The Apollo to Hold Special In-Person Auditions for Annual “Amateur Night Holiday Special Presented by Coca-Cola” at American Dream in East Rutherford NJ Saturday, November 15, 2025
Vocalists chosen will secure a spot in the December 2025 Amateur Night Holiday Special event
On Saturday, November 15, The Apollo will bring the magic of Amateur Night to American Dream in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with open auditions for its annual Amateur Night Holiday Special Presented by Coca-Cola, a festive iteration of the quintessential talent competition that has been catalyzing artists’ careers since 1934. Pop-up performances from Amateur Night alumni, an Apollo giveaway with a Coca-Cola beverage sampling, and behind-the-scenes interviews with the artists and performers will complement the first-come, first-served contestant auditions. Longtime Amateur Night producers Marion J. Caffey and Kathy Jordan Sharpton will audition up to 125 vocalists vying for a coveted spot on The Apollo stage this December, with one child (14–17) auditioner and one adult (18+) auditioner to be selected.
As part of Breaking Ground, The Apollo’s 2025 Fall/Winter Season, Amateur Night Holiday Special Presented by Coca-Cola will take place on December 19th and 20th, 2025 in The Apollo Stages at the Victoria Theater. This special showcase and non-competitive edition of Amateur Night showcases the best and brightest talent from the show’s history. The typical yearlong season of the iconic talent show Amateur Night has been on hiatus while The Apollo’s Historic Theater is under renovation until 2026.
To complement the Amateur Night auditions, legendary Amateur Night alumni Junior Scaife, Christian Guardino, and Michelle Galvis will provide free performances onsite for contestants, their families, and patrons of American Dream. The Apollo will also activate Coca-Cola’s Social Bubble at American Dream and Podcast studio with exclusive behind-the-scenes interviews and mini-performances by Apollo Music Café artists including Du’Bois A’Keen.
Each December, The Apollo invites friends and families to celebrate the holiday season with a varied lineup of events and programs. This year at The Apollo Stages at The Victoria, highlights include Amateur Night Holiday Special Presented by Coca-Cola, performances from singer-songwriter Du’Bois A’Keen and acclaimed Broadway vocalist Ayana George Jackson, as well as a free community gathering to celebrate the opening of Apollo’s exhibition Baker Gallery.
For a complete list of audition guidelines, please visit www.apollotheater.org/event/apollo-live-at-american-dream-amateur-night-auditon
About The Apollo
The Apollo is an American cultural treasure. It is a vibrant non-profit organization rooted in the Harlem community that engages people from around New York, the nation, and the world. Since 1934, The Apollo has celebrated, created, and presented work that centers Black artists and voices from across the African Diaspora. It has also been a catalyst for social and civic advocacy. Today, The Apollo is the largest performing arts institution committed to Black culture and creativity.
The Apollo is a commissioner and presenter; catalyst for new artists, audiences, and creative workforce; and partner in the projection of the African American narrative and its role in the development of American and global culture.
The Apollo envisions a new American canon centered on contributions to the performing arts by artists of the African diaspora, in America and beyond.
