The Apollo Theater is hosting several events to celebrate Black History Month including two days of free entry.
These events include their annual Apollo Open House Weekend, Apollo Live Wire, Apollo Comedy Club, Apollo Music Café, Say it Out Loud and a screening of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution. These events will be held throughout the month with tickets available on TicketMaster. The celebrations continue the theater’s legacy of being a place of innovation and excellence for the black community in Harlem.
During their annual Open House entry in to the Apollo is completely free Feb. 6 and 7. This year the theater is exploring how the role of the arts in activism and artistic activist’s relationship with the theater. Saturday consists of film and music presentations on famous Apollo artists who were activists for black pride and social issue in Say it Out Loud. To wrap up the weekend there will be a screening of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution on Sunday with a discussion featuring the director and for Black Panther Party Kathleen Cleaver, Ericka Huggins, David Lemieux and more.
The first Apollo Music Café features Mykal Kilgore on Feb. 5. Kilgore has worked on broadway several times in Hair, Motown the Musical, The Book of Mormon and recently on NBC’s The Wiz. His performance will move through several music styles including gospel, jazz and soul. San Francisco band The Seshen take the stage for the music café on Feb. 6. They create their unique sounds from fusing hip-hop and soul with pop and electronica.
For Apollo Live Wire: Comedy at the Apollo journalist Mel Watkins , comedian Leighann Lord and producer Bob Sumner explore the comedians who performed at the Apollo and how they changed black humor, politics and entertainment. Later in the night the comedy club will open with performances by Me Me Simpson, Kareem Green and John Laster.
The Apollo Theater is offering a wide variety of events that explore the depths of Black History Month for February. More information on the events and ticket prices can be found on the theater’s website.