The Apollo Theater first opened its doors in 1914 and is credited for launching the careers of many African-American performers.
Some winners of the theater’s Amauter Night perfomances include James Brown, Jimi Hendrix and Billie Holiday, just to name a few.
The Apollo still holds Amatuer Night, the series’ opening night of 2017 will be held on Saturday.
While the Apollo has been known to give many comedians in their big break, many performers aren’t always well-received by the audience.
At 16 years old, the now successful Dave Chappelle was booed by the audience while on stage.
Other acts that have been booed off the stage include Lauryn Hill, Ne-Yo and Tracy Morgan.
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Comedian Steve Harvey recently hosted a televised special of “Showtime at the Apollo” when the “original talent show” celebrated its 30th on-air anniversary.
The historic theater remains an impactful part of New York’s Black History.
In honor of Black History Month, the theater will be hosting “Afropunk: Unapologetically Black, The African-American Songbook Remixed”.
The Feb. 25 concert will feature artists Bilal, Toshi Reagon, Robert Glasper and Staceyann Chin.
