Leah E.

I scored a $10 ticket on Stub Hub to attend Amateur Night (every Wednesday) at the Apollo on my recent trip to New York. I stayed at an Air Bnb in Harlem and wanted to explore the neighborhood. THIS WAS BY FAR THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY TRIP TO NYC. The host, Capone, was worth the price of admission. The show started with children contestants and Capone went out of his way to explain the importance of showing love to these young talented artists. We applauded and clapped as if we were about to witness living legends. After that, the regular contestants performed. I was honestly shocked at the level of talent of each performer. BUT- I will say that there are people there in the audience that sadly- have come just to BOO people off the stage. There was a Japanese Michael Jackson impersonator that was tolerable until he started singing and the theater ERUPTED in BOOS. I like to think that he was placed in the line-up just so people could boo him off the stage. The crowd was very diverse and everyone was there for a good time. When the show ended, I was looking for a bite to eat around the theatre and was VERY DISAPPOINTED in the offerings. There are about 5 different chain fried chicken establishments and that's it. So make sure you eat before you go to the Apollo.

Letty C.

Did you know that you can book tours of this world famous theater? Its Showtime At The Apollo.....Yasssssss The Apollo Theater at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard in the heart of Harlem was a venue to showcase black entertainment at a time when segregation left us very little choices for live entertainment. Ella Fitzgerald won amateur night there as a teen. Pearl Bailey, Count Bassie, Louis Armstrong, Moms Mabley, Pigmeat Markham, Richard Pryor, Redd Fox, Stevie Wonder, The Jackson Five, Gladys Knight, James Brown, Tony Bennett, and Paul Mc Cartney, and many others have played here. The tour gives you the history by Billy Mitchell, known as "Mr Apollo". He has been here on and off for 49 years. He started running errands for the Apollo back in 1965, when he was 15 years old. Now he's the in-house historian and tour director. When music icon Elvis visited NYC for the first time he insisted to visit The Apollo Theater. This is a mecca for entertainers. The tour will take you thru the 1500 red velvet seats and the pristine balconies. You will see the signature wall off-stage behind stage right which features years of history in signature, sign by the likes of Grammy Winner Lauren Hill to our first black President Barack Obama, then upstairs to a small dressing room that is used by performers including Comedian Nipsey Russell and R&B singer Beyonce, then back down to the green room (which is all white) located right under the stage. Once you leave the green room you and your party will have the opportunity to have your own personal "Amateur Night" as your friends clap, hiss, or boo at your performance. This is a great way to experience black culture, Harlem, and black artists contribution to entertainment and music I've done this tour three times...worth every penny.

Juliet H.

"It's showtime, at The Apollo ... TONIGHT!" I was pretty excited to visit The Apollo Theatre as I have fond childhood memories of watching aspiring talent on amateur night, Sinbad hosting, everyone rubbing the "Tree of Hope" before their number, KeKe Sheppard, and "the Sandman" sweeping the boo'd off the stage! The experience didn't disappoint and we were celebrating Mom's 50th so that made it even more special! Brittany (at the counter) helped us tremendously as we made our plans to visit. We got great seats up front for amateur night, we saw the Tree of Hope, the talent was awesome, and we were immersed in rich history! The theatre is beautiful, the seats are comfy, and it's a true Harlem jewel. So glad we got to visit on our NYC trip!

Lourdes M.

I was pretty excited to visit The Apollo Theater (FINALLY!). I used to pass by this iconic theater for years and today's visit was not a disappointment. Lucky to get free tickets for "It's Showtime at the Apollo with Steve Harvey" show. Lucky that they had Sunday taping and did not worry of taking a day off for the experience. The theater vibes was moving to think that lots of known artists started at this theater and on that special stage. Steve Harvey himself talked about his days here when he was a starting comedian. The talents rubbed the "Tree of Hope" before performing ( which has been part of the Showtime segments ever since) for us. The theater is beautiful inside, I heard it is newly renovated. Seats are comfortable. Each seat has a good view of the stage. Lights and sounds are fairly good. I was impressed with the person in charged in the ladies room during the June 4th show. She didn't let us go inside the stall unless she wiped first the toilet seat cover. She deserved a good tip for doing that. Kudos to Steve Harvey's production staff for giving us a good and entertaining show. The staff was very organized and made our experience pleasant. I was glad to be here. Truly a gem of Harlem.

Fancypants X.

Pinch me, I'm dreaming. I do not take for granted how fortunate I am to have set foot in the famous Apollo Theater where many legends -- Michael Jackson, Aretha Franklin, James Brown, Ray Charles, Sammy Davis, Jr. -- have graced the stage. Earlier this summer, I attended Amateur Night at the Apollo, a show that my cousin & I bonded over as children. Comedian Capone was hilarious as host & the live band was old school cool. The talent portion started with a couple kiddos competing for the Stars of Tomorrow title, but the fun really began when the adults started to perform. Everyone did really well except for a singer who couldn't hit the high notes in Childish Gambino's "Redbone" & a dancer who changed her shoes mid-song. They were properly booed & the Executioner (C.P. Lacey) tapped danced them right off of the stage! Audience participation hit an all-time high when it came time to vote via a sound meter that registered our boos & applause. Our collective energy reverberated throughout the concert hall. Unforgettable live entertainment in a historically significant venue. If you ever have the chance, see a show at the Apollo & don't forget to take a pic in front of what's left of the Tree of Hope!

