Misplaced Pages

#961038

166-749: Foreststorn Hamilton was born in Los Angeles, California , one of three brothers, one of whom was actor Bernie Hamilton . Hamilton started his career in a band with Charles Mingus , Illinois Jacquet , Ernie Royal , Dexter Gordon , Buddy Collette and Jack Kelso before he had finished high school. Engagements with Lionel Hampton , Slim & Slam , T-Bone Walker , Lester Young , Count Basie , Duke Ellington , Charlie Barnet , Billy Eckstine , Nat King Cole , Sammy Davis Jr. , Billie Holiday , Gerry Mulligan and Lena Horne established his career. Hamilton appeared in You'll Never Get Rich (1941) as part of

332-480: A Radio Jingle for The Toppyjazz Radio Show. Hamilton died aged 92 on November 25, 2013, in Manhattan . With Louis Armstrong With Buddy Collette With Paul Horn With Fred Katz With John Lewis With Gerry Mulligan With Ken Nordine With Gábor Szabó Los Angeles, California Los Angeles , often referred to by its initials L.A. , is the most populous city in

498-620: A contract in 1989 for the exclusive use of the Apollo's broadcast studios, but only one syndicated program was created through 1991. The theater was also being used only 50 percent of the time, while the studio's uptime was 30 percent. The Apollo was losing $ 2.4 million a year by 1990 and was predicted to lose $ 2.1 million over the next year. Sutton had expected to earn $ 1.7 million from videos and pay $ 1.3 million in salaries in 1990, but he ended up earning $ 280,000 and paying $ 1.8 million. The theater still faced competition from larger venues and

664-577: A depth of 200 ft (61 m). The theater is adjacent to the Victoria Theater to the west. Several MTA Regional Bus Operations routes stop outside the theater, while the New York City Subway 's 125th Street/St. Nicholas Avenue station, served by the A , ​ B , ​ C , and ​ D trains, is located one block to the west. The theater was designed by George Keister with elements of

830-561: A firm owned by Percy E. Sutton, agreed in late 1981 to buy the theater; he paid either $ 220,000 or $ 225,000. Inner City had beat out a competing bid from the Bible of Deliverance Evangelist Church. Sutton recalled that there were "roaches, dead rats, swimming rats" in the flooded basement. Inner City acquired an 81 percent stake in the theater's legal owner, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group, while Sutton owned

996-461: A gift shop next to the theater. The ATF began raising $ 30 million for the theater in the late 1990s, but the city and state governments refused to issue $ 750,000 in grants unless the foundation could provide financial statements. At the time, there was a dispute over how much Inner City owed the ATF for the use of the Apollo's name. The Apollo was mostly empty by 1998, except on Amateur Nights, and it

1162-605: A lower-tier Columbia subsidiary. The American wheel was dissolved in 1922 and the New Theatre retained its monopoly on Columbia burlesque in Upper Manhattan. The growth of Harlem's black population forced many theater owners to begin admitting black patrons in the 1920s, though Jamaican-American author Joel Augustus Rogers claimed that the New Theatre's black patrons were consistently given inferior seats. The New Theatre began sponsoring shows with mixed-race casts in

1328-568: A popular vaudeville venue, while the latter had previously been the neighborhood's predominant black theater. Cohen took out advertisements and broadcast shows on local radio stations, prompting equally vigorous promotion campaigns from Schiffman and Brecher. Cohen, Schiffman, and Brecher agreed to a truce in May 1935, and Cohen leased the theater the next month to the Harlem Opera House's operator, Duane Theater Corporation. Ralph Cooper

1494-423: A production studio for TV broadcasts and video productions, as well as a new hall of fame with memorabilia from the theater's history. Air-conditioning and an elevator were added, and the theater also received new lights, sound systems, and dressing rooms and a restored interior. By late 1983 and early 1984, the Apollo was expected to open in late 1984. To advertise the Apollo's return, Sutton briefly reopened

1660-485: A profit; the other, according to an analysis of contemporary newspaper reports, was the 1932 Summer Olympics , also held in Los Angeles. Racial tensions erupted on April 29, 1992, with the acquittal by a Simi Valley jury of four Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers captured on videotape beating Rodney King , culminating in large-scale riots . In 1994, the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake shook

1826-747: A series of dance successes, including his signature song "Conquistadors" from his 1960s Impulse album El Chico , and the Brazilian-influenced song "Strut" from his 1980 Elektra album, Nomad . In 2002, a track titled "For Mods Only" from his 1966 Impulse! Records album The Dealer , was included on the Thievery Corporation 's Sounds from the Verve Hi-Fi . In 2006, Rong Music released the 12-inch vinyl Kerry's Caravan by Mudd and Hamilton, with remixes from Ray Mang. Several remixes of Hamilton's recordings were released in

SECTION 10

#1732793009962

1992-507: A single type, where industrial uses were prohibited. The proscriptions included barns, lumber yards, and any industrial land use employing machine-powered equipment. These laws were enforced against industrial properties after the fact. These prohibitions were in addition to existing activities that were already regulated as nuisances. These included explosives warehousing, gas works, oil drilling, slaughterhouses, and tanneries . Los Angeles City Council also designated seven industrial zones within

2158-474: A small speaking role in a scene with Tony Curtis ) in 1957 and one including Eric Dolphy appeared in the film Jazz on a Summer's Day (1960), set at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival . Hamilton revamped his group in 1961 with Charles Lloyd , Gábor Szabó , George Bohanon and Albert Stinson , playing what has been described as chamber jazz , with "a moderate avant-gardism ." The group recorded for Columbia , Reprise and Impulse Records and also recorded

2324-504: A three-story commercial structure at 253 to 259 West 125th Street, with a 2,500-seat burlesque theater in the rear, at 240 to 260 West 126th Street. Hurtig and Seamon , who had been leasing the nearby Harlem Music Hall, wanted a larger venue to accommodate the burlesque productions of the Columbia Amusement Company , which they had joined, and were set to lease the theater for 30 years for a total of $ 1.375 million;

2490-407: A wide variety of genres on different evenings: for example, the Apollo hosted jazz and rock on Friday and Saturday nights, gospel on Sunday mornings, and Amateur Nights on Wednesday nights. The revived theater also had a mixed-race dance company, which according to Sutton was intended to "send a message that everyone is welcome here". By October 1985, the theater had closed temporarily to accommodate

2656-511: A young patron was killed at the theater later the same year. The Apollo was used exclusively for movies and gospel shows in the mid-1970s and was closed in January 1976. The theater had faulty stage equipment and deteriorating facilities, and many of the Apollo's onetime headliners refused to perform there. More obscure acts did not draw large enough crowds to make a profit, and the Apollo had closed by 1977. Robert Schiffman considered replacing

2822-438: Is Mount San Antonio , locally known as Mount Baldy, which reaches 10,064 feet (3,068 m). Further afield, the highest point in southern California is San Gorgonio Mountain , 81 miles (130 km) east of downtown Los Angeles, with a height of 11,503 feet (3,506 m). The Los Angeles River , which is largely seasonal, is the primary drainage channel . It was straightened and lined in 51 miles (82 km) of concrete by

2988-722: Is a common problem in this population. Although Serieys et al. 2014 find selection of immune genetics at several loci they do not demonstrate that this produces a real difference which helps the bobcats to survive future mange outbreaks . Los Angeles is subject to earthquakes because of its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire . The geologic instability has produced numerous faults , which cause approximately 10,000 earthquakes annually in Southern California, though most of them are too small to be felt. The strike-slip San Andreas Fault system, which sits at

