Aint Nothing Like the Real Thing: The Apollo Theater
Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American
Entertainment traces the evolution of the Apollo from its origins as a
segregated burlesque hall to its staring role at the epicenter of African
American entertainment and American popular culture. Nearly all forms of
entertainment comedy, dance, swing, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll, soul, hip hop, and
more were welcomed on the Apollo stage. Serving as a place where African
American performers could start and advance their careers, the Apollo helped
to launch the careers of some of the best-known names in
entertainment dancers Charles Cholly Atkins, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Bill
Bojangles Robinson; band leaders Cab Calloway and Duke Ellington;
comedians Redd Foxx and Jackie Moms Mabley; and musicians ranging from
Louis Armstrong, James Brown, and Lionel Hampton to Billie Holiday, Aretha
Franklin, and the Jackson Five.
A richly illustrated companion book, with a foreword by Motown singer,
songwriter, and producer Smokey Robinson, features historic photographs and
essays by more than 20 historians, musicologists, and critics.
Ain t Nothing Like the Real Thing was organized by the National Museum of
African American History and Culture in collaboration with the Apollo
Theater Foundation on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of Harlem s
Apollo Theater. The exhibition will be on view at the Museum of the City of
New York from February 8 through May 1, 2011.
The exhibition s national tour is made possible by a generous grant from
Time Warner Inc. Additional funding was provided by JPMorgan Chase & Co. The
exhibition s national tour is organized by the Smithsonian Institution
Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES).
| Event Title: | How the Apollo Theater Shaped | Museum of the City of New York 1220 Fifth Avenue at 103rd Street New York, NY 10029 USA Map |
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| Type: | Exhibition | ||
| Date: | Recurs weekly from 2/8/11 until 5/1/11 |
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| Directions: | Directions By bus: M1, M3, M4 or M106 to 104th Street, M2 to 101st Street. By subway: #6 Lexington Avenue train to 103rd Street, walk three blocks west, or #2 or #3 train to Central Park North (110th Street), walk one block east to Fifth Avenue, then south to 103rd Street. Ramp access is available at the 104th Street entrance. |
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