In the late 19th century, Harlem was developed as a suburb of New York City and was inhabited largely by upper-middle-class whites. Black residents began moving to Harlem in the beginning of the 20th century with the development of row houses, apartments, and the
city's first subway line. By the early 20th century the neighborhood had several
vaudeville,
burlesque,
film, and
legitimate theaters centered around 125th Street and
Seventh Avenue, which led to the corridor being known as "Harlem's 42nd Street". Among the operators of these early theaters were theatrical producers Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon, who leased the Harlem Music Hall at 209 West 125th Street in 1897. Hurtig and Seamon produced several shows starring black superstars
Bert Williams and
George Walker between 1898 and 1905. The Music Hall was converted to burlesque 1911. acquired land on 125th and 126th Street from the Cromwell estate and Lit family around 1911 or 1912. They announced plans in June 1912 for a three-story commercial structure at 253 to 259 West 125th Street, with a 2,500-seat burlesque theater in the rear, at 240 to 260 West 126th Street.
Hurtig and Seamon, who had been leasing the nearby Harlem Music Hall, wanted a larger venue to accommodate the burlesque productions of the
Columbia Amusement Company, which they had joined. or the Security Construction Company was hired as the general contractor. A groundbreaking ceremony occurred in January 1913, at which point it was known as Hurtig & Seamon's New (Burlesque) Theater. Hurtig & Seamon initially employed female ushers, described by
Variety magazine as "all good-looking and polite girls", and
banned black patrons. Initially, the theater also hosted movies during the summer when burlesque was on hiatus, as well as other events such as benefits and fundraisers. A stock burlesque company composed of numerous Broadway performers was established at the theater in 1917. Beginning in 1920, Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre faced competition from the nearby Mount Morris Theatre on 116th Street, which featured shows on the American wheel, a lower-tier Columbia subsidiary. The American wheel was dissolved in 1922 and the New Theatre retained its monopoly on Columbia burlesque in Upper Manhattan. The growth of Harlem's black population forced many theater owners to begin admitting black patrons in the 1920s, though Jamaican-American author
Joel Augustus Rogers claimed that the New Theatre's black patrons were consistently given inferior seats. The New Theatre began sponsoring shows with mixed-race casts in the middle of that decade, and Hurtig & Seamon also planned to produce shows with all-black casts. The theater building was sold in August 1925 to the Benenson Realty Company, though Hurtig & Seamon continued to operate the theater. That year, the theater's orchestra was expanded, and a runway was introduced. As Columbia burlesque withered in 1926, Hurtig & Seamon elected to present stock burlesque in 1927, then, later that year, switched allegiance to the
Mutual Burlesque Association. Hurtig & Seamon's New Theater was leased that May to the
Minsky brothers and their partner, Joseph Weinstock, who had been staging burlesque shows in a small theater above the
Harlem Opera House named the Apollo. Seamon, along with
I. H. Herk, retained an interest in the New Theater. As part of the agreement, the New Theater was renamed Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo, Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo reopened in August 1928 after the Minskys renovated the lobby, repainted the auditorium, and extended the runway at orchestra level.
Variety magazine reported that
Walter Reade had leased the new Apollo for years, but
Billy Minsky bought out Seamon's lease the next month and continued to operate the theater. Initially, the theater still presented shows from the Mutual Circuit, which Herk headed. Performers typically mingled with audience members and performed for longer durations than under Hurtig & Seamon's tenure. but the theater continued to feature a mixture of stock shows and Mutual shows. Mutual began a decline precipitated by the Depression, and Billy Minsky announced in March 1930 that he would stop presenting Mutual shows. The following month, he started presenting stock shows with both black and white casts.
Bessie Smith was among the earliest black entertainers to perform at the Apollo. For the 1931–1932 season, the theater hosted Columbia burlesque, with two shows per day. After Billy Minsky died in 1932, his younger brother Herbert took over the theater's operation. That same year, Herk, Herbert Minsky, and Weinstock agreed to showcase Columbia burlesque at the Apollo. Attendance decreased after the Apollo started presenting shows without nudity or
stripteases. The theater briefly hosted performances from the Empire Wheel in late 1932, and the Apollo began to stage black
vaudeville that year. After failing to renew its burlesque license, the Apollo closed temporarily that May and remained dark for seven months. The theater began hosting burlesque again in December 1933, with two midday shows in addition to the usual evening show.