3154-633: Is a wall of signatures in the dressing room. The Apollo's historian Billy Mitchell said in 2012, "Anyone who's been to or performed at the Apollo in the last 20 years has their name on the wall—from Pee-wee Herman to the president of the United States". A production studio for TV broadcasts and video productions was constructed on top of an adjacent wing during the 1980s. The studio is variously cited as covering 3,500 square feet (330 m ), 3,800 square feet (350 m ), or 4,000 square feet (370 m ). It could record 24 tracks at once and

3320-452: Is complicated by rugged terrain, which has necessitated having different grids for each of the valleys that Los Angeles covers. Major streets are designed to move large volumes of traffic through many parts of the city, many of which are extremely long; Sepulveda Boulevard is 43 miles (69 km) long, while Foothill Boulevard is over 60 miles (97 km) long, reaching as far east as San Bernardino. Drivers in Los Angeles suffer from one of

3486-437: Is divided into many different districts and neighborhoods, some of which had been separately incorporated cities that eventually merged with Los Angeles. These neighborhoods were developed piecemeal, and are well-defined enough that the city has signage which marks nearly all of them. The city's street patterns generally follow a grid plan , with uniform block lengths and occasional roads that cut across blocks. However, this

SECTION 20

#1732793009962

3652-502: Is expected to continue to drop in the coming years because of aggressive steps to reduce it, which include electric and hybrid cars, improvements in mass transit , and other measures. The number of Stage 1 smog alerts in Los Angeles has declined from over 100 per year in the 1970s to almost zero in the new millennium. Despite improvement, the 2006 and 2007 annual reports of the American Lung Association ranked

3818-562: Is located at 253 West 125th Street , between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard (Seventh Avenue) and Frederick Douglass Boulevard (Eighth Avenue), in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City . The irregular land lot has frontage on both 125th Street to the south and 126th Street to the north. The site covers 17,454 sq ft (1,621.5 m ), with a frontage of 50 ft (15 m) on 125th Street and

3984-488: Is rich in native plant species partly because of its diversity of habitats, including beaches, wetlands , and mountains. The most prevalent plant communities are coastal sage scrub , chaparral shrubland, and riparian woodland . Native plants include: the California poppy , matilija poppy , toyon , Ceanothus , Chamise , Coast Live Oak , sycamore , willow and Giant Wildrye . Many of these native species, such as

4150-423: Is slightly coved at its edge. At the center of the ceiling is a semicircular dome with a medallion surrounded by a molding of cornucopia . The theater was mechanically advanced for its time, with a ventilation system to remove cigarette smoke, as well as electric lights. The ventilation system was rebuilt when the theater was renovated in the 1980s, and lighting trusses were added at that time. In addition to

4316-422: Is the county seat of Los Angeles County , which is the most populous county in the United States with an estimated 9.86 million residents as of 2022 . It is the third-most visited city in the U.S. with over 2.7 million visitors as of 2023. The area that became Los Angeles was originally inhabited by the indigenous Tongva people and later claimed by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo for Spain in 1542. The city

4482-514: Is the home of the TV show Showtime at the Apollo . The theater, which has approximately 1,500 seats across three levels, was designed by George Keister with elements of the neoclassical style . The facade and interior of the theater are New York City designated landmarks and are listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation (ATF) operates

4648-413: The 1916 New York City Zoning Ordinance did. Second, the residential zones did not distinguish types of housing; they treated apartments, hotels, and detached-single-family housing equally. In 1910, Hollywood merged into Los Angeles, with 10 movie companies already operating in the city at the time. By 1921, more than 80 percent of the world's film industry was concentrated in L.A. The money generated by

4814-868: The Army Corps of Engineers to act as a flood control channel. The river begins in the Canoga Park district of the city, flows east from the San Fernando Valley along the north edge of the Santa Monica Mountains, and turns south through the city center, flowing to its mouth in the Port of Long Beach at the Pacific Ocean. The smaller Ballona Creek flows into the Santa Monica Bay at Playa del Rey . Los Angeles

4980-529: The COVID-19 pandemic , Los Angeles is still one of the largest hubs of American film production , the world's largest by revenue; the city is an important site in the history of film . It also has one of the busiest container ports in the Americas. In 2018, the Los Angeles metropolitan area had a gross metropolitan product of over $ 1.0 trillion, making it the city with the third-largest GDP in

5146-485: The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, allowing black entertainers to perform in nightclubs and hotels. The Apollo was smaller than similar venues; the neighborhood's economy was in decline; and the Apollo was not near other popular venues. Other issues included a perception of rising crime and a lack of parking. The theater's production manager, Charles Coles , said in 1967 that white audiences avoided

Chico Hamilton - Misplaced Pages Continue

5312-547: The Hillside Stranglers murder cases in 1977–1978. In early 1984, the city surpassed Chicago in population, thus becoming the second largest city in the United States. In 1984, the city hosted the Summer Olympic Games for the second time . Despite being boycotted by 14 Communist countries , the 1984 Olympics became more financially successful than any previous, and the second Olympics to turn

5478-487: The Los Angeles sunflower , have become so rare as to be considered endangered. Mexican Fan Palms , Canary Island Palms , Queen Palms , Date Palms , and California Fan Palms are common in the Los Angeles area, although only the last is native to California, though still not native to the City of Los Angeles. Los Angeles has a number of official flora: The city has an urban population of bobcats ( Lynx rufus ). Mange

5644-593: The Mission San Gabriel Arcángel , the first mission in the area. On September 4, 1781, a group of 44 settlers known as " Los Pobladores " founded the pueblo (town) they called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles , 'The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels';. The present-day city has the largest Roman Catholic archdiocese in the United States. Two-thirds of

5810-669: The Mutual Burlesque Association . Following Hurtig's death in early 1928, Hurtig & Seamon's New Theater was leased that May to the Minsky brothers and their partner, Joseph Weinstock, who had been staging burlesque shows at a small theater above the Harlem Opera House named the Apollo. Seamon, along with I. H. Herk , retained an interest in the New Theater. As part of the agreement,

5976-817: The New School University Jazz and Contemporary Music Programs' Beacons in Jazz Award in recognition for his "significant contribution to the evolution of Jazz". In 2002, he was awarded the WLIU-FM Radio Lifetime Achievement Award. At the IAJE in NYC January 2004, he was awarded a NEA Jazz Master Fellowship . In December 2006, Congress confirmed the nomination of Hamilton to the President's Council on

6142-577: The Spanish Empire in 1542, while on an official military exploring expedition, as he was moving northward along the Pacific coast from earlier colonizing bases of New Spain in Central and South America. Gaspar de Portolà and Franciscan missionary Juan Crespí reached the present site of Los Angeles on August 2, 1769. In 1771, Franciscan friar Junípero Serra directed the building of

6308-471: The U.S. state of California . With an estimated 3,820,914 residents within the city limits as of 2023 , it is the second-most populous city in the United States, behind only New York City ; it is also the commercial, financial and cultural center of Southern California . Los Angeles has an ethnically and culturally diverse population, and is the principal city of a metropolitan area of 12.8 million people (2023). Greater Los Angeles , which includes

6474-557: The Waldorf Astoria New York and Copacabana had started allowing black performers. Even so, many popular black artists such as Eartha Kitt and Sammy Davis Jr. regularly returned for "the folks who can't make it downtown". Robert Schiffman took over the theater's management in 1960 or 1961. He kept prices low to cater to the local community, and he tried to attract up-and-coming talent by talking with local DJs and listening to music at nearby bars. The 1960s saw

6640-470: The neoclassical style. It was one of several theaters that Keister designed in that style, along with the Belasco Theatre , Bronx Opera House , Selwyn Theater , and Earl Carroll Theatre . The theater's main facade is on the south, toward 125th Street, and is three stories high. The ground floor has been renovated several times and consists of a ticket office to the west and a storefront to

6806-499: The pueblo (town) they called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles , 'The Town of Our Lady the Queen of the Angels'. The original name of the settlement is disputed; the Guinness Book of World Records rendered it as "El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles del Río Porciúncula "; other sources have shortened or alternate versions of the longer name. The local English pronunciation of

