The Apollo soon will return to the television spotlight, with Fox airing two specials taped at the legendary Harlem theater.
Comedian Steve Harvey, who hosted the syndicated series “Showtime at the Apollo” in the 1990s, will reprise the role for a two-hour special to air Dec. 5 and another one-hour show sometime early next year. Other comedy and music stars will also be part of the show, according to a news release from the Apollo and Fox.
Portions of the theater’s Amateur Night, which started in 1934 and still runs every Wednesday, will be shown as part of the Fox specials. The live-talent competition helped launch the careers of James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill and Michael Jackson and the Jackson Five, among others.
“I’m excited to be going back home to the Apollo to celebrate the history of this great theater,” Harvey said in a statement. “I have great memories from my time there.”
The original syndicated show ran from 1987 to 2008 and had live music acts and taped Amateur Night performances.