Cohen and Schiffman operation Sidney Cohen, who owned other theaters in the area, took over the theater in January 1934. At the time, many of Harlem's most popular black theaters were clustered around 125th Street. The theater was converted into a performance venue for black entertainers, with an all-black staff. Most vestiges of the former burlesque shows were quickly removed. Unlike the previous burlesque shows, which had been controversial because they verged on nudity, the new programming would be family-friendly. The theater was renamed the 125th Street Apollo Theatre and reopened on January 26, 1934, catering to the black community of Harlem. Cohen initially employed Clarence Robinson as the Apollo Theatre's producer The Apollo was frequented by black performers, who, during the early 20th century, were not allowed to perform at many other venues. though many shows featured actors of different races. It featured a wide variety of musical performances, including
R&B,
jazz,
blues, and
gospel performances. Early shows consisted of
revues, but this was quickly changed to a loosely connected format of dance, comedy, music, and novelty acts. The performances resembled
vaudeville shows, with six to eight acts sharing a bill. Up to seven comedians or musicians and eight singing groups would perform for a week, doing as many as seven shows per day. Novice performers often started off as the opening act and aspired to become the
headliner of the show. Because the Apollo did not have wealthy backers, in contrast to venues such as
Carnegie Hall and the
Metropolitan Opera House, its income depended heavily on the success or failure of each week's show. As a cost-cutting measure, the Apollo paid performers low salaries, to which most up-and-coming performers readily agreed. The Apollo's conversion had occurred at the end of the
Harlem Renaissance. The theater was a source of pride for Harlem's black community and was often used as a gathering place during demonstrations. One writer said that "in Harlem show business circles [Frank Schiffman] was God".
1930s and 1940s The first major performer at the Apollo, jazz singer and Broadway star
Adelaide Hall, appeared at the Apollo in February 1934. Hall's limited-engagement show was highly praised by the press, which helped establish the Apollo's reputation. The Apollo Theatre had vigorous competition from other venues, namely Leo Brecher's
Harlem Opera House and Frank Schiffman's
Lafayette. The former had been a popular vaudeville venue, while the latter had previously been the neighborhood's predominant black theater. and Cohen leased the theater the next month to the Harlem Opera House's operator, Duane Theater Corporation. After Cohen died in late 1935, the Opera House became a movie theater, while the Apollo continued to present stage shows. The Apollo was rebranded as "The Only Stage Show in Harlem". Early shows were accompanied by a
chorus line of 16 girls, the chorus girls were no longer employed at the theater by the late 1930s. The
New York Amsterdam News described the Apollo in 1939 as "the only theatre in the country where Negro performers are predominantly featured", at a time when many other venues still did not allow black performers. The Apollo temporarily closed in mid-1940 for upgrades, reopening that September. The theater began showing musical comedies for the first time in February 1941. Jazz performances The Apollo appealed to mixed-race audiences in the 1940s; on Sundays, as much as four-fifths of the audience were white. During World War II, the theater offered 35 free tickets to members of the U.S. armed forces, and entertainers at the Apollo performed at the nearby Harlem Defense Recreation Center on Tuesday nights. Schiffman closed the theater temporarily for renovations in August 1945. The project cost $45,000 and entailed new sound systems, a remodeled orchestra pit, women's and men's lounges, a staff recreation room, and modifications to decorations. The theater was sold in 1949 to the Harlem Apollo Realty Corporation, although Schiffman and Brecher continued to operate the Apollo. That year, they began experimenting with staging
Broadway-class shows at the Apollo. Schiffman's sons Jack and Robert began working at the theater in the late 1940s and early 1950s. The theater also began hosting different musical genres such as