Chico Hamilton - Misplaced Pages Continue

6972-577: The siege of Los Angeles where 150 Mexican militias fought the occupiers which eventually surrendered. Mexican rule ended during following the American Conquest of California , part of the larger Mexican-American War . Americans took control from the Californios after a series of battles, culminating with the signing of the Treaty of Cahuenga on January 13, 1847. The Mexican Cession

7138-563: The soundtrack for the industrial film Litho in 1962, the first American film to be shown behind the Iron Curtain . Hamilton formed a commercial and film production company in 1965, and went on to score the feature films Repulsion (1965), Mr. Ricco (1975), Coonskin (1975), By Design (1982), the television programs Portrait of Willie Mays and Gerald McBoing-Boing , and scored hundreds of commercials for TV and radio. In 1986 Hamilton formed his sextet Chico Hamilton and

7304-671: The 1930s, / l ɔː s ˈ æ n dʒ əl ə s / has been most common. In 1934, the United States Board on Geographic Names decreed that this pronunciation be used by the federal government. This was also endorsed in 1952 by a "jury" appointed by Mayor Fletcher Bowron to devise an official pronunciation. Common pronunciations in the United Kingdom include / l ɒ s ˈ æ n dʒ ɪ l iː z , - l ɪ z , - l ɪ s / loss AN -jil-eez, -⁠iz, -⁠iss . Phonetician Jack Windsor Lewis described

7470-430: The 1970s, the Apollo was the only remaining black vaudeville theater in the U.S.; other such theaters had closed because they were attracting fewer entertainers and could not compete with large venues. The Apollo Theater was struggling financially by early 1975, forcing its owners to lay off over 100 staff members. The Apollo had been forced to cut back its schedule of live shows to 20–22 weeks per year, less than half of

7636-467: The 1980s, the second and third floors were being used as storage space and offices, with small rooms on both stories. The third floor also has a sound stage ; to accommodate this use, the windows on that story were covered up in 1985. When the Apollo Theater was developed, the dressing rooms were placed in a separate annex with showers and baths. The dressing rooms are simple in design. There

7802-507: The 20th century, Los Angeles substantially reduced the amount of housing that could be built by drastically downzoning the city. In 1960, the city had a total zoned capacity for approximately 10 million people. By 1990, that capacity had fallen to 4.5 million as a result of policy decisions to ban housing through zoning. Racial tensions led to the Watts riots in 1965, resulting in 34 deaths and over 1,000 injuries. In 1969, California became

7968-731: The 45–50 weeks that the theater had presented in its peak. Management could not raise prices, even by a few cents, because that would drive away the local residents who frequented the theater. In addition, the surrounding area was deserted at night; the Apollo could not afford to pay performers at the significantly higher rates that they demanded; and patrons preferred to watch headliners' performances instead of multi-act shows. To raise money, Robert Schiffman wanted to show first runs of films featuring black actors but faced competition from other Manhattan theaters. The Apollo's managers began running for-sale advertisements in several major papers in 1975. The area had also become dangerous; for example,

8134-512: The ATF. Further renovations took place in the mid-2000s, and an expansion of the theater commenced in the 2020s. Among the theater's longest-running events is Amateur Night at the Apollo, a weekly show where audiences judge the quality of novice performances. Many of the theater's most famous performers are inducted in the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame, and the theater has commissioned various works and hosted educational programs. Over

8300-734: The Apollo Film Committee. Three hundred churches with black congregations also donated to the Apollo, and State Assembly member Geraldine L. Daniels asked the Recording Academy to consider hosting the Grammy Awards there. By July 1991, the Apollo Theatre Investor Group was creating a nonprofit to take over the theater's operation. In September 1991, the New York State Urban Development Corporation (UDC) bought

8466-542: The Apollo Theater began to decline in 1930 as Minsky concentrated on his new flagship theater off Times Square, the Republic . The Minskys moved many of their shows from the Irving Place Theatre and Minsky's Brooklyn theater to the Apollo in 1931. For the 1931–1932 season, the theater hosted Columbia burlesque, with two shows per day. After Billy Minsky died in 1932, his younger brother Herbert took over

SECTION 50

#1732793009962

8632-565: The Apollo Theatre Investor Group would have canceled the project entirely. Sutton transferred the theater building and underlying land to the New York state government, as he wished to receive a $ 9 million state grant. He then leased the theater for 99 years. Sutton ultimately obtained $ 10 million from a consortium of lenders. The renovation experienced more delays, and a construction management firm incurred nearly $ 800,000 in charges before work had even started. The renovated theater included

8798-429: The Apollo and assigned its operation to the nonprofit Apollo Theater Foundation (ATF). As part of the deal, Manufacturers Hanover agreed to forgive $ 2.9 million in unpaid mortgage payments. In addition, the state UDC agreed to restructure a $ 7.67 million grant, although it was unwilling to forgive the entire debt, which totaled $ 11.4 million. Performers such as Natalie Cole continued to host shows to raise money for

8964-411: The Apollo because of the 1964 riots and the rise of race-integrated venues. The Apollo continued to decline through the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Schiffman family was looking to sell the Apollo to black entrepreneurs in the 1960s, having rejected several purchase offers from white theatrical operators. There was also growing support for grassroots performances at the theater. During that time,

9130-473: The Apollo closed temporarily that May and remained dark for seven months. The theater began hosting burlesque again in December 1933, with two midday shows in addition to the usual evening show. By then, however, newly elected mayor Fiorello La Guardia had begun to crack down on burlesque theaters citywide. Sidney Cohen, who owned other theaters in the area, took over the theater in January 1934. At

9296-426: The Apollo continued to host variety shows every night and was often sold out during weekends; many of these live acts were accompanied by films. In 1972, a group of investors led by New York Amsterdam News editor Clarence B. Jones expressed interest in buying the theater, but the deal was canceled when interest rates increased sharply. As late as 1973, it had between 42 and 45 weeks of live shows annually, and

9462-532: The Apollo's headliners earned as much as $ 50,000 per week. The theater had pivoted away from staging comedy and drama and were instead mostly presenting recording groups. Frank Schiffman recalled that the theater's audience at the time was predominantly black and largely consisted of local residents. Although the Apollo did host some successful shows between 1970 and 1974, the theater's offerings dropped sharply afterward; Herb Boyd wrote in 2009 that "Apollo lovers had to resort to memories rather than performances". By

9628-399: The Apollo, and he intended to host and broadcast live shows from the theater. The Apollo Entertainment TV Network was formed in mid-1982 to broadcast programs from the theater's studios. The Harlem Urban Development Corporation (HUDC) announced a $ 1 million grant for the theater in May 1982. The original reopening date of July 1982 was postponed due to the complexity of the project, and

9794-475: The Apollo. Sutton remained involved with the theater as an unpaid consultant, and Inner City provided $ 500,000 per year in radio advertising for the Apollo. In addition, Inner City Theater Group licensed the Apollo's name and the rights to use the theater for five years. The ATF took over the theater in September 1992. A plaque, celebrating the Apollo's listing on the National Register of Historic Places ,

9960-538: The Apollo. The ATF also created a public museum and held events to pay for maintenance. The revitalization of the Apollo Theater led to increased pedestrian traffic along West 125th Street, while the theater itself had 12 events per month, attracting 17,000 guests. Grace Blake became the ATF's director in 1996. The next year, the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corporation allocated funding for

10126-529: The Arts. In 2007, he received a Living Legend Jazz Award as part of The Kennedy Center 's Jazz in Our Time Festival, as well as being awarded a Doctor of Fine Arts from The New School . In 2006, Hamilton released Joyous Shout! in celebration of his 85th birthday. In 2007, he released Hamiltonia , sampling his original compositions from the four albums released in 2006. Over the years, Hamilton had

