Apollo Theater

The 42 Best Things to Do in New York City

"Countless careers have been made and stars have passed through this world famous, legendary Harlem theater—Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross, Lauryn Hill, and D’Angelo to name a few. The venue—which began as a white-only burlesque destination until 1934, when under new ownership it began welcoming and becoming central to the Black community—has been active for 88 years, with swing, blues, jazz, R&B, and comedy acts taking the stage. Today, visitors can attend events like Amateur Night at the Apollo, one of the city’s most long-standing, fame-making live shows. Capacity is 1,500, with three levels of seating, and contrary to the way it appears on 'Showtime at the Apollo,' is intimate without much legroom." - Charlie Hobbs, Alex Erdekian, Melissa Liebling-Goldberg