Great piece from from Vulture about how the historical Apollo Theater in Harlem is adopting to recent times.
The Apollo’s digital auditions are just one way they’re upholding the theater’s traditions during the pandemic. On Thursday, June 4, postponed from June 1 due to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests, the Apollo kicked off Black Music Month with an emergency-relief benefit concert, “Let’s Stay (in) Together” to help fund the theater, as well as a new micro-grant initiative to help small businesses impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. “We knew it was important as an institution to show solidarity on Blackout Tuesday with our artists and the global community, and to use our platform to continue to help foster important dialogue across the country,” Forbes said in an email of their decision to postpone. The venue foresees an estimated loss of $4 million for the fiscal year ending on June 30, 2020, according to president and CEO Jonolle Procope. While the Apollo is still working on a reopen date, a short train ride away, the Met Opera has canceled all 2020 performances. “We hope that the funds we raise will ensure long-term financial and operational stability, guaranteeing that we are around for generations to come,” she added. A portion of the funds will go to “independently owned and operated businesses in Harlem,” whose owners can apply for the grant on the Apollo’s website through June 25.
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