Rapper T.I. performing Wednesday at live taping of Showtime at the Apollo
Steve Harvey’s Showtime at the Apollo kicked off Wednesday and Thursday nights with a host of celebrity performers that included rapper T.I. and R&B favorites En Vogue, Bell Biv Devoe and Jodeci.
Comedians George Lopez and Jay Pharoah, from SNL fame, also headlined the star-studded event.
The show will bring Emmy Award-winning personality Steve Harvey back to his roots as celebrity host to the Apollo’s legendary Amateur Night – the long-running, live talent competition, now in its 82nd year – which provides a platform for upand-coming artists to perform in front of the toughest audience in the world.
“I’m excited to be going back home to the Apollo to celebrate the history of this great theater,” Harvey said in a press release statement. “I have great memories from my time there, and this is going to be a homecoming party that you won’t want to miss.”
Amateur Night at the Apollo launched the careers of many iconic artists, including James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, D’Angelo and countless others, and the show continues to present new talent on the legendary Apollo stage every Wednesday night.
“Since its inception in 1934, the world’s original talent competition – Amateur Night at the Apollo – was, and continues to be, a primary source for discovering new talent and spotlighting up-and-coming artists. That tradition was extended with the successful 21-year run of the ‘Showtime at the Apollo’ television program,” said Jonelle Procope, President and CEO of the Apollo Theater and an executive producer of the special. “We’re proud to continue to produce our live, weekly show, and are equally excited to be partnering with FOX to produce this SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO special and to bring the Apollo experience back to television!”
The star-studded special will air Monday, Dec. 5 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX. An additional one-hour special, also hosted by Harvey, will air in early 2017.
