all-star tribute hosted by Bill Cosby. Jimi Hendrix won the first place prize in an amateur musician contest at the Apollo in 1964. Amateur Night had its first tie on October 27, 2010, with guitarist Nathan Foley, 16, of Rockville, Maryland, and cellist and singer Ayanna Witter-Johnson, 25, a student at the Manhattan School of Music from London, sharing the $10,000 prize. Other performers whose careers started at the Apollo include Billie Holiday, Pearl Bailey, Sammy Davis Jr., James Brown & The Famous Flames, King Curtis, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Parliament-Funkadelic, Wilson Pickett, The Miracles, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Rush Brown, Stephanie Mills, Dionne Warwick, Bobby Short, The Jackson 5, Patti LaBelle, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Ben E. King, Mariah Carey, The Isley Brothers, Lauryn Hill, Sarah Vaughan, Jazmine Sullivan, Ne-Yo, and Machine Gun Kelly.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 03:48:12 +0000
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