SECTION 60

#1732793009962

10292-507: The City of Los Angeles from selling or providing water from the aqueduct to any area outside its borders, many adjacent cities and communities felt compelled to join Los Angeles. Los Angeles created the first municipal zoning ordinance in the United States. On September 14, 1908, the Los Angeles City Council promulgated residential and industrial land use zones. The new ordinance established three residential zones of

10458-620: The Harlem Music Hall at 209 West 125th Street in 1897. Hurtig and Seamon produced several shows starring black superstars Bert Williams and George Walker between 1898 and 1905. The Music Hall was converted to burlesque c. 1911. C. J. Stumpf & H. J. Langhoff of Milwaukee , Wisconsin, acquired land on 125th and 126th Street from the Cromwell estate and Lit family around 1911 or 1912. They announced plans in June 1912 for

10624-671: The Los Angeles and Riverside–San Bernardino metropolitan areas, is a sprawling metropolis of over 18.3 million residents. The majority of the city proper lies in a basin in Southern California adjacent to the Pacific Ocean in the west and extending partly through the Santa Monica Mountains and north into the San Fernando Valley , with the city bordering the San Gabriel Valley to its east. It covers about 469 square miles (1,210 km ), and

10790-688: The Los Angeles area include the 1933 Long Beach , 1971 San Fernando , 1987 Whittier Narrows , and the 1994 Northridge events. All but a few are of low intensity and are not felt. The USGS has released the UCERF California earthquake forecast , which models earthquake occurrence in California. Parts of the city are also vulnerable to tsunamis ; harbor areas were damaged by waves from Aleutian Islands earthquake in 1946, Valdivia earthquake in 1960, Alaska earthquake in 1964, Chile earthquake in 2010 and Japan earthquake in 2011. The city

10956-502: The Los Angeles area was the headquarters of six of the country's major aircraft manufacturers ( Douglas Aircraft Company , Hughes Aircraft , Lockheed , North American Aviation , Northrop Corporation , and Vultee ). During the war, more aircraft were produced in one year than in all the pre-war years since the Wright brothers flew the first airplane in 1903, combined. Manufacturing in Los Angeles skyrocketed, and as William S. Knudsen , of

11122-685: The Los Angeles/Long Beach port complex, Los Angeles suffers from air pollution in the form of smog. The Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley are susceptible to atmospheric inversion , which holds in the exhausts from road vehicles, airplanes, locomotives, shipping, manufacturing, and other sources. The smog season lasts from approximately May to October. While other large cities rely on rain to clear smog, Los Angeles gets only 15 inches (380 mm) of rain each year: pollution accumulates over many consecutive days. Issues of air quality in Los Angeles and other major cities led to

11288-545: The Manufacturers Hanover Corporation agreed to waive further loan payments for six months. Sutton considered transferring the theater's operation to a new nonprofit organization, which would cost him $ 6 million. He asked entertainers such as Bill Cosby to perform at the Apollo to raise money, A network TV special, benefit performances, and film screenings were organized to raise money, and numerous celebrities formed an organization called Save

11454-489: The Mexican or ( New Spain ) settlers were mestizo or mulatto , a mixture of African, indigenous and European ancestry. The settlement remained a small ranch town for decades, but by 1820, the population had increased to about 650 residents. Today, the pueblo is commemorated in the historic district of Los Angeles Pueblo Plaza and Olvera Street , the oldest part of Los Angeles. New Spain achieved its independence from

11620-523: The National Defense Advisory Commission put it, "We won because we smothered the enemy in an avalanche of production, the like of which he had never seen, nor dreamed possible." After the end of World War II Los Angeles grew more rapidly than ever, sprawling into the San Fernando Valley . The expansion of the state owned Interstate Highway System during the 1950s and 1960s helped propel suburban growth and signaled

11786-508: The New Theater was renamed Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo, and the Harlem Opera House and the former Apollo within it were restricted from staging burlesque, vaudeville, musical comedy, or "tab shows" as long as Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo staged burlesque. In exchange, the latter theater could not show movies. Hurtig & Seamon's Apollo reopened in August 1928 after the Minskys renovated

11952-696: The San Fernando Valley. Other hilly parts of Los Angeles include the Mt. Washington area north of Downtown, eastern parts such as Boyle Heights , the Crenshaw district around the Baldwin Hills , and the San Pedro district. Surrounding the city are much higher mountains. Immediately to the north lie the San Gabriel Mountains , which is a popular recreation area for Angelenos. Its high point

12118-527: The Southern Californian coast, is subject to a late spring/early summer weather phenomenon called " June Gloom ". This involves overcast or foggy skies in the morning that yield to sun by early afternoon. More recently, statewide droughts in California have further strained the city's water security . Downtown Los Angeles averages 14.67 in (373 mm) of precipitation annually, mainly occurring between November and March, generally in

12284-475: The Spanish Empire in 1821, and the pueblo now existed within the new Mexican Republic . During Mexican rule, Governor Pío Pico made Los Angeles the regional capital of Alta California . By this time, the new republic introduced more secularization acts within the Los Angeles region. In 1846, during the wider Mexican-American war , marines from the United States occupied the pueblo. This resulted in

12450-732: The Young Alto's featuring Kenneth Lampl , Eric Person and Marc Bernstein. The group performed at the 1986 JVC Jazz Festival, the Apollo Theater , and Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts . In 2001, Hamilton released Foreststorn featuring Euphoria with Cary DeNigris on guitar, Paul Ramsey on bass, Eric Lawrence on alto and soprano saxes and Evan Schwam on tenor sax, alongside notable guests. In August of that year, he performed My Funny Valentine: A Tribute to Chico Hamilton at Lincoln Center . In 1997, Hamilton received

12616-438: The arches contain classical motifs, and the boxes have varying amounts of decorations. The proscenium arch has a surround with colonnettes on either side of the arch and a molded band and entablature running atop it. The surround and entablature both contain decorative plaster motifs. Above the boxes and the proscenium arch is a cornice with large dentils, as well as a plaster frieze decorated with foliate motifs. The ceiling

12782-532: The backing group supporting Fred Astaire . Hamilton also performed on the soundtrack of the Bing Crosby and Bob Hope film Road to Bali (1952). He recorded his first album as leader in 1955 with George Duvivier ( double bass ) and Howard Roberts ( guitar ) for Pacific Jazz . In the same year Hamilton formed an unusual quintet in Los Angeles, featuring cello , flute/saxes/clarinet, guitar , bass and drums . The quintet has been described as one of

12948-769: The birthplace of the Internet, as the first ARPANET transmission was sent from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) to the Stanford Research Institute in Menlo Park . In 1973, Tom Bradley was elected as the city's first African American mayor, serving for five terms until retiring in 1993. Other events in the city during the 1970s included the Symbionese Liberation Army 's South Central standoff in 1974 and

13114-632: The boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate , passes through the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The segment of the fault passing through Southern California experiences a major earthquake roughly every 110 to 140 years, and seismologists have warned about the next "big one", as the last major earthquake was the 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake . The Los Angeles basin and metropolitan area are also at risk from blind thrust earthquakes . Major earthquakes that have hit

13280-428: The boundary of a Mediterranean climate ( Köppen : Csb on the coast, Csa otherwise). Daytime temperatures are generally temperate all year round. In winter, they average around 68 °F (20 °C). Autumn months tend to be hot, with major heat waves a common occurrence in September and October, while the spring months tend to be cooler and experience more precipitation. Los Angeles has plenty of sunshine throughout

13446-429: The chorus girls were no longer employed at the theater by the late 1930s. The New York Amsterdam News described the Apollo in 1939 as "the only theatre in the country where Negro performers are predominantly featured", at a time when many other venues still did not allow black performers. The Apollo temporarily closed in mid-1940 for upgrades, reopening that September. The theater began showing musical comedies for