Nettie A.

Ummmmm totally fabulous! We had so much fun. They know how to put on a show. Capone was the MC and hilarious, charming and quick on his feet. The tone was positive and unifying. We had so much fun. I wish I would have done this when I lived here. We lived amateur Night at the Apollo. Take public transportation and enjoy. It was a fabulous, funny, positive, family friendly show. We bought tickets in the box on the top right. We could see the performers preparing to come out but you are by the speaker. Absolutely brilliant.

Camille E.

Lots of fun at the amateur Night! The MC was great and the talent was superb. It's very much a party atmosphere. It's also a great night out with family. I would definitely go again.

Erica R.

Come on now, this is history! It's hard not to say good things about The Apollo. The feeling of nostalgia is HEAVY as soon as you see the infamous marquee, and even more so once you walk through the doors. Harlem has so much history on every corner and The Apollo is like the crown jewel of it all. The venue itself is well kept and probably not as large as one may envision. It's really hard to find a bad seat, whether in the orchestra, the boxes, the balcony or the mezzanine -- the stage is almost front and center from every angle. Definitely worth a stop . . . or two.

Matteo R.

I came to the Apollo Theater a couple of times for concert. What can you say about this historic place that has not been written before? You can't call yourself a true New Yorker if you have never been to the Apollo Theater. This place exudes magic. This is an old school theater, with lots of red velvet and chandeliers all over. The acoustics is great: a wonderful, warm sound wherever you're sitting. Just a couple of things I didn't like that much: in the mezzanine the seats are uncomfortable, you have really little room for your knee (a big problem if, like me, you're more than 6 feet tall). In fact, the seats are so close and the rows so steep that if somebody stumbles he or she will probably fly all the way down to the stage... Also the bathrooms could be improved.

Jordan W.

The World Famous Apollo theater known for it's Amateur Night where over the years tons of stars in all forms of the entertainment world have been discovered here. The trip did take a while from Queens, N.Y. , the A train does go all the way to uptown Harlem. Amateur Night I was lucky enough to attend a few years ago and it was wonderful. The most recent trip here was from Jimmy Jazz opening a new store and celebrate with Asap Ferg and Cam'ron at a concert. Arrived kind of early and got a good view of the stage from the top section. Asap Ferg is from Harlem and he finally got the chance to perform to his hometown people. Dipset was not all there but Killa Cam did put on a memorable performance. Staff was great, very friendly and helped people get to their seats in no time. Will definitely come back here, hopefully some time Soon .

Yeraldine S.

I finally got a chance to visit the Apollo Theatre and what better way to do so than watching one of your favorite artists--Lykke Li! My best friend and I got there early, tickets scanned, and we made our way inside. The theatre is historic and it was great to see all the pictures of the famous people who start at Apollo. I normally love being in the front at concerts but I didn't have any luck when purchasing my tickets. I settled for the 2nd level mezzanine-first row/center. And wow-I couldn't ask for anything better. Perfect view of the entire theatre. It's small and I realized even if I was on the upper level mezzanine, I still would have had a great view. Immediately, I was well aware of how attentive and nice the staff was. There's a bar area in the back- drinks, snacks, and other overpriced items. The theatre was clean, bathrooms as well, and the performance was perfect. A great show at Apollo. I hope to catch more shows here.

Jamie G.

How freakin' cool is this place?! I'm so glad I made last minute decision to buy tickets to Amateur Night. And for the cost of a round of over priced cocktails?! Way better ROI. For seating, we were in lower mezzanine - row K at the aisle. My personal opinion is that the lower mezzanine is fine, but I'd say try to get seats in the A-D,E range, otherwise you have a ceiling from the upper mezzanine. I think you'll feel more audience energy sitting there or in the orchestra. Definitely noted for next time. And the boxes on either side of the orchestra don't seem so bad either. There is an easily accessible bar in lower mezzanine and bathroom just down the steps. A few tips, if you tend to get up to potty quite a bit or replenish beverages often: -get aisle seats because you'll make everyone in your row have to stand up to let you out. the leg/walking room is non-existent. -break right before they break for intermission. that bathroom line for the ladies is ridiculous. same advice applies to the bar line. Go. Your cheeks and tum with hurt from laughing so hard. And what a cool piece of history to experience!

Susan W.

Wow! I finally made it to the Apollo theater! Not as talent, but as a lively audience member that I grew up watch since childhood. My friend was given tickets to watch Amateur Night and I have to say that it is an experience I recommend to everyone! Walking up to the legendary Apollo sign, I was in awe of such a magical place with so much history. After getting checked, we made our way in stopped for an adult beverage. I was pleased that the drinks were strong and not too expensive. We were ushered to our seats and soon after the show began. It was non-stop dancing an laughing during the entire time. Capone was the host and he was so funny! The talent was amazing. So good that we didn't even get to boo anyone. Now normally I would never boo anyone, but that's one of the things that makes the Apollo the Apollo, so we did miss out on that. Overall it was beyond amazing to be in a room with people from all different places, races, and backgrounds that all came together to have a great night of entertainment! Make sure you go!