the apollo
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The Best Celeb Moments from The Root 100 2024
The Root 100 returned to the Apollo Theater for an iconic evening of powerful speeches and performances.
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Omar Comin', So #StayAtHomeBoxOffice: You Can Now Watch All 5 Seasons of The Wire for Free
“You come for the king, you best not miss”… this free content. As we rack up yet another day that we can’t label anymore (Is it Friday? Is it Monday? What is time?!) during self-isolation, it’s becoming harder and harder not to exclaim, “I hate it here!” every single day. Well, thanks to HBO, we…
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Social Distancing Sandman: The Apollo Is Holding Digital Auditions for Its Legendary Amateur Night
The Apollo Theater has always been the place “where stars are born and legends are made.” Now, that famous stage is about to go digital! For the first time in its 86-year history, the Apollo Theater will be holding its famous Amateur Night open auditions for its summer and fall season solely online. This announcement…
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For the Culture: Apollo Theater Announces First-Ever Multidisciplinary Commissioning Initiative
For decades, the Apollo Theater has served as both a launchpad and premiere destination for legendary black talent. In demonstrating its commitment to continue doing so, the revered venue has announced its first major multidisciplinary commissioning initiative, Apollo New Works. Backed by over $3 million in grants from the Ford Foundation and The Andrew W.…
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The Water Dancer: Ta-Nehisi Coates Joined Oprah in Conversation at the Apollo—and We Were There
It was an amazingly candid conversation, punctuated with lots of laughter, black-ass intonations, and responses from the crowd. “I love a talking back audience,” Oprah said, as she and writer Ta-Nehisi Coates presented a salon of sorts at the venerable Apollo Theater last week. The packed audience (which included this writer) was privy to a…
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Otis Williams of The Temptations Weighs in on Hitting the Great White Way, His Mortality, and Patti LaBelle’s Big Lie
Otis Williams is on a roll. The founder and only original surviving member of legendary Motown group The Temptations is basking in the glory of seeing the fruits of his labor pay off with a hit Broadway musical, and recent induction into the Apollo Theater Walk of Fame. “I never would have imagined this when…
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2019 Tribeca Film Festival: The Apollo Provides a Soul-Stirring Tribute to the Iconic Sanctuary for Blackness
The 18th Tribeca Film Festival invited its attendees to the beautiful blackness of Harlem for its opening night film, The Apollo. Naturally, the documentary screening was held at its namesake theater. I had the honor of attending opening night, and by extension, I had the honor of stepping into The Apollo Theater for the very…
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The Root’s Guide to the 10 Blackest Experiences of the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival
Hot damn ho, here we go again. It’s about time for the Tribeca Film Festival, and because you’re here, you know the best way to experience a festival is the blackest way. This year, I’m taking over for editor Angela Helm, who usually has y’all covered for the blackest experiences of what she has dubbed…
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Teddy Riley Is an Unsung G. The Rump-Shaking Maestro Is Finally Getting His Just Due
You can call Teddy Riley many things: master of the ’90s R&B jam, baby-making songwriter; The Original Rump Shaker (yes, it needs the capital letters); remixer extraordinaire (I mean, the man turned the Rugrats theme into a bop, for goodness sakes.) But, at 52, Edward Theodore Riley is also one of the unsung architects of…