Ain't Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment

October 8, 2011 – March 4, 2012

Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment examines the rich history and cultural significance of the legendary Harlem theater, tracing the story from its origins as a segregated burlesque hall to its starring role at the epicenter of African American entertainment and American popular culture. The Apollo was one of the first theaters in New York—and the country—to fully integrate, welcoming traditionally African American, Hispanic and local immigrant populations in the audience, as well as headlining uniquely talented entertainers who found it difficult to gain entrance to other venues of similar size and resources.

The first exhibition to explore the Apollo Theater’s seminal impact on American entertainment, Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing yields incredible insight into the flux of African American life in the 20th century—from the great migration to the urban north, through two world wars and into the civil rights movement. Since 1934, the Apollo has been a driving force in shaping America’s musical and cultural landscape while nurturing generations of artists and providing a source of entertainment and inspiration to millions of people throughout its 75 years. The exhibition features historic and contemporary costumes, playbills, music scores, graphic images and recorded music to document Apollo’s history, including memorable performances by the emerging artists and living legends who graced its stage. Among the one-of-a-kind and rarely displayed artifacts in the exhibition are James Brown’s cape and jumpsuit, Michael Jackson’s fedora, The Supremes’ dresses; Cab Calloway’s baton; Sammy Davis’ childhood tap shoes; Duke Ellington’s score for Black and Tan Fantasy (1927); Ella Fitzgerald’s dress; Miles Davis’ flugelhorn; LL Cool J’s jacket and hat; and Celia Cruz’s dress.

Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing: How the Apollo Theater Shaped American Entertainment, presented by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Foundation. Organized by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES). The exhibition’s national tour is made possible by a generous grant from Time Warner Inc. Additional funding provided by JPMorgan Chase & Co.