Identifyin(g) & Signifyin(g): Harlem's Queer Arts Legacy

LIVE WIRE IDENTIFYIN(G) & SIGNIFYIN(G) HARLEM’S QUEER ARTS LEGACY

LIVE WIRE: IDENTIFYIN(G) & SIGNIFYIN(G) I believe in the dream. I think we only live through our dreams, and imagination. That’s the only reality we really ever know. ~Diana Vreeland

Harlem’s theater community, even before it gained global notoriety for its Afro-centric infusion to entertainment, also introduced to the stage, Barbette, one of the 20th century’s most noted “female” illusionists. Born Vander Clyde, in Round Rock, Texas, he made his first male to female metamorphosis in 1919 as an aerialist performing on the stage of the Harlem Opera House on 125th Street. Barbette became an international sensation, and a muse of the French writer Jean Cocteau and the artist Man Ray.

For African American “illusionists”, the gender reversals were even more unique, dealing as they were with the added complications of race, social status and the culture of fame. The support Harlem audiences gave to an Apollo showcase like the Jewel Box Revue, or to the evolving careers of Queer performers like Gladys Bentley and Jackie "Moms" Mabley or to a comic talent like Flip Wilson, allowed them to evolve characters and material that would inspire a generation of talents that followed. Today’s audiences are the descendants of the political upheavals of the 1960’s and 70’s, which launched an issue driven directness that fostered the in-your-face style which became a hallmark of Harlem’s street culture and drag balls. It’s that audacity that inspired performers, fashion designers, dancers and other artists to emulate their sprit and work to transfer it into the arena of popular culture.

John Reddick Apollo Live Wire: Identifyin(g) & Signifyin(g) Harlem’s Queer Arts Legacy

LIVE WIRE: HARLEM’S QUEER ARTS LEGACY John Reddick is active in architectural preservation and has written about the architecture and cultural history of Harlem. He is currently researching Harlem’s Black and Jewish music culture between the years 1890 and 1930, a topic on which he has lectured at the Harlem Stage, the Museum of Modern Art and forums for educators here at the Apollo, as well as at the Museum for the City of New York and the Cooper Hewitt Museum.

His knowledgeable focus on Harlem's history also enlivens his walking tours, which have been sold out offerings for Open House New York and the Annual Mt. Morris Park House Tour. He has been involved in several Harlem public space initiatives where he’s spearheaded community outreach, coordinated artist selection and construction for design enhancement projects in area parks and public plazas. To date his projects have included Elizabeth Catlett’s sculptural tribute to Ralph Ellison in Riverside Park, Alison Saar’s commemoration of Harriet Tubman at 122nd St. & St. Nicholas Avenue and the memorial to Frederick Douglass by artists Al Miller and Gabriel Koren located at Frederick Douglass Circle and Central Park. He’s a graduate of the Yale School of Architecture and his love of architecture; African American culture and history have been conveyed on numerous occasions through tours and articles he’s provided for the Studio Museum in Harlem, El Museo Del Barrio and other institutions.

Michelle la Fontaine, also known as Charlie Calderon, started her drag career in 2008 when she was just 17 years old. Her career was launched to wide acclaim while performing at the NYC drag club ESCUELITA. Michelle loves the art and craft involved in being an entertainer; from makeup to dancing to the perfect lip sync, she has devoted herself to exploring the art of drag and continues to find ways to reinvent herself. Michelle's idols include Grace Jones, Beyoncé, Whitney Houston, and Diana Ross just to name a few. She is currently a hostess and showgirl at some of NYC’s top gay nightclubs including The Monster Bar, Castro Bar, and XL Nightclub.

ABOUT THE APOLLO THEATER The Apollo is a national treasure that has had significant impact on the development of American culture and its popularity around the world. Since introducing the first Amateur Night contests in 1934, the Apollo Theater has played a major role in cultivating artists and in the emergence of innovative musical genres including jazz, swing, bebop, R&B, gospel, blues, soul, and hiphop. Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Sammy Davis, Jr., James Brown, Michael Jackson, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight, Luther Vandross, D’Angelo, Lauryn Hill, and countless others began their road to stardom on the Apollo’s stage. Based on its cultural significance and architecture, the Apollo Theater received state and city landmark designation in 1983 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. www.apollotheater.org

APOLLO EDUCATION PROGRAM The Apollo Theater Education Program extends the Apollo’s commitment to enhancing the life of the community. The Education Program focuses on four distinct areas of learning and engagement: residencies, workshops and tours for schools; curriculum materials aligned to state and national learning standards and study guides derived from the Theater’s history; career development for teens and adults through the Apollo Theater Academy; and discussions and lectures for the public that highlight the history of the Apollo and its impact on American art, culture and entertainment.

LIVE WIRE Produced by the Apollo Theater Education Program, Apollo Live Wire is a discussion series that focuses on the arts, culture, entertainment and other topics pertinent to the legacy of the Apollo Theater. @ApolloEd

@ApolloEdHarlem

Education at the Apollo Theater

Podcasts of Career Panels and Live Wire: mixcloud.com/ApolloEd/

Leadership support for Apollo Education Programs provided by

THE RONALD O. PERELMAN FAMILY FOUNDATION Additional support from Conscious Kids Inc., Con Edison, Ella Fitzgerald Charitable Foundation, General Motors Foundation, Insperity, The Reginald F. Lewis Foundation, Ellis. L Phillips Foundation, Pinkerton Foundation, the QBE Foundation and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.