The director Roger Ross Williams on the Harlem ‘temple’ that has hosted legendary performers from James Brown to Lauryn Hill
The Apollo Theater is a living piece of black history. Located in the heart of Harlem on West 125th Street, the theater has operated as a refuge for black audiences and performers from its opening in 1934. Artists from James Brown and
Aretha Franklin to Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill have graced the Apollo’s stage. In 2002, Michael Jackson gave his final onstage performance at the Apollo.
“The theatre’s story is really the story of how black America lifted itself out of oppression through
music and art,” said Roger Ross Williams, the director of HBO’s new documentary The Apollo. “The artists who performed at the Apollo paved the way for everything we have now.”