mambo There were often two shows a day if a headliner was performing, and it showed movies at other times. a large
CinemaScope screen was installed during one such closure in 1955. In 1957,
Buddy Holly and the Crickets became the first white act to perform at the theater since it became centered on providing African American entertainment. By the late 1950s,
Variety magazine criticized the theater for "allowing some of its actors to carry on with assorted vulgarisms". A typical booking consisted of five or six performances per day for seven days. Even so, many popular black artists such as
Eartha Kitt and
Sammy Davis Jr. regularly returned for "the folks who can't make it downtown". Robert Schiffman took over the theater's management in 1960 or 1961. The 1960s saw the rising popularity of R&B at the Apollo, The theater was renovated slightly in 1960, and new sound-amplification equipment and lighting was added in August 1961. The lobby and auditorium were renovated in 1967; the project was conducted almost entirely by black workers and cost $50,000. Business began to decline after the
Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, allowing black entertainers to perform in nightclubs and hotels. The Apollo was smaller than similar venues; the neighborhood's economy was in decline; and the Apollo was not near other popular venues. Other issues included a perception of rising crime The Apollo continued to decline through the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Schiffman family was looking to sell the Apollo to black entrepreneurs in the 1960s, having rejected several purchase offers from white theatrical operators. During that time, the Apollo continued to host variety shows every night and was often sold out during weekends; In 1972, a group of investors led by
New York Amsterdam News editor
Clarence B. Jones expressed interest in buying the theater, but the deal was canceled when interest rates increased sharply. As late as 1973, it had between 42 and 45 weeks of live shows annually, The Apollo had been forced to cut back its schedule of live shows to 20–22 weeks per year, less than half of the 45–50 weeks that the theater had presented in its peak. To raise money, Robert Schiffman wanted to show
first runs of films featuring black actors but faced competition from other Manhattan theaters. The Apollo's managers began running for-sale advertisements in several major papers in 1975. The Apollo was used exclusively for movies and gospel shows in the mid-1970s and was closed in January 1976. Robert Schiffman considered replacing the existing theater with a new 3,000-seat venue, During the Apollo's closure, the already-dilapidated seats and decorations continued to decay, and burst water pipes destroyed the stage. who became the first black owners of the theater. The new owners included Rich and Elmer T. Morris The group spent $250,000 renovating the Apollo, which entailed replacing the sound system, renovating backstage areas, and furnishing the lobby. and added reserved seating. with a performance by percussionist
Ralph MacDonald that was beset by technical issues. In the months after it reopened, the Apollo hosted numerous acts and was moderately successful. The theater's operators filed for bankruptcy in May 1981 after Elmer Morris's arrest on drug charges.
Sutton operation Inner City Broadcasting, a firm owned by Percy E. Sutton, agreed in late 1981 to buy the theater; he paid either $220,000 Sutton recalled that there were "roaches, dead rats, swimming rats" in the flooded basement. Inner City acquired an 81 percent stake in the theater's legal owner, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group, while Sutton owned the remaining 19 percent of the group. and it hosted hearings for the theater's landmark status during the middle of that year. That July, state officials also proposed listing the theater on the
National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) after nonprofit
New York Landmarks Conservancy had conducted a report of the theater. The Apollo's facade and interior were designated as New York City landmarks in June 1983. The theater was added to the NRHP in November 1983; the NRHP listing became official in June 1984.
