How to Get on Amateur Night at the Apollo

Since 1934, the Apollo Theater in New York has been a proving ground for amateurs, launching such greats as Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, James Brown and Stevie Wonder. Every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., amateurs get to prove themselves to a notoriously tough audience. If you're ready to join their ranks, here's how to get on Amateur Night at the Apollo.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Audition for Amateur Night at the next open audition at the Apollo Theater. Check the Apollo website for audition listings, or call the Amateur Night Hotline at [phone]. The theater is located at 253 W. 125th St., Harlem, New York.

2. Do not despair if you live outside the New York area and want to audition. You can try out for Amateur Night when the "Showtime at the Apollo on Tour" comes to your town. Check the Apollo website to find out when the tour is coming to a city near you.

3. Arrive early for your audition. Auditions are on a first-come, first-seen basis, so don't be late for what could be your big break.

4. Bring along a music track as accompaniment, or prepare to sing a cappella. There is no house band for auditions. Musicians must bring their own instruments for the audition, and dancers should have a cassette or CD to play during their audition.

5. Make sure comedy routines are clean and in good taste with no profanity!

6. Get ready to wow the judges within 90 seconds, because that's all the time they allow per audition.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure you are actually an amateur before you try out for Amateur Night. If you have a recording contract with a major label, have been in a major motion picture or headlined at a major performing arts venue, you may not qualify for amateur status.
• Make sure that children under 18 are accompanied by an adult for the audition.

Resources

• You may want to check in with the Apollo Theater's main website before auditioning.
• This Atlanta Journal Constitution article discusses the impact of the Apollo Theater on modern music.
• This website discusses the history of the Apollo and current news about the landmark.