Apollo Theater - Quiz
Apollo Theater
  • 1. What was the original name of the Apollo Theater when it was developed in 1913?
A) 125th Street Theatre
B) Apollo Theatre
C) Hurtig & Seamon's New Theatre
D) Harlem Theatre
  • 2. Who were the original developers of the Apollo Theater?
A) Jules Hurtig and Harry Seamon
B) Sydney Cohen
C) Percy Sutton
D) Frank Schiffman and his family
  • 3. In what year did Sydney Cohen acquire the Apollo Theater?
A) 1978
B) 1934
C) 1935
D) 1928
  • 4. Which family operated the Apollo Theater from 1935 to 1976?
A) Minsky brothers
B) Sutton family
C) Hurtig & Seamon
D) Frank Schiffman and his family
  • 5. Who purchased the Apollo Theater at an auction in 1981?
A) Frank Schiffman
B) Hurtig & Seamon
C) Sydney Cohen
D) Percy Sutton
  • 6. When did the Apollo Theater reopen following a major refurbishment?
A) 1979
B) 1991
C) 1985
D) 2000
  • 7. Which organization bought the Apollo Theater in 1991?
A) Apollo Theater Foundation
B) Harlem Cultural Society
C) MTA Regional Bus Operations
D) New York State Urban Development Corporation
  • 8. What is the seating capacity of the Apollo Theater?
A) 1,000 seats
B) Approximately 1,500 seats
C) 500 seats
D) 2,000 seats
  • 9. Who designed the Apollo Theater?
A) George Keister
B) Frank Lloyd Wright
C) Le Corbusier
D) Philip Johnson
  • 10. What architectural style does the Apollo Theater incorporate?
A) Art Deco
B) Neoclassical
C) Modernist
D) Gothic
  • 11. Which TV show is associated with the Apollo Theater?
A) Saturday Night Live
B) Showtime at the Apollo
C) The Voice
D) America's Got Talent
  • 12. What is the name of the longest-running event at the Apollo Theater?
A) Harlem Night
B) Amateur Night at the Apollo
C) Apollo Showcase
D) Apollo Legends Night
  • 13. Which subway station is located one block west of the Apollo Theater?
A) Columbia University station
B) 116th Street station
C) 125th Street/St. Nicholas Avenue station
D) 145th Street station
  • 14. Which train lines serve the subway station near the Apollo Theater?
A) 5, 6, and 7 trains
B) 1, 2, 3, and 4 trains
C) A, B, C, and D trains
D) N, Q, R, and W trains
  • 15. What is the size of the site where the Apollo Theater is located?
A) 17,454 ft2 (1,621.5 m2)
B) 15,000 ft2 (1,393 m2)
C) 20,000 ft2 (1,858 m2)
D) 10,000 ft2 (929 m2)
  • 16. What is the frontage of the Apollo Theater on 125th Street?
A) 100 ft (30 m)
B) 30 ft (9 m)
C) 70 ft (21 m)
D) 50 ft (15 m)
  • 17. Which theater is adjacent to the Apollo Theater to the west?
A) Radio City Music Hall
B) Metropolitan Opera House
C) Victoria Theater
D) Lincoln Center
  • 18. What is the depth of the Apollo Theater site?
A) 300 ft (91 m)
B) 150 ft (46 m)
C) 200 ft (61 m)
D) 250 ft (76 m)
  • 19. What type of events has the Apollo Theater hosted besides performances?
A) Only theatrical performances
B) Film screenings, recordings, tapings, speeches, debates, and tributes
C) Only comedy acts
D) Only musical performances
  • 20. What is the Apollo Theater's impact on culture?
A) It has impacted European culture
B) It has had a large impact on African-American culture
C) It has had no significant cultural impact
D) It has impacted Asian culture
  • 21. What is the purpose of the Apollo Legends Hall of Fame?
A) To recognize only amateur performers
B) To induct the theater's most famous performers
C) To commemorate historical figures unrelated to the theater
D) To honor current performers only
  • 22. What material is used for the second and third stories of the Apollo Theater?
A) Marble
B) Concrete
C) Brick
D) White glazed terracotta
  • 23. What architectural feature runs horizontally across the facade just below the second floor?
