For the Apollo Theater Foundation's inaugural benefit, the organization took the music to the street—Broadway performers Marva Hicks and Lillias White performed an outdoor concert in front of the legendary Harlem venue. After the outdoor show, guests headed inside the theater for performances by Vanessa Williams, Boyz II Men, BeBe Winans, and Gerald Levert. A tented after-party for hors d'oeuvres followed, overseen by the foundation’s manager of special events, C. Nana-Oye Addo-Yobo. Daily Blossom's Saundra Parks produced the event, and spiced up the space with the theater’s signature colors—bold red with golden accents, which carried over to funky furniture arrangements for lounge areas. Inside the tent an 80-foot-long bar with an illuminated front was embellished with silhouette depictions of jazz performers by artist Wendy Frost. Behind the bar, an 80-foot-long video wall showed archival footage of performances from the Apollo.
—Mark Mavrigian
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