Initial renovation Sutton initially intended to spend $5.7 million on renovating the Apollo, The Apollo Entertainment TV Network was formed in mid-1982 to broadcast programs from the theater's studios. The Harlem Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) announced a $1 million grant for the theater in May 1982. The original reopening date of July 1982 was postponed due to the complexity of the project, That September, the U.S. federal government gave a $1.5 million
Urban Development Action Grant to the city government, which lent the money to the Apollo's operators. The city's Industrial Development Agency also issued $2.8 million in bonds to fund the construction of a recording studio. Percy Sutton and his brother Oliver wished to raise the rest of the $6.8 million cost by themselves. Despite this, mayor
Ed Koch expressed optimism that the renovation would continue. The renovation was restarted in May 1983 after the state UDC agreed to give the theater $2.5 million; without this funding, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group would have canceled the project entirely. Sutton transferred the theater building and underlying land to the New York state government, as he wished to receive a $9 million state grant. Sutton ultimately obtained $10 million from a consortium of lenders. The renovation experienced more delays, and a construction management firm incurred nearly $800,000 in charges before work had even started. Air-conditioning and an elevator were added, and the theater also received new lights, sound systems, and dressing rooms and a restored interior. To advertise the Apollo's return, Sutton briefly reopened the theater for several events during its renovation. These included the
AUDELCO awards in November 1983, an Amateur Night that December, and a revue in June 1984. Sutton estimated that it cost $72,000 just to operate the theater once a month. that bank had provided $6 million in total funding. The first phase cost $5.5 million in total. Local residents hoped that the Apollo's renovation would spur a revival of the neighboring stretch of 125th Street. At the time of the rededication, the recording studio was not complete. The revived theater also had a mixed-race dance company, which according to Sutton was intended to "send a message that everyone is welcome here". the
New York Amsterdam News reported two months later that the work would last until late 1986. The facilities were not all complete until mid-1988, and the renovation ended up costing $20 million. Sutton's lenders allowed him to defer payments on the loans until 1992 while he tried to make a profit. but only one syndicated program was created through 1991. The Apollo was losing $2.4 million a year by 1990 and was predicted to lose $2.1 million over the next year.
Newsday reported in 1991 that the group had never kept a formal
ledger, which may have worsened its financial issues. Sutton considered transferring the theater's operation to a new nonprofit organization, which would cost him $6 million. Three hundred churches with black congregations also donated to the Apollo, and State Assembly member
Geraldine L. Daniels asked
the Recording Academy to consider hosting the
Grammy Awards there. By July 1991, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group was creating a nonprofit to take over the theater's operation.
Apollo Theater Foundation operation In September 1991, the
New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) bought the Apollo and assigned its operation to the nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation (ATF). As part of the deal, Manufacturers Hanover agreed to
forgive $2.9 million in unpaid mortgage payments. In addition, the state UDC agreed to restructure a $7.67 million grant, Sutton remained involved with the theater as an unpaid consultant, and Inner City provided $500,000 per year in radio advertising for the Apollo.
1990s The ATF took over the theater in September 1992. although the plaque was stolen in 1996. Leon Denmark was appointed as the foundation's director. The foundation sought to attract notable black performers and to reduce the theater's debts. During its first operating season in 1993–1994, the ATF subsidized performances at the main auditorium and a smaller auditorium, and it launched the Community Arts Program to attract less experienced entertainers. In addition, local TV station
WPIX began broadcasting events from the Apollo. while the theater itself had 12 events per month, attracting 17,000 guests. Grace Blake became the ATF's director in 1996. The ATF began raising $30 million for the theater in the late 1990s, At the time, there was a dispute over how much Inner City owed the ATF for the use of the Apollo's name. The Apollo was mostly empty by 1998, except on Amateur Nights, and it was physically deteriorating. The only other major show at the theater was
Showtime at the Apollo, and the Apollo was rented out for other events for the rest of the time. Then–attorney general
Dennis Vacco accused the foundation's board of directors of mismanagement and sued the six black members of the 10-member board, including chairman
Charles Rangel. Vacco also unsuccessfully requested that New York Supreme Court justice
Ira Gammerman place the theater into receivership. Rangel and Sutton denied Vacco's accusations, By early 1999,
Time Warner was considering taking over the Apollo's board, and the state government was willing to drop the lawsuits if Time Warner took over the board and ousted Rangel as chairman. That August, Time Warner donated $500,000 and expanded the ATF's board to 19 members; the agreement would go into force when Rangel resigned as chairman. Rangel initially refused to step down, but
Ossie Davis was ultimately appointed as the new chairman that September. Spitzer dropped his office's lawsuits in late 1999, and governor
George Pataki approved a $750,000 grant for the Apollo. Time Warner planned to host events such as TV specials, pay-per-view shows, and concerts there.
