Emmy Award-winning personality Steve Harvey will host “Showtime at the Apollo,” a two-hour event and reimagining of the classic talent showcase series, in which Harvey will celebrate his return to the famed theater, where he launched his own career, and where he’ll be joined by Ashanti and Ja Rule, who will perform “Helpless,” from “The Hamilton Mixtape.” JoJo, Busta Rhymes, T.I. and the legendary Chaka Kahn also are set to perform. The star-studded special will air Monday, Dec. 5 from 8-10 p.m. only on FOX.
Previously announced acts participating in the event include comedians Anthony Anderson, Tracy Morgan, George Lopez, Jay Pharoah, Mike Epps and Gabriel Iglesias; pop superstar John Legend, rappers Flo Rida, Doug E. Fresh and Rakim; and musical acts Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Bell Biv Devoe and En Vogue.
Also to be featured in the special are elements from the Apollo’s legendary Amateur Night – the long-running, live talent competition, now in its 82nd year – which provides a platform for up-and-coming artists to perform in front of the toughest audience in the world. The Apollo audience is famed as one of entertainment’s most boisterous and brutally honest and those amateurs who don’t win over the crowd risk being booed off the stage. Amateur Night at the Apollo launched the careers of many iconic artists, including James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Lauryn Hill, Michael Jackson and The Jackson Five, D’Angelo and countless others, and the show continues to present new talent on the legendary Apollo stage every Wednesday night. The Apollo Theater’s Amateur Night has long been revered by artists as a transformative experience during which up-and-coming talent feel the power of the legendary performers who have come before them, while audience response can help make or break a career.
You can weigh in at home using the hashtag #ShowtimeApollo.
