Apollo Theater To Hold Amateur Night Auditions In Harlem, Philly And DC

The Apollo Theater announced today that it will hold auditions for its legendary Amateur Night show, now in its 82^nd year, in multiple cities this Fall. Auditions will be held in Philadelphia at the Kimmel Center on Saturday, September 17^th, in New York City at the Apollo Theater on Saturday, September 24^th and will conclude in Washington, D.C. at Howard University on Saturday, October 1^st. Amateur Night producers will screen hundreds of vocalists, rappers, dancers, comedians, spoken word artists, and other performers vying for a coveted spot on the Apollo’s stage, where they will then compete for a chance to win the new grand prize amount of $20,000.

“The Apollo is driven by a commitment to explore all possibilities of contemporary artistic expression. One way to achieve this is by opening our Amateur Night 2017 auditions to a geographically-diverse pool of talent,” said Jonelle Procope, President and CEO of the Apollo Theater. “Amateur Night is not only a beloved live, weekly show but rather a greater catalyst renown for sparking the careers of so many legendary performers.”

“The Apollo is the world’s stage and, as such, we want to make sure the performers are equally world-class. By reaching out to talent in locations like Washington, DC, we ensure we are getting the best possible competitors. Long before American Idol, America’s Got Talent, and Star Search, the Apollo’s Amateur Night was, and continues to be, a primary source for discovering and spotlighting up-and-coming artists. We’re on a hunt for the best of the best,” said Amateur Night Producer and audition judge, Marion J. Caffey.

Since its inception in 1934, the Apollo Theater’s signature show, Amateur Night, has been one of New York City’s most popular live entertainment experiences, launching the careers of thousands of performers and attracting audiences from all over the world. Amateur Night has long been revered by artists as a transformative experience where up-and-coming talent feel the power of the legendary performers who have come before them, and where audience responses can help make or break a career. Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and Michael Jackson are just a few of the legendary performers who launched their careers on the Apollo stage.

Auditions for Amateur Night are as follows:

• September 17^th in Philadelphia (10am- 6pm), Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

• September 24^th in Harlem, NY (10am-6pm), Apollo Theater, 253 West 125^th Street, New York, NY 10027

• October 1^st in Washington, D.C. (10am- 6pm), Cramton Auditorium – Howard University, 2455 6th St NW, Washington, DC 20059

*Important Note: For Amateur Night, only children ages 5 to 17 will be considered for the “Child Stars of Tomorrow” segment. For those competing in the adult category, you must be 18 years and older to compete in the adult category. Children under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult.

For a complete list of audition guidelines and rules, visit apollotheater.org

For Amateur Night auditions, judges will only see the first 250 acts if time permits, so please arrive early. Amateur Night at the Apollo weekly performances are independent from the APOLLO LIVE and SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO taped events.

RULES:       

• An Amateur is anyone who has not had a recording, Film or TV contract with a major studio.
• NO profanity, including any racial epithets or slurs all material must be appropriate for a family show.
• Children under 18 MUST be accompanied by an adult.
• Only children ages 5 to 17 will be considered for the “Child Star of Tomorrow” segment.
• For those competing in the adult category, you must be 18 years and older.
• No lip synching, singing along with track vocals or post-production engineering of vocals is permitted.
• The audition is open to singers, dancers, comedians, spoken word artists and musicians and other variety performances.
• Each live contestant will have up to 90 seconds to perform.
• Singers can bring a track on cassette or CD or sing a cappella. A band is NOT available.
• Musicians must bring their own instruments.
• Dancers should bring a CD.
• Do NOT bring CD’s in CD-RW format.

 For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org.