Fourth Annual East Hampton Fundraising Event For Harlem’s Legendary Apollo Theater Raises $4 Million for Non-Profit Theater’s Artistic, Educational, and Community Outreach Programs
(New York, NY – August 18, 2014) – On Saturday, August 24th, Apollo Theater Trustee Ronald O. Perelman hosted a dinner and private concert at his East Hampton home, to benefit the non-profit Apollo Theater. The 5th Annual Apollo in the Hamptons featured a blowout concert with performances by legendary superstars Sting, Jon Bon Jovi, Gladys Knight, Oscar-winning actor and musician Jamie Foxx with celebrated producer and artist Pharrell Williams serving as Creative Director and popular live band The Roots as the house band. The evening closed with a rousing set from Mr. Williams. The event was co-chaired by Ronald Perelman; Apollo Board Chairman, Dick Parsons; Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; and Jon Bon Jovi, and was underwritten by Mr. Perelman. The event raised $4 million to support the Apollo’s artistic, educational, and outreach programs, which build on the Theater’s rich history as a cultural and economic anchor to Harlem, and as a nurturer of emerging talent. Other notable guests included: Barbra Streisand, Paul McCartney, Spike Lee, Jack Nicholson, Governor Chris Christie, Senator John McCain, Robert De Niro and Grace Hightower, Howard Stern and Beth Ostrosky Stern, Don Johnson, Ron Meyer, Brad Grey, Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Debra Lee, Paul Tudor Jones, Len Blavatnik, David Tepper, Philippe Dauman, and Ken Chenault.
Apollo Education and Community Programs The iconic Apollo Theater is one of Harlem’s most distinguished and enduring institutions. The Apollo is committed to enhancing the life of its community through a variety of arts, education and community programs designed to engage children, adults, schools, families, artists, and local organizations. Apollo education programs provide nearly 4,000 New York City students, many from undeserved backgrounds, with unique opportunities for career development, mentorship and exposure to high-quality arts programs in their community. The Apollo Theater Academy cultivates the next generation of arts professionals through in-school seminars, arts management internships, technical theater apprenticeships, and other programs focused on careers in arts and entertainment; while the nationally-recognized Apollo Oral History Project works directly in Harlem public schools to engage students with a sequential, standards- based curriculum that transforms oral histories into original theater and video works. Other Apollo education programs including School Tours, Family Showtime and School Day Live engage New York City students and their families with world-class arts programming on the legendary Apollo stage.
About the Apollo Theater Celebrating its 80th Anniversary in 2014, Apollo is a national treasure that has had significant impact on the development of American culture and its popularity around the world. Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role in cultivating artists and in the emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hip-hop. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr., James Brown, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo’s stage. Now, as a nonprofit arts institution, the Apollo Theater’s new artistic vision builds on its legacy. New Apollo programming has music as its core, driving large scale and more intimate music, dance and theater presentations. The Apollo will continue to present historically relevant presentations, as well as more forward-looking, contemporary work .Based on its cultural significance and architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org.
Images available upon request.
Contact:
Apollo Theater For Ronald O. Perelman Nina Flowers, (212) 531-5334 Christine Taylor, (917) 855-6378 [email protected] [email protected]