13612-404: The city as the most polluted in the country with short-term particle pollution and year-round particle pollution. In 2008, the city was ranked the second most polluted and again had the highest year-round particulate pollution. The city met its goal of providing 20 percent of the city's power from renewable sources in 2010. The American Lung Association's 2013 survey ranks the metro area as having

13778-537: The city is 342 miles (550 km). Los Angeles is both flat and hilly. The highest point in the city proper is Mount Lukens at 5,074 ft (1,547 m), located in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains at the north extent of the Crescenta Valley . The eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains stretches from Downtown to the Pacific Ocean and separates the Los Angeles Basin from

13944-560: The city, causing $ 12.5 billion in damage and 72 deaths. The century ended with the Rampart scandal , one of the most extensive documented cases of police misconduct in American history. In 2002, Mayor James Hahn led the campaign against secession, resulting in voters defeating efforts by the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood to secede from the city. In 2022 , Karen Bass became the city's first female mayor , making Los Angeles

14110-497: The city. However, between 1908 and 1915, the Los Angeles City Council created various exceptions to the broad proscriptions that applied to these three residential zones, and as a consequence, some industrial uses emerged within them. There are two differences between the 1908 Residence District Ordinance and later zoning laws in the United States. First, the 1908 laws did not establish a comprehensive zoning map as

14276-476: The construction of the recording studio; the New York Amsterdam News reported two months later that the work would last until late 1986. Showtime at the Apollo , a TV series showcasing Amateur Night performers, was launched in 1987. The facilities were not all complete until mid-1988, and the renovation ended up costing $ 20 million. Sutton's lenders allowed him to defer payments on

14442-480: The country's largest oil producer, accounting for about one-quarter of the world's petroleum output. By 1900, the population had grown to more than 102,000, putting pressure on the city's water supply . The completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, under the supervision of William Mulholland , ensured the continued growth of the city. Because of clauses in the city's charter that prevented

14608-477: The demise of the city's privately owned electrified rail system , once the world's largest. As a consequence of World War II, suburban growth, and population density, many amusement parks were built and operated in this area. An example is Beverly Park , which was located at the corner of Beverly Boulevard and La Cienega before being closed and substituted by the Beverly Center . In the second half of

14774-426: The development of row houses, apartments, and the city's first subway line . By the early 20th century the neighborhood had several vaudeville , burlesque , film , and legitimate theaters centered around 125th Street and Seventh Avenue , which led to the corridor being known as "Harlem's 42nd Street". Among the operators of these early theaters were theatrical producers Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon, who leased

14940-453: The difference between the average daily low and the average daily high is over 30 °F (17 °C). The average annual temperature of the sea is 63 °F (17 °C), from 58 °F (14 °C) in January to 68 °F (20 °C) in August. Hours of sunshine total more than 3,000 per year, from an average of 7 hours of sunshine per day in December to an average of 12 in July. Due to

15106-403: The east. The modern design of the ground floor dates to a renovation completed in 2005. The eastern side of the ground floor contains a glass-and-steel storefront, with monitors installed in place of the original display cases. The modern-day box office is a semicircular steel structure that protrudes outward. The second and third stories are made of white glazed terracotta, which dates from

15272-524: The era of Spanish colonization). The historic center of Tongva power in the region was the settlement of Yaanga ( Tongva : Iyáangẚ ), meaning "place of the poison oak ", which would one day be the site where the Spanish founded the Pueblo de Los Ángeles . Iyáangẚ has also been translated as "the valley of smoke". Maritime explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo claimed the area of southern California for

15438-471: The existing theater with a new 3,000-seat venue, and there were also calls to renovate the Apollo or to merge it with the Victoria Theater. During the Apollo's closure, the already-dilapidated seats and decorations continued to decay, and burst water pipes destroyed the stage. Robert Schiffman sold the Apollo in early 1978 to a group of black businessmen, who became the first black owners of

15604-427: The first and second balconies of the auditorium. The space is illuminated by four grand chandeliers. There is a gift shop near the entrance. As of 2023 , a cafe is planned to be built within the lobby; it is expected to open in 2025. The auditorium is at the north end of the building and is rectangular in plan, with curved walls, a domed ceiling, and two balcony levels over the orchestra level. The Apollo Theater

15770-421: The first balcony are square columns supporting the second balcony. The second balcony was described by author James V. Hatch as "the bird's nest", since audiences in the second balcony could see the entire theater. On either side of the proscenium are two boxes each on the first and second balcony levels, which are accessed by their own staircases and are housed within round-arched openings. The spandrels above

15936-462: The first time in February 1941. Jazz performances and bebop at the Apollo were popular in the 1940s, and gospel was hosted sporadically. The Apollo appealed to mixed-race audiences in the 1940s; on Sundays, as much as four-fifths of the audience were white. During World War II, the theater offered 35 free tickets to members of the U.S. armed forces, and entertainers at the Apollo performed at

16102-407: The form of moderate rain showers, but sometimes as heavy rainfall during winter storms. Rainfall is usually higher in the hills and coastal slopes of the mountains because of orographic uplift. Summer days are usually rainless. Rarely, an incursion of moist air from the south or east can bring brief thunderstorms in late summer, especially to the mountains. The coast gets slightly less rainfall, while

16268-443: The foundation's board of directors of mismanagement and sued the six black members of the 10-member board, including chairman Charles Rangel . Vacco also unsuccessfully requested that New York Supreme Court justice Ira Gammerman place the theater into receivership. Rangel and Sutton denied Vacco's accusations, and Vacco's successor Eliot Spitzer calculated that Inner City owed the ATF only $ 1 million. By early 1999, Time Warner

16434-565: The industry kept the city insulated from much of the economic loss suffered by the rest of the country during the Great Depression . By 1930, the population surpassed one million. In 1932, the city hosted the Summer Olympics . During World War II Los Angeles was a major center of wartime manufacturing, such as shipbuilding and aircraft. Calship built hundreds of Liberty Ships and Victory Ships on Terminal Island, and

16600-521: The inland and mountain areas get considerably more. Years of average rainfall are rare. The usual pattern is a year-to-year variability, with a short string of dry years of 5–10 in (130–250 mm) rainfall, followed by one or two wet years with more than 20 in (510 mm). Wet years are usually associated with warm water El Niño conditions in the Pacific, dry years with cooler water La Niña episodes. A series of rainy days can bring floods to

16766-575: The largest U.S. city to have ever had a woman as mayor. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games , making Los Angeles the third city to host the Olympics three times. The city of Los Angeles covers a total area of 502.7 square miles (1,302 km ), comprising 468.7 square miles (1,214 km ) of land and 34.0 square miles (88 km ) of water. The city extends for 44 miles (71 km) from north to south and for 29 miles (47 km) from east to west. The perimeter of

16932-433: The last important West Coast jazz bands. The original personnel included flutist/saxophonist/clarinetist Buddy Collette , guitarist Jim Hall , cellist Fred Katz and bassist Jim Aton , who was later replaced by Carson Smith . Hamilton continued to tour, using different personnel, from 1957 to 1960. A version of the quintet including flutist Paul Horn was featured in the film Sweet Smell of Success (in which he has

17098-501: The late 2000s. He released Twelve Tones of Love on Joyous Shout! in 2009. In March 2011, he had a long recording session, resulting in 28 new tracks with his Euphoria group. Following a health setback in 2010, he and the group began weekly rehearsals at Hamilton's Penthouse A; which brought together the material which would comprise Revelation , an 11-track CD, released in 2011. For the Dutch Radio Westerwolde he made

