Built in 1914, this legendary Harlem theater launched or abetted the careers of countless musical icons -- including Bessie Smith, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Count Basie, and Aretha Franklin. And thousands lined the streets in December of 2006 to pay their last respects to the Godfather of Soul on the Apollo stage, the place where he performed some of the greatest shows of all time. This historic venue is in large part responsible for the development and worldwide popularization of black music in America. By the 1970s, it had fallen on hard times, but a 1986 restoration breathed new life into the landmark. In 1992, a major $65-million restoration project was inaugurated and should be completed by 2009. The first phase of that project -- refurbishing the terra-cotta facade, a new box office, and a high-tech marquee retaining the original 1940s style and features -- was unveiled in late 2005. The theater remains open during the renovations and is still internationally renowned for its African-American acts of all musical genres, from hip-hop acts to Wynton Marsalis's "Jazz for Young People" events. Since 1934, Wednesday at the Apollo meant "Amateur Night" Forget American Idol, this loud, fun-filled night draws in young talents from all over the country with high hopes of making it big is the real deal.

Copyright: Excerpted from Frommer's New York City 2009, (c) 2008, Wiley Publishing, Inc.

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