Around 2017, when my life was moving at an absurd pace, a close friend and fellow hip hop obsessive…read moreinvited me to see Yasiin Bey at the Apollo Theater. I had grown up listening to Mos Def and expected the wit, warmth, and effortless cool of "Ms. Fat Booty." Instead, Yasiin Bey arrived in a more poetic and experimental mode, with the intellectual intensity and Rick Owens aesthetic of an artist still pushing forward. Arriving by subway and seeing that incredible Apollo sign glowing over 125th Street immediately made the night feel important. The theater felt more like a temple than a concert hall, with its deep red interior, velvet seats, and intimate layout bringing the audience remarkably close to the stage. I remember sitting in the auditorium thinking about how many legends had performed there and how much of the music I listened to every day had passed through that building. Throughout the performance, the crowd listened with such intelligence and appreciation that the evening felt almost like attending a class inside a concert. Yasiin Bey was cerebral, theatrical, and willing to challenge expectations, while the Apollo audience completed the exchange with its focus and responsiveness. Sitting there felt sacred and deeply moving, as though I had entered a living tradition rather than simply visited a famous old theater. Years later, my fortune had changed dramatically: instead of power lunches at Casa Lever on Park Avenue, I was schlepping couches into fifth-floor walk-up apartments in Harlem. After one job, as a snowstorm began, I passed the Apollo on my walk to the subway, and its iconic sign brought back a happy memory from before my capitalist world collapsed. On the 6 train downtown, I thought again about how honored I had felt to enter a place so central to Black music, New York, and the culture that shaped my identity. Some institutions can be understood through photographs and history books, but the Apollo has to be entered, heard, and felt, and I hope to bring my children there someday.

Please be mindful that this is a tour of the Apollo theater at an alternate location as the actual…read moretheater is under construction til at least 2026. We were a group of 10 and joined another large group. The tour/presentation was led by the legendary Billy aka Mr Apollo. There are no words to put into how transformative this experience was! Please book a tour of the Apollo. Even not physically On site they do their very best to preserve the history. Everyone was So helpful and friendly. High spirits And they truly care about not only The theater but the neighborhood as well. Great for all ages and super interactive!

Attended my Brother's Director Debut of his first movie K-Pops! At the Tribeca Festival…read more The venue is perfect! Not too small and not too big. You can see from any seat. Entry is easy. They have a concession stand. I would definitely come back here.

This was my first time at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and I loved it! Great venue with…read morestadium seating, so every seat is a good view. The venue is not huge (but big enough), so even if you sit in the last row, it's a good seat. Roomy seats with lots of leg room! There is even a pullout desktop! Haha. This is, after all, in the BMCC (Borough of Manhattan Community College). Conveniently located a few blocks away from the 1,2,3 trains! Tonight, I went to see Classic Albums Live, a band that goes to great lengths to recreate classic rock albums in it's entirety; note for note! No costumes, no extravagant staging, no gimmicks. Just great music! Tonight, they recreated The Beatles' Abbey Road album! What a treat! Now that I know about this band and venue, I will definitely be on the lookout for future shows!

I gave the show a try but I honestly did not enjoy it at all. it was just not my style and I was…read morevery surprised going into it to find out that the dialogue was exchanged in a Shakespeare Style way (thee, thy, art, etc.) Because of this I felt like I did not get the story line as clearly as it was intended. Partly probably because I zoned out of the dialogue a bit to focus more on the theatrical aspects like lighting, costumes and stage directions. However everyone around me laughed throughout and appeared that the majority of the audience had a really good time. Unfortunately, I didn't get half the things that they were laughing at.

A fresh and fierce musical brought to Broadway with the music of the Go-Gos as the backdrop for an…read moreElizabethian musical comedic dramatic story. The show is entertaining and fun to watch and enjoy as the stories, which include LGBTQ+ themes, unfold. The Hudson theatre with its history and age, houses this modern age musical, that takes place in days of yore. Its an interesting combo from that perspective. The show is filled with talent. Choreography is great and the vocals are amazing. The use of the Go-Gos music blends into the story well and provides a musical you will want to sing along with. Go see this for an uplifting, progressive, fun and entertaining show.

