Amateur Night at the Apollo. Photo: Shahar Azran
Amateur Night Holiday Special Features Talented Alumni to be hosted by MJ The Musical (young MJ) star Christian Vance December 10
The winner of America’s longest running talent show, Amateur Night at The Apollo will be crowned. From a global pool of vocalists, rappers, dancers, instrumentalists, comedians, spoken-word artists, and other performers, one talented entertainer will be taking home the highly coveted Amateur Night Grand Prize—which has jump-started the careers of artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, H.E.R., Machine Gun Kelly and the Jackson 5—as well as $20,000.
Contestants between the ages of 5 and 17 will likewise compete for the title of “Child Star of Tomorrow” and a $5,000 prize. As always, audience members will decide the winner of this year’s championship title, participating in the competition’s nearly 90-year tradition of “cheering” and “booing” each contestant to determine who advances. Tickets start at $30 and are still available for purchase by visiting www.apollotheater.org/amateur-night/.
The Apollo’s original, large-scale talent competition is hosted by comedian Capone (NY Kings of Comedy, Def Comedy Jam) and features perennial favorites including C.P. Lacey in the role of the “Executioner” (in charge of ushering off eliminated contestants); Greginald Spencer, the “Set It Off Man”; and Amateur Night’s longstanding famous house band led by music director, Michael Mitchell (MJ The Musical), featuring DaiQuan Davis on drums, Reggie Young on bass, and Matt Oestreicher on guitar and keyboard.
Since its inception in 1934, the Apollo’s signature Amateur Night has attracted audiences from all corners of the globe and given a platform to what are now some of the biggest names in entertainment, including D’Angelo, Luther Vandross, Lauryn Hill, and H.E.R. Amateur Night has long been revered by artists as a transformative experience where up-and-coming talent feel the power of the legendary performers who have come before them, and where audience responses can help make or break a career.
A special holiday presentation of Amateur Night co-hosted by young actor Christian Vance, who plays young Michael in MJ the Musical, takes place on Saturday, December 10 at 7:30PM EST. The Amateur Night Holiday Special will gather exciting new child stars Brianna Cameron, Emelise Munoz, and Pranysqa Mishra, and Amateur Night alums Michelle Galvis, Christian Guardino, Kofi, Alexis Morrast, Austin Paul, Jr. and Matthew Whitaker for a special, non-competitive evening of holiday classics and other musical hits.
GRAND FINALE INFORMATION
WHEN: Wednesday, November 23 7:30PM EST
WHERE: The Apollo’s Historic Theater – 253 W. 125th Street
Finalists will compete for the season title and Grand Prize of $20,000. From a global pool of vocalists, rappers, dancers, instrumentalists, comedians, spoken-word artists, and other performers, one talented entertainer will be taking home the highly coveted Amateur Night Grand Prize —which has jump-started the careers of artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, H.E.R., Machine Gun Kelly and the Jackson 5— as well as $20,000. Contestants between the ages of 5 and 17 will likewise compete for the title of “Child Star of Tomorrow” and a $5,000 prize.
AMATEUR NIGHT HOLIDAY SPECIAL
WHEN: Saturday, December 10 at 7:30PM EST
WHERE: The Apollo’s Historic Theater – 253 W. 125th Street
Young actor Christian Vance, who currently plays young Michael in MJ the Musical, co-hosts this family-friendly non-competitive evening showcasing talented young Apollo Stars of Tomorrow Brianna Cameron, Emelise Munoz, and Pranysqa Mishrat, gathering Amateur Night alums Michelle Galvis, Christian Guardino, Kofi, Alexis Morrast, Austin Paul, Jr. And Matthew Whitaker.
SPONSORS:
Amateur Night at the Apollo is made possible by leadership support from Coca-Cola.
Public support for the Apollo Theater is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Kathy Hochul and the New York State Legislature, and from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.
ABOUT THE APOLLO
The legendary Apollo—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists
and launching legends. Since its founding, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world.
With music at its core, the Apollo’s programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes the world premiere of the theatrical adaptation of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me and the New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved; special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo; 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella; and the annual Africa Now! Festival. The non-profit Apollo Theater is a performing arts presenter, commissioner, and collaborator that also produces festivals and large-scale dance and musical works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend the Apollo’s legacy through a contemporary lens, including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival as well as other multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.
Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres—including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, and Miri Ben Ari; and the Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. For more information about the Apollo, visit www.ApolloTheater.org.
