Apollo to Search for New Talent

Harlem's Apollo Theater has extended its reach well beyond New York City. In fact, the legendary venue's influence will grab hold of the UNC campus Thursday, when the Apollo will hold auditions for its famed Amateur Night program from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. The event, which will take place in Carmichael Auditorium on Oct. 25, is part of UNC's Performing Arts Series.

The de facto waiting room for those auditioning will be the Great Hall, while the actual critiques will take place in the Union Auditorium and will be closed to the general public.

Those interested in trying out for a spot in the show should contact the Carolina Union Box Office, which is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays, at 962-1449. Walk-ups will be admitted until 6 p.m. Thursday, although their auditions might take place well after that time.

Anyone can try out -- from students and Chapel Hill residents to people from other parts of North Carolina -- and there are no age limits.

The auditions and Amateur Night came about after the Apollo formed a relationship with UNC through International Creative Management.

"There's such a wonderful mix of colleges and talent in North Carolina that we could think of no better place than bringing it to Chapel Hill," said David Rodriguez, executive director of Apollo Theater Foundation.

He estimates that the Apollo will have auditioned upward of 20,000 people during the year at a variety of locations.

On July 4, 300 people auditioned on the Smithsonian Mall in Washington, D.C. The Apollo has searched for talent in places as diverse as Compton churches and the Mall of America in Minneapolis. A recent group of Amateur Night winners hailed from Japan. In this exhaustive process, Amateur Night officials welcome more than just singers and musicians.

"It is just as gratifying to find a wonderful juggler or poet as it is a female vocalist," Rodriguez said.

Aspiring entertainers of all sorts will be able to show their stuff Thursday. According to Carolina Union Director Don Luse, two theater representatives will conduct the auditions and will choose about 12 acts to perform on Oct. 25.

Rodriguez said first impressions have always been important and mentioned hosts from the 1930s and 1940s who intentionally mispronounced performers' names in order to test their confidence.

The artist or artists who make the best impression on the host, judges and audience alike will move on to even bigger things.

The winning act of the Oct. 25 show will receive $1,000 and two airline tickets to New York City. Rodriguez said the finalists then will be given "a chance to do their best on a Wednesday night in Harlem" at the Apollo Theater itself.

At that point, finalists might start to wonder how they could fill the sizable shoes of the stars who came before them.

Jazz legends Ella Fitzgerald and Sarah Vaughan were the victors of the first and second Amateur Night competitions, respectively. The Jackson 5, Gladys Knight and Lauryn Hill are only a few of the artists who launched their careers at the Apollo.

"I would hope that (audiences) learn a little bit about the history and tradition of the Apollo Theater in terms of its finding talent and its role in developing talent over the years," Luse said.

Box Office Manager Shandelyn Porter said Amateur Night became a part of the Performing Arts Series to put a spotlight on local undiscovered talents.

She said, "I think it will give the surrounding community an opportunity to see who's out there."

The Arts & Entertainment Editor can be reached at artsdesk@unc.edu.