17264-478: The loans until 1992 while he tried to make a profit. To raise money, Sutton sold recordings of shows on a pay-per-view basis and tried to create syndicated TV programs at the theater. He also planned to earn money from Showtime at the Apollo , the Apollo Theater Records label, and licensing agreements, but the theater remained unprofitable. Advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi signed

17430-611: The lobby, repainted the auditorium, and extended the runway at orchestra level. Variety magazine reported that Walter Reade had leased the new Apollo for 16 + 1 ⁄ 2 years, but Billy Minsky bought out Seamon's lease the next month and continued to operate the theater. Initially, the theater still presented shows from the Mutual Circuit, which Herk headed. Performers typically mingled with audience members and performed for longer durations than under Hurtig & Seamon's tenure. Minsky and Herk split in mid-1929, but

17596-490: The lowest is 28 °F (−2 °C), on January 4, 1949. Within the City of Los Angeles, the highest temperature ever officially recorded is 121 °F (49 °C), on September 6, 2020, at the weather station at Pierce College in the San Fernando Valley neighborhood of Woodland Hills . During autumn and winter, Santa Ana winds sometimes bring much warmer and drier conditions to Los Angeles, and raise wildfire risk. Owing to geography, heavy reliance on automobiles, and

17762-505: The lowlands and mudslides to the hills, especially after wildfires have denuded the slopes. Both freezing temperatures and snowfall are extremely rare in the city basin and along the coast, with the last occurrence of a 32 °F (0 °C) reading at the downtown station being January 29, 1979; freezing temperatures occur nearly every year in valley locations while the mountains within city limits typically receive snowfall every winter. The greatest snowfall recorded in downtown Los Angeles

17928-431: The main auditorium, the ground floor had a store to the east of the lobby. There originally was a cafe and cabaret in the basement, which served as a rehearsal space and was converted into a staff recreation room in the 1940s. In addition, there were a ladies' parlor and men's smoking room, which were enlarged in the 1940s. The second story originally had a dining room, while the third story had meeting rooms and lofts. By

18094-473: The mid-1980s renovation. The main lobby is a long and narrow space; some observers, including Jack Schiffman, have likened it to a bowling alley. The space was modified significantly in the 1930s and again in the 1960s, and the lobby was enlarged in the late 1970s. Following another renovation in 2006, the Tree of Hope , a stump that performers rubbed for good luck, was moved to the lobby. The lobby occupies

18260-551: The middle of that decade, and Hurtig & Seamon also planned to produce shows with all-black casts. The theater building was sold in August 1925 to the Benenson Realty Company, though Hurtig & Seamon continued to operate the theater. That year, the theater's orchestra was expanded, and a runway was introduced. As Columbia burlesque withered in 1926, Hurtig & Seamon elected to present stock burlesque in 1927, then, later that year, switched allegiance to

18426-530: The most common one, / l ɒ s ˈ æ n dʒ ɪ l iː z / , as a spelling pronunciation based on analogy to Greek words ending in -‍es , "reflecting a time when the classics were familiar if Spanish was not". The settlement of Indigenous Californians in the modern Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley was dominated by the Tongva (now also known as the Gabrieleño since

18592-546: The mountainous terrain of the surrounding region, the Los Angeles area contains a large number of distinct microclimates , causing extreme variations in temperature in close physical proximity to each other. For example, the average July maximum temperature at the Santa Monica Pier is 70 °F (21 °C) whereas it is 95 °F (35 °C) in Canoga Park, 15 miles (24 km) away. The city, like much of

18758-614: The name of the city has varied over time. A 1953 article in the journal of the American Name Society asserts that the pronunciation / l ɔː s ˈ æ n dʒ əl ə s / lawss AN -jəl-əs was established following the 1850 incorporation of the city and that since the 1880s the pronunciation / l oʊ s ˈ æ ŋ ɡ əl ə s / lohss ANG -gəl-əs emerged from a trend in California to give places Spanish, or Spanish-sounding, names and pronunciations. In 1908, librarian Charles Fletcher Lummis , who argued for

18924-399: The name of the entertainer who were performing that night. Jack Schiffman, the son of former theater owner Frank Schiffman, recalled that the marquee also displayed various additional signs or movie posters. A vertical sign with the name "Apollo" was erected near the western end of the facade in the 1940s. A modern marquee with LEDs , resembling the original marquee, was installed in 2005. At

19090-483: The name's pronunciation with a hard g ( / ɡ / ), reported that there were at least 12 pronunciation variants. In the early 1900s, the Los Angeles Times advocated for pronouncing it Loce AHNG-hayl-ais ( / l oʊ s ˈ ɑː ŋ h eɪ l eɪ s / ), approximating Spanish [los ˈaŋxeles] , by printing the respelling under its masthead for several years. This did not find favor. Since

19256-478: The nation's worst smog, and fourth in both short-term and year-round pollution amounts. Apollo Theater The Apollo Theater (formerly the Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre ; also Apollo Theatre or 125th Street Apollo Theatre ) is a multi-use theater at 253 West 125th Street in the Harlem neighborhood of Upper Manhattan in New York City . It is a popular venue for black American performers and

19422-438: The nearby Harlem Defense Recreation Center on Tuesday nights. Schiffman closed the theater temporarily for renovations in August 1945. The project cost $ 45,000 and entailed new sound systems, a remodeled orchestra pit, women's and men's lounges, a staff recreation room, and modifications to decorations. After World War II, the theater occasionally staged a chorus line with six acts. By 1946, Schiffman had announced plans to widen

19588-465: The orchestra level support the first balcony; the lower parts of the columns are devoid of ornamentation. The orchestra is raked , sloping down toward an orchestra pit in front of the stage. The front walls of the auditorium flank a flat proscenium opening in the center. The balconies are also raked and contain similar scagliola decorations to the orchestra level. The balconies' fronts have brass handrails and are decorated with plasterwork motifs. At

19754-514: The passage of early national environmental legislation, including the Clean Air Act . When the act was passed, California was unable to create a State Implementation Plan that would enable it to meet the new air quality standards, largely because of the level of pollution in Los Angeles generated by older vehicles. More recently, the state of California has led the nation in working to limit pollution by mandating low-emission vehicles . Smog

19920-469: The remaining 19 percent of the group. According to Sutton, the purchase price was "the cheapest part of bringing the Apollo back", since the theater needed extensive renovations. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission (LPC) started to consider designating the Apollo Theater as a city landmark in early 1982, and it hosted hearings for the theater's landmark status during the middle of that year. That July, state officials also proposed listing

20086-585: The rest of the $ 6.8 million cost by themselves. The Suttons announced in December 1982 that they would withdraw from the project after the New York State Mortgage Agency rejected the Suttons' request for insurance assistance. Despite this, mayor Ed Koch expressed optimism that the renovation would continue. The renovation was restarted in May 1983 after the state UDC agreed to give the theater $ 2.5 million; without this funding,

20252-563: The rest of the surrounding landscape. Most construction is done in separate units, rather than wall-to-wall . However, Downtown Los Angeles itself has many buildings over 30 stories, with fourteen over 50 stories, and two over 70 stories, the tallest of which is the Wilshire Grand Center . Los Angeles has a two-season semi-arid climate ( Köppen : BSh ) with dry summers and very mild winters, but it receives more annual precipitation than most semi-arid climates, narrowly missing

20418-480: The rising popularity of R&B at the Apollo, as well as mixed-genre productions. The theater was renovated slightly in 1960, and new sound-amplification equipment and lighting was added in August 1961. During the 1964 Harlem riots, the Apollo temporarily screened movies exclusively due to decreased patronage. The lobby and auditorium were renovated in 1967; the project was conducted almost entirely by black workers and cost $ 50,000. Business began to decline after

