Ninth Annual East Hampton Fundraising Event For Harlem's Legendary Apollo Theater

HARLEM, N.Y., Aug. 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- On Saturday, August 11^th, the ninth annual Apollo In the Hamptons was held at the East Hampton home of Apollo Vice Chairman Ronald O. Perelman to benefit the non-profit Apollo Theater. This year's event raised millions of dollars to support the Apollo's artistic, educational, and outreach programs, while building on the Theater's rich history as a cultural and economic anchor to Harlem, and as a nurturer of emerging talent.

Since its inception in 2010, the Apollo in the Hamptons has raised over $20 million for the Apollo's artistic, education and community programs. Thanks to the support from this event, the institution has expanded its education initiatives, both in schools and at the historic Apollo Theater engaging more than 20,000 students, teachers, families, and scholars annually. The Theater has been able to double its impact, now welcoming more than 200,000 patrons each year.

"This year's Apollo in the Hamptons was a tribute to the soul and extraordinary musical history of the legendary Apollo Theater. Giving to the arts and community education is more important than ever and I am so proud to continue to support this iconic and vital cultural institution. The Apollo's programs provide young people the inspiration, experience and training that help them succeed. Without our support, these incredible programs would be in danger or could disappear entirely," said Ronald O. Perelman.

"As the Theater enters its 85^th year, I am proud to say that it is a thriving, commissioning and presenting non-profit performing arts institution. One of the major factors consistently pushing us forward is our incredible board of Directors," said Jonelle Procope, Apollo Theater President & CEO.  "Due to the gracious support of Mr. Perelman, the Apollo in the Hamptons event has been instrumental in garnering major support for our Theater initiatives. The fact that we have been able to expand our programs and engage more families, students and the Harlem community at large is a testament to his tremendous efforts."

The 9^th Annual Apollo in the Hamptons featured a blowout concert with performances by legendary singer Chaka Kahn, Sting, Shaggy, Alice Smith Jr., Jamie Foxx, Jon Bon Jovi and a surprise performance by Chris Martin, along with special appearances by Sarah Ikumu and Vy Higginsen's Sing Harlem Choir, and The Roots as the live house band. 

Notable guests included Robert Downey Jr., Jimmy Fallon and Nancy Juvoven, Zach Braff,
Jimmy and Jane Buffett, and Molly Simms and Scott Stuber.

The event was co-chaired by Apollo Board Vice ChairmanRonald Perelman; rock legend Jon Bon Jovi; Apollo Board Chairman,Dick Parsons; Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; and was underwritten entirely by Mr. Perelman.

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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 11,000 New York City students, many from underserved backgrounds, with unique opportunities for career development, mentorship and exposure to high-quality arts programs. 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 New York City public schools to engage students with a sequential, standards-based curriculum that transforms oral histories into original theater pieces and documentaries. Other Apollo Education Programs including Teen Takeover, 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

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 New York premiere of the new 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; as well as special projects and 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. For more information visit https://www.apollotheater.org/

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SOURCE MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings Inc.