A veritable cultural treasure chest will be unlocked this weekend, and the wealth inside will be shared freely with all residents of the city.
The Apollo Theater will open wide its doors for an Open House Weekend.
The event is free and open to everyone, but is specifically aimed at bringing performances and lessons to the surrounding communities throughout northern Manhattan and the Bronx.
The Apollo first held an open house three years ago, to celebrate its 75th anniversary and its illustrious legacy.
According to Adé Williams, the Community Outreach Manger of the Apollo Theater, the organizers of the first open house thought of it as a gift for the community, but soon realized that a lot of people who came for the open house had never been to the Apollo before.
"The irony is you've got people from all over the world who come here," said Williams.
"The Apollo is one of, if not the, best known destination in Harlem. If a lot of Harlem residents have not been here, it's probably true that they haven't been to a number of other Upper Manhattan institutions," he added.
The Apollo Theater decided to hold additional open houses. Their mission became two-fold: 1) open the doors to the community and 2) allow residents to get a sense of all the other things going on "uptown" and learn about other institutions.
The open house will include three themes over the course of three days: 'Community Sing,' 'Community Dance,' and 'Community Jam,' taking place Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
Each day will include performances as well as lessons for audience members.
Williams said the performances and lessons were orchestrated specifically to mix genres. He gave an example of someone who listens to jazz but doesn't usually listen to hip-hop.
"They miss out on what jazz and hip-hop have in common," said Williams.
Williams said he thinks it's undeniable that more people from the Harlem community regularly attend performances at the Apollo since the start of the open houses.
There were times in the Apollo's history when audiences were almost entirely community members. There have been other times when it's been almost entirely tourists.
"I think it has had ebbs and flows," said Williams about community attendance. "We, as an institution, can never take this community for granted."
And unlike some other venues, audience participation and reaction is paramount. If the Apollo sells out a certain type of show, they will bring more of that programming. On Amateur Night, the audience picks the winner. The show has kicked off the careers of such powerhouses as Ella Fitzgerald, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, and Lauryn Hill.
"We're one of the most famous theaters in the world, but we're not the Grand Ole Opry where you have to have country western. We will always be determined by what the audience comes to support," said Williams.
All performers and groups selected for the open house are either part of Harlem institutions or reflect Harlem in some way.
Ballet Hispánico, a 41 year old ballet company located in the Upper West Side, is one such institution that was chosen for its connection to Harlem. The numbers of Latinos living in Harlem has risen steadily over the years, with Latinos dominating East Harlem since the 1950's.
According to Artistic Director Eduardo Vilaro, many of their dancers come from Upper Manhattan.
The Ballet Hispánico performs nationally and internationally, but for Vilaro, the Apollo stands out among other venues.
"The Apollo is a very special place because it's a talent generator. And it's so full of love and community, and it speaks to the nurturing aspect of the arts."
'Community Sing' will be held Fri., Feb. 3rd at 7 pm. RSVP is required on Friday at www.apollotheater.org.
'Community Dance' will be held Sat., Feb. 4th from 12 – 5 pm, with the Family Dance Party from 12 – 2pm.
'Community Jam' will be held Sat., Feb 5th 12 – 5 pm with the Family Instrument Making Workshop from 12 – 3pm.
For family workshops, children must be accompanied by an adult, and adults must be accompanied by a child. Pre-registration is suggested at www.ApolloEducation.org.
No RSVP is required for the main theater on Saturday and Sunday.
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