A) Pediment
B) Frieze
C) Cornice with dentils
D) Balcony
  • 24. How are the second- and third-story windows arranged on the Apollo Theater?
A) Vertically into four bays
B) In a circular pattern
C) Horizontally into two bays
D) Randomly
  • 25. What design is featured above the third-story windows?
A) Greek fret designs
B) Art Nouveau patterns
C) Baroque swirls
D) Celtic knots
  • 26. When was the steel marquee added to the Apollo Theater?
A) 1980s
B) 1960s
C) 1920s
D) 1940s
  • 27. What did the original marquee display?
A) Movie reviews
B) Theater schedules
C) The name of the entertainer performing
D) Advertisements for local businesses
  • 28. What replaced the original vertical sign in the 2005 renovation?
A) A digital display
B) A yellow-and-red blade sign
C) A wooden sign
D) A neon sign
  • 29. What modern feature was added to the marquee in 2005?
A) LEDs
B) Fluorescent lights
C) Halogen lamps
D) Incandescent bulbs
  • 30. What is the height of the Apollo Theater's main facade?
A) Four stories high
B) Two stories high
C) Three stories high
D) Five stories high
  • 31. What is the modern design of the ground floor made of?
A) Stone and marble
B) Concrete and glass
C) Wood and brick
D) Glass-and-steel
  • 32. What replaced the original display cases in the ground floor's eastern side?
A) Monitors
B) Shelves
C) Paintings
D) Statues
  • 33. What type of structure is the modern-day box office at the Apollo Theater?
A) Circular glass structure
B) Semicircular steel structure
C) Rectangular wooden structure
D) Triangular brick structure
  • 34. What design element is found on the capitals of the pilasters at the Apollo Theater?
A) Anthemia
B) Lotus flowers
C) Swans
D) Fleur-de-lis
  • 35. What is the purpose of the spandrels with Greek fret designs?
A) Ventilation system
B) Window frames
C) Support for the roof
D) Decorative element above the third-story windows
  • 36. What shape is the plan of the Apollo Theater?
A) L-shaped
B) Rectangular
C) U-shaped
D) Square
  • 37. What is the lobby of the Apollo Theater often compared to?
A) A concert hall
B) A grand ballroom
C) A bowling alley
D) A movie theater
  • 38. Which year saw the Tree of Hope moved to the lobby?
A) 2006
B) 1970
C) 1995
D) 1983
  • 39. What is planned to be built within the lobby by 2025?
A) A cafe
B) A new stage
C) An additional gift shop
D) A recording studio
  • 40. How many seats did the Apollo Theater have in the 1930s?
A) 1,536
B) 1,500
C) 2,000
D) 1,700
  • 41. What color were the seats installed during the 2006 renovation?
A) Blue
B) Red
C) Cranberry-colored
D) Green
  • 42. What nickname did James V. Hatch give to the second balcony?
A) The eagle's perch
B) The bird's nest
C) The high seat
D) The sky view
  • 43. What type of decorations are found around the doorways on the rear wall of the orchestra?
A) Metal sculptures
B) Scagliola decorations
C) Wooden panels
D) Marble statues
  • 44. What feature surrounds the proscenium arch?
A) Colonnettes
B) Statues
C) Sculptures
D) Columns
  • 45. What was installed in the theater during the 1980s renovation?
A) A heating system
B) A cooling system
C) A ventilation system
D) A sound system
  • 46. What type of lighting was added during the 1980s renovation?
A) Chandeliers
B) Spotlights
C) LED lights
D) Lighting trusses
  • 47. What is the shape of the auditorium?
A) Square
B) Triangular
C) Rectangular
D) Circular
  • 48. What is the auditorium's ceiling decorated with?
A) Geometric patterns
B) Abstract designs
C) Animal figures
D) Foliate motifs
  • 49. What type of lighting is used at the bottom of each row of seats?
A) Overhead lighting
B) Ambient lighting
C) Aisle lighting
D) Spotlighting
  • 50. What is the seating area for disabled patrons described as?
A) In the orchestra pit
B) In the lobby
C) In the second balcony
D) A separate seating area
  • 51. What type of rail supports the scagliola decorations in the auditorium?
