FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
JONELLE PROCOPE

August 2019

Dear Apollo Family,

We are in a milestone year for the Apollo Theater, the biggest since we became a nonprofit in 1991! As you may have heard, the Apollo Theater will serve as the operator and manager for the theaters located a few doors down within the Victoria Theater Redevelopment Project. This physical expansion---the first in our 85-year history---will allow the Apollo to increase the number of artists we present, ramp up our educational and community programs, and allow us to collaborate more deeply with neighboring arts organizations. The new space is also an opportunity to incubate, develop, and collaborate on more new works that speak directly to the needs and interests of our community. The Victoria will feature two flexible performance spaces, one with 99 seats and the other with 199 seats, as well as office space for the Apollo and future partner cultural organizations.

When we learned that the Victoria Theater was going to be redeveloped, we knew we wanted to be a part of a project to help protect the spirit and heritage that makes Harlem an integral part of New York City, the nation and the world. As a nonprofit organization, we continually evaluate what the Apollo offers our diverse community—whether that’s a student intern learning what it takes to stage a show, a Harlem neighbor coming to see a Motown legend, a tourist visiting Amateur Night at the Apollo, or an artist with whom we are collaborating to create new work.

We’re excited to share this news and will be keeping you up to date with all the progress on the theaters at the Victoria on this page.

In the meantime, I hope to see you at the Apollo, the Soul of American Culture. We have an exciting new season coming up with our first artist-in-residence, Ta-Nehisi Coates, including the return of the stage adaptation of Between the World and Me, developed and directed by the Apollo’s Executive Producer Kamilah Forbes with music from Jason Moran. Favorites including Amateur Night at the Apollo, Comedy Club, and the Music Café return, as well as an exciting world premiere by Ballet Hispánico, and a special opportunity to see a screening of HBO’s documentary, The Apollo, before it airs. For more on our season, please visit apollotheater.org.

The Apollo has always valued your thoughts, please send your feedback to OfficeofthePresident@apollotheater.org. If you would like to be a part of the Apollo’s future, please make a donation here.

Sincerely,
Jonelle Procope

President & CEO
Apollo Theater