20584-461: The same time, the original vertical sign was replaced with the current yellow-and-red blade sign. The theater has an L-shaped plan, with a narrow lobby leading to the main entrance on 125th Street, as well as the auditorium at the rear on 126th Street. Although the interior underwent several modifications in the mid-20th century, many of the 1910s-era decorations remained intact in 1983. The theater's original decorative features were preserved during

20750-487: The seats are divided by two central aisles. As part of a 2024 renovation, the Apollo Theater Foundation planned to add 29 seats on the orchestra level. The rear (western) end of the orchestra contains a standing rail with scagliola . Scagliola decorations, composed of scrolls supporting a triangular pediment , are also placed around the doorways on the rear wall of the orchestra. Fluted columns on

20916-439: The second and third floors each contain a square window and are separated by spandrel panels with shields and fluting. Above the third-story windows are spandrels with Greek fret designs, as well as a metal cornice with modillions . A steel marquee was added above the ground floor in the 1940s; it stretched half the width of the facade and bore the name "Apollo" on its two side elevations. The marquee displayed letters with

21082-567: The show. Because the Apollo did not have wealthy backers, in contrast to venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Metropolitan Opera House , its income depended heavily on the success or failure of each week's show. As a cost-cutting measure, the Apollo paid performers low salaries, to which most up-and-coming performers readily agreed. The Apollo's conversion had occurred at the end of the Harlem Renaissance . It

21248-457: The state government expressed concerns that Sutton could not afford to pay for increasing renovation costs. That September, the U.S. federal government gave a $ 1.5 million Urban Development Action Grant to the city government, which lent the money to the Apollo's operators. The city's Industrial Development Agency also issued $ 2.8 million in bonds to fund the construction of a recording studio. Percy Sutton and his brother Oliver wished to raise

21414-417: The theater also hosted movies during the summer when burlesque was on hiatus, as well as other events such as benefits and fundraisers. A stock burlesque company composed of numerous Broadway performers was established at the theater in 1917. Beginning in 1920, Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre faced competition from the nearby Mount Morris Theatre on 116th Street, which featured shows on the American wheel,

21580-503: The theater and add an air-cooling system when construction materials became available. The theater was sold in 1949 to the Harlem Apollo Realty Corporation, although Schiffman and Brecher continued to operate the Apollo. That year, they began experimenting with staging Broadway -class shows at the Apollo. Schiffman's sons Jack and Robert began working at the theater in the late 1940s and early 1950s. As

21746-517: The theater continued to feature a mixture of stock shows and Mutual shows. Mutual began a decline precipitated by the Depression, and Billy Minsky announced in March 1930 that he would stop presenting Mutual shows. The following month, he started presenting stock shows with both black and white casts. Bessie Smith was among the earliest black entertainers to perform at the Apollo. Burlesque at

21912-687: The theater for several events during its renovation. These included the AUDELCO awards in November 1983, an Amateur Night that December, and a revue in June 1984. Sutton estimated that it cost $ 72,000 just to operate the theater once a month. At the end of 1984, the State Mortgage Agency agreed to insure three-fourths of a $ 2.9 million mortgage that the Manufacturers Hanover Corporation had placed on

22078-424: The theater from 1935 to 1976. A group of black businessmen briefly operated the theater from 1978 to 1979, and former Manhattan borough president Percy Sutton bought it at an auction in 1981. The Apollo reopened in 1985 following a major refurbishment that saw the construction of new recording studios. In September 1991, the New York State Urban Development Corporation bought the Apollo and assigned its operation to

22244-601: The theater itself would cost $ 200,000. Work could not begin until the existing leases on the site expired the following May. Stumpf and Langhoff hired Keister to design the theater, while either Cramp & Company or the Security Construction Company was hired as the general contractor. One local real-estate investor wrote that the theater was to be "the most important new work for the immediate future" on that block of 125th Street. A groundbreaking ceremony occurred in January 1913, at which point it

22410-462: The theater on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) after nonprofit New York Landmarks Conservancy had conducted a report of the theater. The Apollo's facade and interior were designated as New York City landmarks in June 1983. The theater was added to the NRHP in November 1983; the NRHP listing became official in June 1984. Sutton initially intended to spend $ 5.7 million on renovating

22576-539: The theater was closed for upgrades for two weeks every August; a large CinemaScope screen was installed during one such closure in 1955. By the late 1950s, Variety magazine criticized the theater for "allowing some of its actors to carry on with assorted vulgarisms". A typical booking consisted of five or six performances per day for seven days. The Apollo was one of the few remaining venues for black entertainers in Harlem during that time, although other venues such as

22742-510: The theater's opening in 1914. A cornice with dentils runs horizontally across the facade just below the second floor. The second- and third-story windows are arranged vertically into four bays . The bays are separated by three fluted pilasters topped by capitals in the Ionic order , and there is a paneled pilaster with Tuscan capitals outside each of the outermost bays. The capitals of all five pilasters contain anthemia . Within each bay,

22908-606: The theater's operation. That same year, Herk, Herbert Minsky, and Weinstock agreed to showcase Columbia burlesque at the Apollo. Attendance decreased after the Apollo started presenting shows without nudity or stripteases . The theater briefly hosted performances from the Empire Wheel in late 1932, and the Apollo began to stage black vaudeville that year. The Apollo's operators also started serving alcoholic beverages in April 1933. After failing to renew its burlesque license,

23074-458: The theater, as well as two smaller auditoriums at the Victoria Theater and a recording studio at the Apollo. The Apollo was developed by Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon as a burlesque venue, which opened in 1913 and originally served only white patrons. In 1928, the Minsky brothers leased the theater for burlesque shows. Sidney Cohen acquired the theater in 1934, and it became a venue for black performers. Frank Schiffman and his family operated

23240-433: The theater. The new owners included Rich and Elmer T. Morris and Guy Fisher . The group spent $ 250,000 renovating the Apollo, which entailed replacing the sound system, renovating backstage areas, and furnishing the lobby. In addition, the new owners hired David E. McCarthy as the general manager and added reserved seating. The theater reopened on May 6, 1978, with a performance by percussionist Ralph MacDonald that

23406-408: The theater; that bank had provided $ 6 million in total funding. The first phase cost $ 5.5 million in total. Local residents hoped that the Apollo's renovation would spur a revival of the neighboring stretch of 125th Street. The first shows at the refurbished theater were hosted on May 22, 1985. At the time of the rededication, the recording studio was not complete. Sutton had intended to stage

23572-416: The time, many of Harlem's most popular black theaters were clustered around 125th Street. The theater was converted into a performance venue for black entertainers, with an all-black staff. Most vestiges of the former burlesque shows were quickly removed. Unlike the previous burlesque shows, which had been controversial because they verged on nudity, the new programming would be family-friendly. The theater

23738-410: The western half of the ground level frontage on 125th Street; the eastern half of the frontage houses a store. The original main lobby had a group of murals. By the early 1970s, the lobby had been redecorated with a montage of notable entertainers who appeared at the Apollo. There was also a ticket office and box office on one wall of the lobby. The modern-day lobby has two staircases, which lead to

23904-434: The world, after New York and Tokyo . Los Angeles hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984 , and will also host in 2028 . Despite a business exodus from Downtown Los Angeles since the COVID-19 pandemic , the city's urban core is evolving as a cultural center with the world's largest showcase of architecture designed by Frank Gehry . On September 4, 1781, a group of 44 settlers known as " Los Pobladores " founded

24070-635: The worst rush hour periods in the world, according to an annual traffic index by navigation system maker, TomTom . LA drivers spend an additional 92 hours in traffic each year. During the peak rush hour, there is 80% congestion, according to the index. Los Angeles is often characterized by the presence of low-rise buildings, in contrast to New York City. Outside of a few centers such as Downtown , Warner Center , Century City , Koreatown , Miracle Mile , Hollywood, and Westwood , skyscrapers and high-rise buildings are not common in Los Angeles. The few skyscrapers built outside of those areas often stand out above

