The Apollo: Uptown Shrine’s Upbeat Anniversary
JAMES BROWN, the Godfather of Soul, pressed huge tips into his hand for errands and urged him to read. The comedian Jackie (Moms) Mabley sent him to the store to buy chitlins or pork chops, to be shared with everyone, cooked on a hot plate. Flip Wilson sent him out for food too but locked the door to his dressing room for privacy as he washed and ironed (badly) his polyester suits between acts
These memories belong to Billy Mitchell, the resident historian and tour guide at the Apollo, the fabled Harlem institution that propelled the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, the Jackson Five and scores of others. Mr. Mitchell, 58, was a teenager when he began hanging around the Apollo’s backdoor, performing odd jobs to help support his family. Since then he has held several bona fide jobs at the theater, including his current one, since 1991.
This year the Apollo turned 75, an anniversary being honored with a big bouquet of events: a lecture series, concerts, the opening of a national tour of “Dreamgirls” in November. Mr. Mitchell will be a featured part of the revelry. This weekend, and again in October, he will host free open houses at the theater, on West 125th Street, with its red seats and sparkling Venetian crystal chandeliers. The open houses on Saturday and Sunday will include a multimedia presentation, film screenings, book signings, a panel discussion and a mock Amateur Night.
“Who would have thought that one day you would be on the stage of the Apollo?” Mr. Mitchell joked on a recent tour, escorting a group onstage for a mock amateur show. He made everyone in the group, which included a middle-aged couple from Indiana and a young one from Paris, do something: recite a poem, sing a song, dance. The Apollo’s motto, after all, is “where stars are born and legends are made.”
“The Apollo is shorthand for both American and African-American culture,” said John Breglio, producer of the new production of the musical “Dreamgirls.” “It’s the birthplace for music in this country. It resonated with us because ‘Dreamgirls’ is a snapshot of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s American music culture.”
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These memories belong to Billy Mitchell, the resident historian and tour guide at the Apollo, the fabled Harlem institution that propelled the careers of Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, the Jackson Five and scores of others. Mr. Mitchell, 58, was a teenager when he began hanging around the Apollo’s backdoor, performing odd jobs to help support his family. Since then he has held several bona fide jobs at the theater, including his current one, since 1991.
This year the Apollo turned 75, an anniversary being honored with a big bouquet of events: a lecture series, concerts, the opening of a national tour of “Dreamgirls” in November. Mr. Mitchell will be a featured part of the revelry. This weekend, and again in October, he will host free open houses at the theater, on West 125th Street, with its red seats and sparkling Venetian crystal chandeliers. The open houses on Saturday and Sunday will include a multimedia presentation, film screenings, book signings, a panel discussion and a mock Amateur Night.
“Who would have thought that one day you would be on the stage of the Apollo?” Mr. Mitchell joked on a recent tour, escorting a group onstage for a mock amateur show. He made everyone in the group, which included a middle-aged couple from Indiana and a young one from Paris, do something: recite a poem, sing a song, dance. The Apollo’s motto, after all, is “where stars are born and legends are made.”
“The Apollo is shorthand for both American and African-American culture,” said John Breglio, producer of the new production of the musical “Dreamgirls.” “It’s the birthplace for music in this country. It resonated with us because ‘Dreamgirls’ is a snapshot of the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s American music culture.”