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Amateur night: Rising local stars take Harlem’s famous stage at the Apollo

Jazz singer Nicole Smith will be performing the Billie Holiday classic 'Them There Eyes' at the Apollo on Wednesday.

Before there was “Idol,” there was the Apollo.

The world-famous theater in the heart of Harlem has been a beacon for aspiring artists since launching its weekly Amateur Night competitions in 1934.

The granddaddy of all talent shows returns for its 77th season this Wednesday, and a new class of competitors from across the country is ready to take the stage that launched Michael Jackson and Ella Fitzgerald.

The Big Apple is sending in some stiff competition: A pair of Long Island stepdancers, a Bed-Stuy singer and two grade-school gospel singers are among the 10 musicians, vocalists, comedians and rappers facing off for the title of Super Top Dog and a $10,000 cash prize.

But unlike “American Idol” or “Star Search,” this isn’t a matter of winning over the judges. Amateur Night is the ultimate popularity contest. The audience has the power to actually boo artists off the stage at any time during their act.

Eat your heart out, Simon Cowell.

“This is a famous and infamous audience,” says Marion J. Caffey, the Amateur Night producer who hand-picks the talent. “We have judges, but they only judge the response of the audience. A lot of other shows have judges who make that final decision, and they overrule the audience about who stays and who goes.

“At the Apollo, however, the crowd actually does the hiring and the firing, and they get pretty wild.”

Caffey kicked off the 2011 season’s open auditions last October; hundreds of hopefuls lined up at 125th St.

“They’re given 90 seconds to show me what they have, but most people, you can tell within about 10 seconds,” says Caffey. “My job is to discover the next star for the Apollo, to spot people with that little extra spark. You see it, and you know it. It’s what makes us all want to listen to Michael Jackson and Elvis Presley.”

Caffey empathizes with the dreamers putting it all on the line. He’s a 14-year vet on Broadway as a writer and director, not to mention a singer, actor and dancer. “I want the best out of them,” he says, “and sometimes people get nervous, and their voice will crack a little, so I’ll talk to them and get them to relax.

“The Apollo has a history of making stars and legends, and it’s to our advantage
if these guys are good. We want to put on a good show!”

Shiyah Burns, 10, has a musical mom and will sing the song 'Home' from 'The Wiz.' (DelMundo for News)

Although he’s eyed this year’s class of competitors, he won’t place any bets on the winner. “I learned that I can’t predict it,” he says. “The audience is our difference maker. Sometimes I’ll love somebody, but the crowd just hates them for whatever reason.”

One off-note or misstep, and the jig is up. “There are a lot of feelings that get hurt, and I’m sure there’s a lot of loooong walks between the Apollo and the A train as people go back downtown,” he says.

“But some are tough enough to come back and try again,” he adds, referring to urban legends that Luther Vandross and James Brown were initially booed off the stage. “And then they get better, and they win and go on to fame and fortune.”

BY Nicole Lyn Pesce
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

Sunday, January 23rd 2011, 4:00 AM

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