Join THE A-LIST
“Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.”
Apollo Education invites the community to join this year’s MLK Young Changemakers event, honoring Dr. King’s powerful legacy in a modern context. MLK Young Changemakers is a series of conversations in recognition of Dr. King’s impact and the National Youth Day of Service.
This year’s MLK Young Changemakers: TL; DR focuses on Dr. King’s belief in education and its impact on our communities. Young advocates can honor Dr. King’s legacy in a way that matters now: by sharing information, advocating for media literacy, and fighting against the spread of misinformation.
Come to The Apollo Stages at The Victoria to support a new generation passionate about a better future in a digital world. This is your chance to connect, speak up, and drive change.
About MLK Young Changemakers:
In honor of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and the National Day of Service, MLK Young Changemakers is an inspiring panel discussion with emerging activists and community leaders about the unique ways young people can harness their talents to affect change and serve their communities.
This event is curated by The Apollo Apprentices.
The 17th Annual Fire This Time Festival breaks ground this winter at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria! Don’t miss the incredible lineup of six world-premiere 10-minute plays cover a range from the humorous to moving, pointed, and political, all directed by preeminent director and creator, Ken-Matt Martin.
“To bring The Fire This Time Festival to The Apollo is to root our work in the very heart of Black artistic excellence. The Apollo has always been a beacon for voices that define culture and truth. This partnership allows us to continue nurturing the playwrights and storytellers who are illuminating our world in powerful new ways.”
Kelley Girod, Founder of The Fire This Time Festival and Apollo New Works Director.
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE:
- Friday, January 23 @ 7:30pm (Preview Performance)
- Saturday, January 24 @ 2:30pm (Opening followed by post-show discussion)
- Saturday, January 24 @ 7:30pm
- Friday, January 30 @ 7:30pm
- Saturday, January 31 @ 2:30pm
- Saturday, January 31 @ 7:30pm (Closing Night)
ABOUT THE FIRE THIS TIME FESTIVAL:
Founded in 2009 by playwright and Apollo’s Director of New Works, Kelley Nicole Girod, The Fire This Time Festival provides a platform for early career playwrights of African and African American descent. Since its founding, the Festival has produced the plays of dozens of emerging writers whose works explore a wide range of themes and perspectives. The Festival also supports actors, directors, and technical personnel to help seed the pipeline with diverse talent and amplify underrepresented voices in theater in New York and beyond. The Fire This Time playwrights have gone on to have their plays produced in cities across the United States and work as writers in film and television. The Fire This Time Festival has evolved into an annual January event and continues to grow, expanding upon its core short play presentations to offer panel discussions, staged readings, a playwright’s lab and other programs. The Festival has become a destination for diverse audiences, producers, and artists seeking new possibilities and opportunities in contemporary theater.
Singer, songwriter, pianist, and historian Nia Drummond moves fluidly through opera, jazz, soul, gospel, and spirituals — genres that form the living archive of Black musical expression. In this month of Black History and Love, join Nia for an evening of music that lives at the crossroads of tradition and transformation.
Turn down the lights and get ready for a night of Quiet Storm with singer and songwriter Alex Tyree. With lush vocals and unhurried melodies, Alex creates a night of music written in the sacred language of life and love.
Celebrate Women’s History Month with The Apollo and Harlem-based film collective Melanin Madness. After a sold-out 2025 Halloween-themed screening, we’re running it back, this time for the ladies. As always and in true Apollo fashion, the audience is a part of the experience so grab your crew and get ready to talk back, cheer and join the party in this evening of community, culture, and fun.
About Melanin Madness:
MELANIN MADNESS interactive screenings turn classic and cult films into full-on cultural celebrations! With props, character cards, and playful hosts, audiences shout lines, sip on keywords, and dive into the joy of cinema—loud, proud, and in community! Led by Obie-Award Winner Eric Lockley (The Movement Theatre Company, Harlem9), his team of multidisciplinary artists have been creating immersive theater collectively for over 5 years. Featuring: Jovany Andujar (NYC Educator), Dolores Pereira (Culture curator, Co-founder of Loud and Lyfted and DND:Two Queens Doing Things) and Jordon Waters (TheyGotTime Productions, creator of The Art of Killin’ It and Party Killer). Past partnerships include Maysles Cinema with screenings of Octavia Spencer’s villainous turn in MA, the hilarious Halle Berry cult-classic BAPS and the spectacular Jenifer Lewis’ Jackie’s Back as a tipsy sing-along. Come have a drink, laugh and engage!
From Lotus Avenue to the A-train, ELHAE makes a quick stop in Harlem for an acoustic performance that blends alternative R&B with Hip Hop. His catalog includes thematic and seductive gems such as “Fun Fact”, “I Choose You (w. Ambre)”, “Doesn’t Matter (w. Kehlani)” and the deliciously pulsating dance hit “Touch (w. GoldLink)“.
