The Apollo Theater, located in Harlem and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is one of New York City’s most famous venues, known for hosting almost entirely African American acts. The Apollo Theater, which is steeped in African American culture, began as a popular burlesque venue owned by Jewish businessmen and only open to white audiences. That theater eventually closed, and the Apollo Theater reopened in a new location, catering almost entirely to African-American audiences.
The owners of the Apollo Theater quickly realized that there was a large audience for African American performers because Harlem was predominantly African American. Furthermore, African American performers were less expensive to hire, so the Apollo Theater became one of the few places in pre-WWII Harlem where African Americans could perform. The Apollo Theater saw the likes of Billie Holiday, The Supremes, James Brown, and the Jackson 5 make their debuts, and the theater grew in popularity over the decades with acts like Billie Holiday, The Supremes, James Brown, and the Jackson 5. Buddy Holly is said to have been the first white performer at the Apollo Theater, though this has not been confirmed.
After a long period of decline in the 1960s and 1970s, the Apollo Theater resurfaced in the 1980s. Showtime at the Apollo, a television program that featured both established and up-and-coming acts and launched careers once more, first aired in 1987. Countless acts, not all of whom were African-American, got their start at the Apollo Theater during Showtime at the Apollo. The show is still going strong today, with a mix of well-known and lesser-known acts, as well as an amateur night that allows complete strangers to perform.
In Harlem, the theater is located on 125th Street. It has undergone numerous renovations and refurbishments, the most recent in 2005. The Apollo Theater was purchased by the state of New York in the early 1990s, and it is now run by the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.