Ella Fitzgerald first performed at Amateur Night at the Apollo Theater in Harlem when she was 17 years old. “She started her singing career here,” said Kamilah Forbes, the Apollo’s executive producer.
Other performing artists — among them Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, H.E.R., D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly and Miri Ben-Ari — performed at Amateur Night in the early days of their careers.
In-person auditions have been held for Amateur Night since 1934 — but this year, the coronavirus pandemic has made that impossible. Instead, the theater is inviting singers, dancers, comedians, rappers, spoken-word artists, musicians and variety acts to submit videos up to five minutes long to audition for its 2020-21 season.
Amateur Night’s producer, Marion Caffey, and coordinator, Kathy Jordan Sharpton, and a panel of five veteran performers will evaluate the videos. In order to qualify, amateurs must not currently have a recording, film, or TV contract with a major label or studio.
While audition videos have been accepted since 2017, this is the first year that auditions will be conducted entirely online. Videos will be accepted on a rolling basis.
In the competition, a cheer meter measuring the response of the audience of 1,600 decides which performers will move on. Contestants 18 years and older compete for the grand prize of $20,000. Performers 17 and under can also audition for a spot in the Child Star of Tomorrow category and a $5,000 prize. Coca-Cola, as a sponsor, provides the cash prizes.
“We’re always looking” for the next star, said Forbes. “I think the opportunity for digital really allows us to always keep our eyes open for talent around the country and, quite frankly, around the world.”
Source: Theater - nytimes.com