2000s By 2000, Time Warner planned to fully renovate the Apollo, but this was delayed by internal disputes over whether Time Warner should replace Blake as the ATF's director. The ATF's board hired
Caples Jefferson Architects to design the renovation, and the
New York Landmarks Conservancy created a report on the theater's condition. when annual patronage totaled 115,000. or $6.5 million. The ATF also wished to lease the neighboring
Victoria Theater for 99 years and expand into the Victoria, although this was expected to inflate the cost of the renovation to almost $200 million.
The Coca-Cola Company signed a ten-year sponsorship agreement with the ATF that August, and the
Dance Theatre of Harlem also partnered with the Apollo that year. Between 2001 and 2003, the theater's annual budget increased from $3 million to $10 million, and the theater began to host events such as musicals, galas, and fundraisers. The first phase of renovation involved restoration of the facade and marquee, That July, the ATF announced that it planned to close the theater for eight months.
Davis Brody Bond and
Beyer Blinder Belle were hired as restoration architects, while local firms Bordy-Lawson Associates and Jack Travis Architect designed other parts of the renovation. The ATF was involved in another proposal to renovate the Victoria in the mid-2000s, but this proposal was unsuccessful. The ATF launched an annual spring benefit in 2005 to raise money. The renovation of the facade was finished that December, The first phase of the renovation also included replacing the stage and dressing rooms. many tourists visited the theater just to tour it or learn its history, but the Apollo still hosted events and performances, and it remained an important gathering space for Harlem's residents. The ceilings, walls, and other interior decorations were to be restored in the second phase of renovations. by the beginning of 2008, the ATF had raised $51.5 million for the project's first phase and was planning to raise another $44.5 million for the second phase. The lobby would be expanded by , which would have required that the theater be closed for several months in 2009. The work also entailed recladding the lobby, restoring the auditorium's decorations, and adding a walk of fame. In addition, a multi-purpose space would have been established on the second floor. Although the Apollo was receiving many
grassroots donations, Procope had decided to focus on expanding the theater's programming; as well as the Apollo Theater Spring Gala. A walk of fame was dedicated outside the theater in May 2010, recognizing performers in the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame. That year, the ATF decided to expand its board to 27 members. By 2011, the ATF was looking to expand into the site of the neighboring Showman's Cafe club, which had been vacant for 35 years, and was looking to raise $12 million for the project. The foundation revamped the Amateur Nights website, placed advertisements in the subway system, developed a mobile app for Amateur Nights, and invited a more diverse slate of performers. The ATF launched the 21st Century Apollo Campaign in 2014, seeking to raise $20 million; at the time, it had raised $10 million. Three-fourths of this amount was to be used to expand programming, $4 million would be raised for a reserve fund, and $1 million would be raised for smaller improvements. By the mid-2010s, the ATF's finances had stabilized, with an annual operating budget of $13.2 million, and the organization had 30 trustees, six more than in 2009. A growing number of tourists were visiting the Apollo as well; for instance, Amateur Nights had attracted 60,000 viewers in 2013, of which nearly half were tourists. The foundation announced in 2018 that it would build two auditoriums, one with 199 seats and another with 99 seats, on the third and fourth stories of the Victoria Theater. and did not reopen until August 2021. The ATF announced in late 2021 that they would open the auditoriums in the Victoria Theater the next year. The expansion into the Victoria Theater, which also included office space operated by the ATF, occurred amid increased interest in tourism in Harlem. ATF officials announced in October 2022 that they would renovate the original theater in early 2024, which would require that the main auditorium be closed for six months. The theater had raised $63 million for its capital campaign and was planned to be renamed the Apollo Performing Arts Center when the renovations were completed. Procope announced in late 2022 that she would step down as the Apollo's director the following June. The 99-seat performance space in the Apollo Victoria Theater was renamed after Procope in early 2023. That June,
Michelle Ebanks was appointed as the Apollo's director. The Apollo Stages at the Victoria opened in March 2024; it consisted of a lobby, offices, and two additional stages. The ATF announced further details of the renovation that June. The plans included a restoration of the facade; expansion of the lobby; and upgrades to the seating, lighting, sound systems, restrooms, and soundstage. The theater temporarily closed on July 1, 2025. During the closure, Amateur Nights were suspended, == Programming and governance ==