The Apollo Theater Holds Fifth Annual Dining with the Divas Luncheon Fundraiser Celebrating the Achievements of Extraordinary Women in Media, Music, Fashion and Business Raises $325,000 For Non-Profit Theater’s Artistic Education and Community Programs Harlem, NY – February 19, 2015– On Thursday, February 12th, the world famous Apollo Theater hosted its fifth annual Dining with the Divas luncheon, a fundraiser celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of women in the arts and in business. This year‘s event raised $325,000 and will support emerging artists, education, and community programs that reach underserved children and students, and enable the Apollo to continue to serve as a town hall that both celebrates the community‘s accomplishments and spotlights it challenges. Jonelle Procope, Apollo president & CEO, kicked off the afternoon with welcome remarks and an introduction of this year‘s event co-chairs, Carolyn Minick Mason, Jacqueline Nickelberry and Michelle Gadsden-Williams. The focus of this year‘s Divas event was women, the arts, and activism. Debra Martin Chase, television and film producer; Lisa Quiroz, Time Warner‘s Chief Diversity Officer & SVP of Corporate Responsibility and actress Tamara Tunie each gave insightful presentations about the importance of arts and activism. Held on the Apollo‘s iconic stage, where legendary Divas such as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin and Gladys Knight have enchanted audiences, Divas offers participants an opportunity to connect with some of the country‘s most powerful, accomplished, and influential women. Attendees included Yolanda Ferrell- Brown, Majora Carter, Mercedes Cotchery, Lesley Goldwasser, Carla Harris, Adrienne Johnson, Star Jones, Erika Liles, Crystal McCrary, Geraldine Moriba, Brooke Neidich, Dr. Holly Phillips, Karen Phillips, Deborah Roberts, Jennifer Scully-Lerner, Bevy Smith, Susan Taylor, and Josie Thomas ―For many reasons, Dining with the Divas is one of my favorite events of the season. This is a moment for the Apollo to spotlight women impacting the world through their work,‖ said Jonelle Procope, President & CEO, Apollo Theater. ―This year, the Apollo ‗s programming will bring many extraordinary women to the Theater in a variety of arts forms, which is very exciting and today we kicked off a year of celebrating women.‖ The Apollo also announced during the event the official launch of the Apollo Women‘s Committee, a new initiative that will engage a dynamic and diverse group of women year-round with activities that address issues which affect women and children and educate members on Apollo artistic and community programs. The Committee is entirely volunteer driven and each year the membership will choose the Apollo program(s) to invest in. More information about the Women’s Committee will be available at a later date. Sponsors for Divas include Barneys New York, Citi, Credit Suisse, Hearst Corporation, Prudential and Morgan Stanley. About the Apollo Theater The legendary Apollo Theater— the soul of American culture—plays a vital role in cultivating emerging talents 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, performance art, spoken word initiatives, and more. Recent highlights have included James Brown: Get on the Good Foot, which will begin an international tour in 2015, the Africa Now! Festival, and Apollo Club Harlem. 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 Lauryn Hill, Machine Gun Kelly, Miri Ben Ari, D‘Angelo, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, James Brown, Michael Jackson, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, and Stevie Wonder; and the Apollo‘s forward-looking artistic vision continues to build on this legacy. The Apollo Theater is a not-for-profit organization and currently in the midst of fundraising for its 21st Century Apollo Campaign, created to extend the institution‘s role in fostering artistic innovation and in building appreciation of American culture around the world. For more information, visit www.apollotheater.org. The Apollo's 2014-2015 season is made possible by generous support from BNY Mellon, Citi, Coca-Cola, Troy and Keisha Dixon, EmblemHealth, the Ford Foundation Fund for Global Programs, Frederick Wildman, The Howard Gilman Foundation, Carla A. Harris, Robert K. Kraft, The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, The Parsons Family Foundation, the Ronald O. Perelman Family Foundation, JoAnn Price, Prudential Financial, Inc., Earl W. and Amanda Stafford, Time Warner Inc., the Reginald Van Lee New Works Fund, the Apollo Board of Directors and many other generous donors. Lead annual support is also provided by public funds from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council. ### Press Contact: Nina Flowers, Director or PR & Communications Apollo Theater 212-531-5334 [email protected] .