|
Welcome to the Apollo Theater's Press
Site. For additional
information, contact
Nina Flowers at (212) 531-5334 or e-mail her at Nina.Flowers @
apollotheater.org
For press photos, please click
here.
For the Apollo website, click
here.
|
APOLLO THEATER TO HONOR
APOLLO LEGEND MICHAEL JACKSON
WITH SPECIAL MEMORIAL EVENTS
Public Celebration of His Life and Legacy to Be Held
At the World-Famous Theater
Tuesday, June 30, 2009 Starting at 2:00p.m.
Press Statement Given by Apollo Theater President & CEO, Jonelle
Procope
Joined by the Reverend Al Sharpton Under the Marquee
Apollo Amateur Night to Feature Special
Tribute to the King of Pop
Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 7:30p.m.
Harlem, NY, June 27, 2009 —The Apollo Theater Foundation
today announced plans to honor the late Michael Jackson with special
events to commemorate and celebrate his life. The “King of Pop”
performed at the world-famous Apollo several times in his career -
first, in 1969 when he was just a young boy, and, most recently, in
2002 at the invitation of former President Bill Clinton at a
fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee.
On Tuesday, June 30, 2009, the Apollo will welcome the public into
the Theater to pay tribute to Mr. Jackson, hear his music, and see
video tributes to the late pop star . Apollo President and CEO
Jonelle Procope, the Reverend Al Sharpton, and others will offer
eulogies under the Apollo marquee at 2:00p.m. On Wednesday, July 1,
2009, the Apollo will dedicate its weekly Amateur Night show to Mr.
Jackson with special performances and dance features such as a moon
walking contest. Further, the Apollo has erected a signature wall
outside the Theater where mourners can write condolences and leave
remembrances. The Theater also has plans to do a star-studded
tribute to Mr. Jackson later in the month of July.
“Michael first performed at the Apollo in the late 1960s with his
brothers and won Amateur Night, which catapulted their career as the
Jackson 5. We will always remember Michael in our hearts as part of
the Apollo’s family of artists and a true Apollo legend. Our
thoughts and prayers go out to his family. He will be deeply
missed,” said Jonelle Procope, president and CEO of the Apollo
Theater Foundation. “From the moment the news of his passing was
made public, fans began gathering at the Apollo to pay their
respects and celebrate Michael’s life. We at the Apollo thought it
was important to put these events together to give Michael’s fans
the chance to remember him as the consummate entertainer that he
was.”
Statement to the Press , Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Starting at
2:00p.m.
Jonelle Procope, President & CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation,
will speak to the press and will be joined by the Reverend Al
Sharpton to eulogize the late icon.
Public Memorial, Tuesday, June 30, 2009, Starting at 2:00p.m.
Starting at 2:00p.m., the Apollo will welcome visitors, 600 at a
time, to enter the Theater to pay their respects, hear Michael
Jackson’s music, and see video tributes to the late pop star. DJs
from WBLS, Hot 97 and KISS-FM will be spinning Michael Jackson tunes
to accompany a 30-minute video tribute to the star. Fans will have
the opportunity to leave flowers and memorabilia, their Michael
Jackson memories, and write condolence messages to the family on a
special tribute wall that is located just outside the Theater. The
tribute event will occur in cycles of approximately 45 minutes
throughout the day beginning at 2:15p.m., with the final entry
occurring at 8:30p.m.
Amateur Night, Wednesday, July 1, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
The Apollo’s Amateur Night show on July 1 will feature C.P. Lacey,
known to Apollo audiences as “The Executioner” and for his celebrity
impersonations, will perform a special tribute to the King of Pop,
and Amateur Night Music Director Ray Chew will perform a medley of
Jackson’s hits and, with Apollo personality Joe Gray, will encourage
audience members to moonwalk and dance in the style of Michael
Jackson during the Apollo soul train dance line segment at the top
of the show.
About the Apollo Theater
Celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2009, the Apollo Theater is one
of Harlem’s, New York City’s, and America’s most iconic and enduring
cultural institutions. The Apollo was one of the first theaters in
New York, and the country, to fully integrate, welcoming
traditionally African-American, Hispanic, and local immigrant
populations in the audience, as well as headlining uniquely talented
entertainers who found it difficult to gain entrance to other venues
of similar size and resources. Since introducing the first Amateur
Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role
in cultivating artists and in the emergence of innovative musical
genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and
hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy
Davis, Jr., James Brown, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight,
Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began
their road to stardom on the Apollo’s stage. Based on its cultural
significance and architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and
city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places.
|
