The Apollo (2019)

This is an amazing documentary about 85 years in an amazing place, onethat changed black culture and Amercian culture. Swaying back and forth between the past and the recent present, the story of the stage that launched a thousand careers is so beautifully and occasionally painfully told should be wathced by every single person. I cannot say why after being shortlisted for the Oscars that it did not make the final cut. Countless astonishing spectacles of black expression were experienced, for the first time, on the Apollo stage. But an event that stands out was the weekly gladiatorial talent show known as Amateur Night, an Apollo institution ever since the theater began its life in 1934. The glory of Amateur Night was at once aesthetic and existential. Anyone who wanted to could get up on stage, which meant that even the most marginalized members of a marginalized community could have a voice. You will be astounded by the performances that are recounted here. This is a do not miss documentation of a slice of American musical history.