The Apollo is letting Harlem see inside first. On Saturday, December 19, from noon to 5 p.m., the theater on 125th Street holds Apollo Homecoming, a free community open house and the public's first look at the Historic Theater since its restoration and modernization. The theater itself reopens for shows in 2027.

The man leading people through it has been walking the building for six decades. The Apollo announced on November 3 that Billy Mitchell, known for years as Mr. Apollo, is now its Ambassador and Senior Curator of Community and Cultural Engagement, and the open house is where it marks the new role.

What happens at the open house

According to the Apollo, the day welcomes Harlem residents, families and neighbors back into the renovated theater to look around, hear about its history and see what comes next. There will be performances and remarks from Harlem artists and community voices, and Mitchell will lead tours of the Historic Theater along with open forums where neighbors can ask about the renovation and say what they want from the Apollo's next chapter.

Admission is free. The Apollo encourages an advance RSVP through its Apollo Homecoming page.

Who Billy Mitchell is

Mitchell's history with the Apollo starts in 1965. He was 15, sent to Harlem by his mother to borrow money from a relative who lived near the theater, and while he waited outside he met the Apollo's owner, Frank Schiffman, who offered him work running errands for performers. That first day, the Apollo says, he found himself helping artists on Berry Gordy's Motown Revue, among them the Temptations, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder.

James Brown and Marvin Gaye both pushed him to stay in school and helped pay for his education. He built a career in finance, then came back to the Apollo and worked his way through audience services, retail, special events and group sales before becoming its Director of Tours, in-house historian and ambassador. Michelle Obama, who took his tour, encouraged him to write his autobiography, They Call Me Mr. Apollo.

What the new role means for the neighborhood

In the expanded job, Mitchell is the Apollo's point person for Harlem residents, local businesses and community groups, and he works with the theater's leadership so that neighbors' questions and ideas feed into its plans for the reopening. He keeps leading historic tours and represents the Apollo at its school programs, including School Day Live, and at community events. The Apollo says the role continues past the 2027 reopening.

Getting there

The Apollo is at 253 West 125th Street, between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and Frederick Douglass boulevards. The A, B, C and D trains stop at 125th Street on St. Nicholas Avenue, and the 2 and 3 stop at 125th Street on Malcolm X Boulevard, each a few blocks away.

The details

  • What: Apollo Homecoming, a free community open house at the restored Historic Theater
  • When: Saturday, December 19, 2026, noon to 5 p.m.
  • Where: The Apollo, 253 West 125th Street
  • Cost: Free; advance RSVP encouraged
  • Host: Billy Mitchell, Apollo Ambassador and Senior Curator of Community and Cultural Engagement

Sources