Described as "one-part silent comedy, one-part kung fu flick and one-part gymnastic display" on the…read morewebsite, this show will have you laughing at the comedic antics and in awe of the amazing gymnastics. We caught the show on a Wednesday night, and the theater wasn't overly full so we actually got to move to much better seats! The theater is relatively small and there aren't really any bad seats per se, as the stage is very large and the characters are constantly moving around, so you will always be able to see. The stage floor itself is made out of a spring board-like material, similar to what you might see in a gymnastics arena. The performs use this to pull of their amazing flips, vaults and highly choreographed martial arts fights. The story is about a bickering family overseen by a controlling grandfather. The grandfather brings a young man home to meet his granddaughter, and romance blossoms. However, the home is attacked by two burglars (one smooth criminal and one bumbling buffoon) and the family + new boyfriend must join together to fight off the intruders. The performers are mostly ex-gymnasts and have the most unbelievable flexibility and can really break out some impressive tricks - including using the walls as jumping off points. Their tricks include sword fights, karate, tumbling, a glow-in-the-dark pole spinning routine and much more! The choreographed fights are hilarious and they even do some of them in "slo-mo" for comedic effect. The only weak part was some of the comedy is a bit childish, but as this show is somewhat geared to families, that is to be expected. However, there are definitely adult themes throughout the production, especially in the daughter and boyfriend's romance - and the three of us 20-something girls that went found it hilarious and very entertaining. Highly recommended for an action packed show that will really excited. Minus a star because of a few mistakes by the performers, but since its still early in the production these will likely be ironed out. Definitely go and be prepared for high octane martial arts and impressive flips and twists!

saw it last night…read more.. i'm definitely going to see it again...cuz i was choking on my gum during one of the most hilarious parts and almost choked. this is body humor at its best. I love the slow motion scenes, and in-the-dark scenes. eff it, i was laughing the whole way through. the characters were well developed and each offered something different. if you want to be picked to go on stage, sit to the right of the middle section where the steps are. oh yeah, the martial arts was pretty cool too

I went to this event in previews last week, and it was tons of fun! I've never seen a piece of…read moretheater quite like it. There are a bunch of different scripted plays happening simultaneously in different parts of the bar, all about two people on a date. You choose your own adventure. Lots of different short plays to choose from, and you feel like you're just watching people's dates, but it's all scripted. Heartwarming, hysterical, and lots of fun. You can get a drink at the bar and wander around to choose what you want to watch. I highly recommend it.

Some of the skits are ok, but really the "dates" that these people are acting are boring and lack…read moresomething that would make you want to stay at one skit and NOT want you to move on to another. They need to work on their script here. Sleep No More might be more expensive, but like they say...you get what you pay for.

Audra MacDonald and Norm Lewis are so absolutely fanstatic, not to mention the rest of the cast. I…read morecried during only one performance, and it just so happened to be an understudy (I was told during intermission. It's a perk that the play has a great little story, albeit simple. I am going to definitely follow Norm Lewis' career going forward. I've recently watched the 25th anniversary of Les Mis and Scandal, just for him. He's so charismatic, really. I recommend both. I put this right behind Wicked as the best musical (more of an Opera IMHO) I'ev ever seen for the "I got chills" factor. I definitely felt the emotions. I saw the effort the actors were putting into their performance - with their full heart, and without you saying "ok, stop it, that's over the top now." Really excellent performances all around.

I was fortunate to land an opening night ticket for this Broadway production of "Porgy and Bess."…read more The cast headed by Broadway veterans Audra McDonald as Bess, and Norm Lewis in the role of Porgy was superb. Haven't never seen this classic American opera (turned Broadway show) performed on stage before, I must say that I was mesmerized. The minimalist stage setting against the soaring voices of McDonald and the other cast members swept me away like the hurricane off South Carolina's shore in the show. Besides McDonald, I was particularly impressed with Phillip Boykin's portrayal of Crown-- the villain of Catfish Row and nemesis of the cripple Porgy in the show. Ole time classics like "Summertime," It Ain't Necessarily So" and "Bess, You Is My Woman Now," brought thunderous applause from the audience. This show is a tearjerker. And I like everyone else, left the theater in tears. Without a doubt--a must see on Broadway!

I attended a masters class in acting and a play broke out. Holy cow. James Earl Jones, Angela…read moreLansbury, John Larroquette, Candace Bergen, and Eric McCormack put on quite a show. Sitting 2nd row center helps a little, too. Watching these pros in action, so close up, was extremely memorable. Sure, I was a little starstruck. While, I didn't totally love the play, it was made interesting by the actors. Special 'shout out' to Kerry Butler, who played the young wife of Eric McCormack. She is a star on the rise, and easy on the eyes, too! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/BBym_fvX0Q5A6DB23aPQUg?select=qvOwBPJMV4YJXsc8oqWy8w#qvOwBPJMV4YJXsc8oqWy8w ~Performance: July 5 @7pm

This was a good Broadway show, and I'm glad that I got to see it, but in the end, I enjoyed the…read morecast and their acting more than I did the play itself. Don't get me wrong, the story is an interesting one, but it's hard to relate to any of these guys. It does make you think about what goes on behind the scenes during a presidential campaign. James Earl Jones was simply superb. John Larroquette and Eric McCormack were a lot better than I expected them to be.

Don't sleep on this show, it's worth a watch! This is my first time seeing Little Shop in person,…read moreand I adored it. It's such a whimsical, witty, silly musical. How they did everything with the plant was really cool. Everyone in the show was phenomenal. Additionally, we really loved the actual theater experience: the size and layout gives a much cozier vibe. Overall, I highly recommend!