24236-530: The year, with an average of only 35 days with measurable precipitation annually. Temperatures in the coastal basin exceed 90 °F (32 °C) on a dozen or so days in the year, from one day a month in April, May, June and November to three days a month in July, August, October and to five days in September. Temperatures in the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys are considerably warmer. Temperatures are subject to substantial daily swings; in inland areas

24402-403: The years progressed, variety shows were presented less often. The Apollo started staging rock music concerts when that genre became popular, and the big bands gave way to R&B performances. The theater also began hosting different musical genres such as mambo and gospel. There were often two shows a day if a headliner was performing, and it showed movies at other times. Additionally,

24568-429: The years, the theater has hosted many musical, dance, theatrical, and comedy acts, with several performers often featured on the same bill. In addition, the theater has hosted film screenings, recordings, and tapings, as well as non-performance events such as speeches, debates, and tributes. The Apollo has had a large impact on African-American culture and has been featured in multiple books and shows. The Apollo Theater

24734-447: Was incorporated as a municipality on April 4, 1850, five months before California achieved statehood . The discovery of oil in the 1890s brought rapid growth to the city. The city was further expanded with the completion of the Los Angeles Aqueduct in 1913, which delivers water from Eastern California . Los Angeles has a diverse economy with a broad range of industries. Despite a steep exodus of film and television production since

24900-446: Was 2.0 inches (5 cm) on January 15, 1932. While the most recent snowfall occurred in February 2019, the first snowfall since 1962, with snow falling in areas adjacent to Los Angeles as recently as January 2021. Brief, localized instances of hail can occur on rare occasions, but are more common than snowfall. At the official downtown station, the highest recorded temperature is 113 °F (45 °C) on September 27, 2010, while

25066-582: Was God". Over the years, the format of the shows was changed. The first major performer at the Apollo, jazz singer and Broadway star Adelaide Hall , appeared at the Apollo in February 1934. Hall's limited-engagement show was highly praised by the press, which helped establish the Apollo's reputation. Sussman hosted competitions for amateur performers on Wednesday nights, as well as "kiddie hours" on Sundays. The Apollo Theatre had vigorous competition from other venues, namely Leo Brecher's Harlem Opera House and Frank Schiffman's Lafayette . The former had been

25232-593: Was added to the theater the same month, although the plaque was stolen in 1996. Leon Denmark was appointed as the foundation's director. The foundation sought to attract notable black performers and to reduce the theater's debts. During its first operating season in 1993–1994, the ATF subsidized performances at the main auditorium and a smaller auditorium, and it launched the Community Arts Program to attract less experienced entertainers. In addition, local TV station WPIX began broadcasting events from

25398-482: Was affected by perceptions of high crime. The Apollo Theatre Investor Group was delinquent on payments to the UDC by early 1991. Newsday reported in 1991 that the group had never kept a formal ledger , which may have worsened its financial issues. Sutton announced in April 1991 that he would shutter the theater on June 1 unless his lenders restructured the loans. After Sutton made a payment of $ 36,000 later that month,

25564-451: Was beset by technical issues. In the months after it reopened, the Apollo hosted numerous acts and was moderately successful. The Internal Revenue Service raided the theater in November 1979 after finding that the new owners had failed to pay tens of thousands of dollars in taxes over the two preceding years. The theater's operators filed for bankruptcy in May 1981 after Elmer Morris's arrest on drug charges. Inner City Broadcasting ,

25730-438: Was cited as having 2,000 seats in the 1930s and 1,700 seats in the 1970s; it was described in 1985 as having 1,500 or 1,550 seats. By the early 2010s, the theater had 1,536 seats. The seats were refurbished in the 1980s and again in 2006, when wide cranberry-colored seats were installed. The bottom of each row of seats is illuminated by aisle lighting. In addition, there is a seating area for disabled patrons. On each level,

25896-417: Was considering taking over the Apollo's board, and the state government was willing to drop the lawsuits if Time Warner took over the board and ousted Rangel as chairman. That August, Time Warner donated $ 500,000 and expanded the ATF's board to 19 members; the agreement would go into force when Rangel resigned as chairman. Rangel initially refused to step down, but Ossie Davis was ultimately appointed as

26062-419: Was equipped with 96 microphone lines connecting with the auditorium. The studio has been used by media companies such as advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi and Black Entertainment Television . In the late 19th century, Harlem was developed as a suburb of New York City and was inhabited largely by upper-middle-class whites. Black residents began moving to Harlem in the beginning of the 20th century with

26228-502: Was formalized in the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which ceded Los Angeles and the rest of Alta California to the United States. Railroads arrived with the completion of the transcontinental Southern Pacific line from New Orleans to Los Angeles in 1876 and the Santa Fe Railroad in 1885. Petroleum was discovered in the city and surrounding area in 1892, and by 1923, the discoveries had helped California become

26394-595: Was founded on September 4, 1781, under Spanish governor Felipe de Neve , on the village of Yaanga . It became a part of the First Mexican Empire in 1821 following the Mexican War of Independence . In 1848, at the end of the Mexican–American War , Los Angeles and the rest of California were purchased as part of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo and became part of the United States. Los Angeles

26560-419: Was frequented by black performers, who, during the early 20th century, were not allowed to perform at many other venues. The theater was a prominent venue on the primarily black " Chitlin' Circuit ", though many shows featured actors of different races. It featured a wide variety of musical performances, including R&B , jazz , blues , and gospel performances. Early shows consisted of revues , but this

26726-620: Was held in such high regard by local black residents that, according to Schiffman's son Robert, it was not damaged during the Harlem riots of 1935 , 1943 , or 1964 . The theater was a source of pride for Harlem's black community and was often used as a gathering place during demonstrations. Although the Schiffmans were white, Robert recalled that local residents frequently referred to the Apollo as "our theater", never "the white man's theater" or "Frank Schiffman's theater". One writer said that "in Harlem show business circles [Frank Schiffman]

26892-489: Was hired as the emcee the same year. After Cohen died in late 1935, the Opera House became a movie theater, while the Apollo continued to present stage shows. The Apollo was rebranded as "The Only Stage Show in Harlem". Initially, the Apollo attracted blues and ragtime performers, as well as comedians and big bands . Early shows were accompanied by a chorus line of 16 girls, most of whom were fair-skinned;

27058-451: Was known as Hurtig & Seamon's New (Burlesque) Theater. Local real-estate journal Harlem Magazine wrote: "The theatre when completed will add in no small degree to the appearance and prosperity of this locality." The theater hosted its first Columbia show on Dec. 17, 1913. Hurtig & Seamon initially employed female ushers, described by Variety magazine as "all good-looking and polite girls", and banned black patrons . Initially,

27224-526: Was physically deteriorating. The only other major show at the theater was Showtime at the Apollo , and the Apollo was rented out for other events for the rest of the time. Many black performers shunned the theater because of its small size and because larger venues were no longer segregated. In 1998, the Attorney General of New York 's office began investigating whether Inner City was underpaying ATF. Then–attorney general Dennis Vacco accused

27390-403: Was quickly changed to a loosely connected format of dance, comedy, music, and novelty acts. The performances resembled vaudeville shows, with six to eight acts sharing a bill. Up to seven comedians or musicians and eight singing groups would perform for a week, doing as many as seven shows per day. Novice performers often started off as the opening act and aspired to become the headliner of

27556-512: Was renamed the 125th Street Apollo Theatre and reopened on January 26, 1934, catering to the black community of Harlem. Cohen initially employed Clarence Robinson as the Apollo Theatre's producer and Morris Sussman as the manager. He also hired talent scout John Hammond to book his shows. Though advertised as a "resort for the better people", the theater quickly attracted working-class, unemployed, and young audiences. The Apollo

#961038