A) Metal rods
B) Stone pillars
C) Wooden beams
D) Fluted columns
  • 52. What is the shape of the proscenium opening?
A) Circular
B) Oval
C) Triangular
D) Flat
  • 53. What type of motifs are found in the spandrels above the arches?
A) Modern motifs
B) Classical motifs
C) Geometric motifs
D) Abstract motifs
  • 54. When did C. J. Stumpf & H. J. Langhoff acquire land for the Apollo Theater's development?
A) In the 1920s
B) Around 1911 or 1912
C) In the 1890s
D) In the 1940s
  • 55. When did the groundbreaking ceremony for the theater occur?
A) June 1912
B) August 1925
C) January 1913
D) December 1913
  • 56. What magazine wrote about the theater adding to the locality's appearance and prosperity?
A) The New York Times
B) Variety magazine
C) Harlem Magazine
D) Time magazine
  • 57. What type of performers were initially employed as ushers at the theater?
A) Male ushers
B) Female ushers
C) Mixed-gender ushers
D) No ushers
  • 58. What was the name of the Columbia Amusement Company's lower-tier subsidiary?
A) The Mutual Burlesque Association
B) The American wheel
C) The Harlem Wheel
D) The Columbia Wheel
  • 59. To whom was the theater building sold in August 1925?
A) C. J. Stumpf & H. J. Langhoff
B) The Benenson Realty Company
C) Cramp & Company
D) Security Construction Company
  • 60. Which association did Hurtig & Seamon switch allegiance to in 1927?
A) The Mutual Burlesque Association
B) The Harlem Music Hall
C) The Columbia Amusement Company
D) The American wheel
  • 61. Who bought out Seamon's lease the month after Walter Reade leased the new Apollo?
A) Billy Minsky
B) Herbert Minsky
C) I. H. Herk
D) Joseph Weinstock
  • 62. Who was among the earliest black entertainers to perform at the Apollo?
A) Louis Armstrong
B) Duke Ellington
C) Billie Holiday
D) Bessie Smith
  • 63. What year did Billy Minsky announce he would stop presenting Mutual shows?
A) March 1930
B) 1929
C) 1932
D) 1931
  • 64. Which theater did the Minskys concentrate on after 1930, leading to a decline in burlesque at the Apollo?
A) Harlem Opera House
B) The Republic off Times Square
C) The Irving Place Theatre
D) Minsky's Brooklyn theater
  • 65. Who took over the operation of the Apollo after Billy Minsky's death in 1932?
A) Billy Minsky Jr.
B) I. H. Herk
C) Joseph Weinstock
D) Herbert Minsky
  • 66. When did the Apollo begin serving alcoholic beverages?
A) April 1933
B) 1932
C) May 1933
D) December 1933
  • 67. How long was the Apollo dark after failing to renew its burlesque license in May 1933?
A) Seven months
B) Six months
C) One month
D) Three months
  • 68. Who began cracking down on burlesque theaters citywide after the Apollo reopened in December 1933?
A) President Franklin D. Roosevelt
B) Governor Herbert Lehman
C) Mayor Fiorello La Guardia
D) Mayor Jimmy Walker
  • 69. Who took over the Apollo Theater in January 1934?
A) Clarence Robinson
B) Sidney Cohen
C) John Hammond
D) Frank Schiffman
  • 70. Who was the first major performer at the Apollo?
A) Adelaide Hall
B) John Hammond
C) Ralph Cooper
D) Clarence Robinson
  • 71. What was the Apollo Theatre initially advertised as?
A) A family-friendly venue
B) A vaudeville show
C) A black-only theater
D) A 'resort for the better people'
  • 72. Which circuit was the Apollo a prominent venue on?
A) The Broadway Circuit
B) The Vaudeville Circuit
C) The Chitlin' Circuit
D) The Harlem Renaissance Circuit
  • 73. What kind of acts did the Apollo's performances resemble?
A) Opera performances
B) Vaudeville shows
C) Broadway shows
D) Circus acts
  • 74. Why did the Apollo pay performers low salaries?
A) As a cost-cutting measure
B) Because performers were not popular
C) Due to high competition
D) Because of low ticket sales
  • 75. Who did Sidney Cohen hire to book shows at the Apollo?
