Theatre "Apollo" - a concert hall and club on a one and a half thousand places associated almost exclusively with African-American performers. It is located in Harlem, one of the most historically significant in the US "black" areas.

The building was designed by architect John Keystera was built in 1914 for the New Burlesque Theatre. Ironically institution practiced a strict policy of "whites only." Burlesque (musical comedy show) was already out of fashion in the Old World, but flourished in America - mostly because slid to outright striptease. Fiorello LaGuardia, who became in 1934 the mayor of New York, has launched a campaign against the burlesque and "Apollo", along with other similar theaters threatened with closure. The owners just changed the format of the show to various revues and shifted to a growing audience of Harlem community (at this time is just the first stage of the so-called Great Migration of black southerners in the north and west of the country).

One of the novelties that have replaced the burlesque, in "Apollo" become "amateur night." In fact, it was a talent contest: once a week, young unknown artists up on stage, and after the first issue from the audience's reaction depended on them to act, or not. So in 1934, at the "amateur night" I had to start dancer Ella Fitzgerald. She was 17, it was a difficult teenager and "Apollo" hit accidentally. Before her sisters performed a dance duet Edwards, and Ella was afraid: I realized that the sisters did not beat. And then she decided to sing by imitating his idol, Connie Boswell. Taken Ella first few notes were a failure, the audience laughed, but the leading Ralph Cooper regretted her and helped her to start again. The second attempt was successful. Thus began a career of "Queen of Jazz".

On the stage of "Apollo" began not only to Ella Fitzgerald - there were Billie Holiday, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson (as part of a family group), James Brown, Lauryn Hill, Jimi Hendrix.

Now "Apollo" favored by many celebrities, but 'amateur' nights are not forgotten: every Wednesday at the scene lifted novice performers. They certainly touch of happiness to the "Tree of Hope" - a huge piece of the stem exposed on a prominent place. Once a tree has grown between the "Apollo" and the theater "La Fayette" and superstitious actors stood under its branches not to scare off good luck. When a tree is cut down, the barrel got "Apollo."

However, beginners luck depends not only on wood. As before, the fate of the speakers here decide to viewers: they cry or approval or lowered thumbs down - and then a special person, "the executioner", a huge broom sweeps losers from the scene. That very broom, which was once almost swept Ella Fitzgerald.