Home Invites Members Groups Events Careers Videos News Photos Blogs Polls Forums Chat
Home > Blogs > Post Content

Apollo Theater Spring Benefit Raises A Record $3.7M, Including A Surprise $500K Gift from Tyler Perry (962 hits)


 

The Apollo Theater had a huge night during their annual Spring Benefit raising a record-breaking $3.7 million including a $500,000 gift from Tyler Perry who made the surprise announcement during his acceptance speech for the Impact Award presented by Academy Award® winner and The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg. This is the most ever raised for this fundraising event.

 

Hosted by Emmy® winner and SNL Cast member Kenan Thompson, who kept the sold-out crowd laughing with bits like his intro in which he appeared on video seemingly forgetting the event was in person! He also recreated his popular “Black Jeopardy” skit including “This Is Us” star Susan Kelechi Watson. 

 

Along with Tyler Perry, Global investment and merchant banking firm LionTree, was given the Corporate Award. Following the presentations, the audience enjoyed performances by rising artist Ogi as well as The Roots with special appearances by Stephanie Mills, Anthony Hamilton. Continuing their annual tradition, the Marching Cobras led the crowd down 126th street to the lively afterparty where International Celebrity DJ, Derrick “D-Nice” Jones returned with his signature sounds in the beautiful lounge created by celebrity event planner and Apollo Board Member Bronson van Wyck.

 

In addition during the event, Bulova watches unveiled a first look at its Apollo timepiece commemorating the historic institution. 

 

Prior to the event, the non-profit also announced it will release a limited edition non-fungible token (NFT) commemorating the annual event. Approximately 400 NFT’s will be issued through Ticketmaster. The special NFT’s will be given to each person who donated to Apollo’s Spring Benefit. The commemorative NFT will be a digital keepsake celebrating the world-renowned organization’s largest annual fundraising event. 

 

The Apollo season’s theme, “The Renaissance is Now!,” and its presentations expanded the non-profit theater’s role as a partner, commissioner, and co-producer of programming that centers Black artists and voices from the African Diaspora, while tackling social issues that are important to Harlem, New York, and the nation.

 

Proceeds from the Spring Benefit support the non-profit organization’s year-round, world-class artistic, education, and community programs and collaborations, as well as its commitment to using arts and culture to articulate and project the African American narrative and create a 21st century performing arts canon. 

 

About the Apollo Theater

The legendary Apollo Theater—the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging artists and launching legends. Since its founding, the Apollo has served as a center of innovation and a creative catalyst for Harlem, the city of New York, and the world.

 

With music at its core, the Apollo’s programming extends to dance, theater, spoken word, and more. This includes special programs such as the blockbuster concert Bruno Mars Live at the Apollo, the world premiere theatrical reading of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s National Book Award-winning Between the World and Me, 100: The Apollo Celebrates Ella, the annual Africa Now! Festival, and the recent New York premiere of the opera We Shall Not Be Moved. The Apollo is a performing arts presenting organization that also produces festivals and large-scale dance and music works organized around a set of core initiatives that celebrate and extend the Apollo’s legacy through a contemporary lens; global festivals including the Women of the World (WOW) Festival and Breakin’ Convention; international and U.S.-based artist presentations focused on a specific theme; and Special Projects, multidisciplinary collaborations with partner organizations.

 

Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has served as a testing ground for new artists working across a variety of art forms and has ushered in the emergence of many new musical genres—including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Among the countless legendary performers who launched their careers at the Apollo are Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, Stevie Wonder, Billie Holiday, James Brown, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, Dave Chappelle, Machine Gun Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, Sarah Vaughan, Gladys Knight, and Luther Vandross; and the Apollo’s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy.
Posted By: Tanisha Grant
Tuesday, June 14th 2022 at 5:02PM
You can also click here to view all posts by this author...

Report obscenity | post comment
Share |
Please Login To Post Comments...
Email:
Password:

 
More From This Author
35TH ANNUAL GLAAD MEDIA AWARDS HONORING OPRAH WINFREY AND NIECY NASH-BETTS PREMIERES ON HULU FRIDAY, MARCH 29t
AFFION CROCKETT PRESENTS: MICROPHONE MASTERS" WORLD PREMIERE EVENT IN LA
An Evening of Harlem Renaissance Celebrates ‘Women Creating a Legacy’ at the 14th Annual Salute HER Awards
REGINA KING TALKS BECOMING SHIRLEY CHISHOLM WITH ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST TANISHA LAVERNE GRANT
Meet the Vibrant Cast of BET’S New Dark Comedy Drama Series 'Diarra from Detroit
THE CAST OF THE FIRST LADY BMF:THE TONESA WELCH STORY AT NAACP IMAGE AWARDS DINNER
OSCAR WINNING DA'VINE JOY RANDOLPH TALKS STAYING THE COURSE AT THE 96TH ACADEMY AWARDS
ESSENCE HOLLYWOOD HOUSE IS A HUGE SUCCESS IN ITS 5TH YEAR
Forward This Blog Entry!
Blogs Home

(Advertise Here)
Who's Online
>> more | invite 
Latest Photos
>> more | add
Most Popular Bloggers
cheer leader has logged 50978 blog subscribers!
tanisha grant has logged 26969 blog subscribers!
>> more | add 
Latest Member Activity
rochelle terrell just edited her profile. 09:07PM
rochelle terrell just became a new member. 08:57PM
sumon mondal just became a new member. 09:27PM
patrice morgan just became a new member. 09:52AM
rolawnza galloway just became a new member. 11:21AM
kyle logan just joined a new club (entrepreneurs of hbcu's). 12:24PM
kyle logan just became a new member. 12:17PM
lisa batiste just became a new member. 03:10PM
ulrika marm just became a new member. 12:29PM
dareyl brown just became a new member. 08:12AM
jason jones just became a new member. 06:47PM
david bennett just edited his profile. 04:54PM
>> more | invite friends