A) Clarence Robinson
B) John Hammond
C) Frank Schiffman
D) Morris Sussman
  • 76. What type of shows did the Apollo begin staging in February 1941?
A) Jazz performances
B) Blues and ragtime shows
C) Gospel performances
D) Musical comedies
  • 77. What did the Apollo offer to members of the U.S. armed forces during World War II?
A) Complimentary backstage passes
B) Discounted tickets
C) Free meals
D) 35 free tickets
  • 78. What genre of music did the Apollo Theater start staging as it became popular?
A) rock music
B) blues
C) country
D) jazz
  • 79. In which year did the Apollo Theater install a large CinemaScope screen?
A) 1960
B) 1965
C) 1950
D) 1955
  • 80. What was one of the reasons white audiences avoided the Apollo Theater in the 1960s?
A) high ticket prices
B) lack of parking
C) poor sound quality
D) the 1964 riots
  • 81. What was the Apollo Theater's strategy to cater to the local community under Robert Schiffman's management?
A) kept prices low
B) offered free admission
C) hosted international acts
D) provided luxury seating
  • 82. What was the Apollo Theater's primary audience demographic during the late 1960s?
A) predominantly Hispanic
B) predominantly white
C) predominantly black
D) predominantly Asian
  • 83. What was the Apollo Theater's business model shift in the late 1960s?
A) hosting comedy shows
B) screening silent films
C) staging drama
D) presenting recording groups
  • 84. What was one of the reasons the Apollo Theater was not near other popular venues?
A) the neighborhood's economy was in decline
B) it was too large
C) it was too expensive to move
D) it was located in a remote area
  • 85. Who was hired as the general manager after the Apollo reopened in 1978?
A) Ralph MacDonald
B) Herb Boyd
C) Robert Schiffman
D) David E. McCarthy
  • 86. What was the Apollo Theater's schedule of live shows reduced to by early 1975?
A) 10–12 weeks per year
B) 20–22 weeks per year
C) 30–32 weeks per year
D) 45–50 weeks per year
  • 87. What was the Apollo Theater's financial status by early 1975?
A) Struggling financially
B) Breaking even
C) Making a large profit
D) Profitable
  • 88. What percentage stake did Inner City acquire in the Apollo Theatre Investor Group?
A) 50 percent
B) 19 percent
C) 81 percent
D) 100 percent
  • 89. When did the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission start considering designating the Apollo Theater as a city landmark?
A) 1983
B) Early 1982
C) 1984
D) Late 1981
  • 90. In which month and year were the Apollo's facade and interior designated as New York City landmarks?
A) Early 1982
B) November 1983
C) June 1984
D) June 1983
  • 91. When was the Apollo Theater added to the National Register of Historic Places?
A) June 1983
B) 1984
C) November 1983
D) 1982
  • 92. When did the National Register of Historic Places listing for the Apollo Theater become official?
A) June 1984
B) November 1983
C) 1982
D) 1983
  • 93. What action did Sutton take in December 1982 regarding the project?
A) He increased the funding request
B) He announced he would withdraw from the project
C) He transferred the theater to the city government
D) He postponed the reopening date
  • 94. What was the amount of the state grant Sutton wished to receive by transferring the theater to the New York state government?
A) $2.5 million
B) $10 million
C) $9 million
D) $1.5 million
  • 95. How long did Sutton lease the theater for after transferring it to the state government?
A) 30 years
B) 50 years
C) 20 years
D) 99 years
  • 96. How much did Sutton ultimately obtain from a consortium of lenders?
A) $6.8 million
B) $5.5 million
C) $10 million
D) $9 million
  • 97. What event did Sutton host in November 1983 to advertise the Apollo's return?
A) A revue
B) AUDELCO awards
C) Amateur Night
D) A concert
  • 98. What portion of the $2.9 million mortgage did the State Mortgage Agency agree to insure at the end of 1984?
A) Half
B) Three-fourths
C) One-fourth
D) All of it
  • 99. How much total funding did the Manufacturers Hanover Corporation provide?
A) $2.9 million
B) $5.5 million
C) $10 million
D) $6 million
  • 100. When was the Showtime at the Apollo TV series launched?
A) 1985
B) 1986
C) 1987
D) 1988
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