Showtime at the Apollo has been a hit television show since 1987. The show features live performances from both professional and up-and-coming artists at the famous Apollo Theater in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City; giving them the opportunity to showcase their talents.
Last Monday night, Southern University’s very own Beta Sigma Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc brought a taste of that energy onto the yard.
ShOWTime at the Apollo was the third event of a very exciting Omega Week 2016.
At 6:45 PM, the crowd began to grow in anticipation of what the night had in store. Not only were they awaiting performances from their peers, but tensions rose as the mention of Season 12 American Idol participant, Burnell Taylor, grew frequent.
Taylor, the headliner of the show, is a native New Orleans.
In 2013, he auditioned to be on American Idol, and finished in seventh place in the entire competition. Although he did not win American Idol, Taylor is continuing to chase his musical dreams.
Taylor said, “American Idol taught me professionalism, opened a lot of doors, and now I have an amazing platform to build on”.
Be on the lookout for Taylor’s EP entitled, “I Hope You’re Listening”, at the beginning of the new year.
While Taylor had the crowd hype, there were performances by Southern students that brought the house down as well. Students graced the stage, after rubbing the wood of course, with musical selections, poetry, dance and even a little bit of comedy. Some of the performers were familiar faces, as they perform around campus regularly.
Jeremiah Cornelius, one of those familiar faces, had the chance to get on stage and share some of his work with the audience. It isn’t his first time performing in front of a crowd, he stated, “Honestly, it felt new”. ShOWTime at the Apollo certainly did not disappoint those that attended. Even the Omegas were quite content with the way the evening turned out.
Charles Baker, a member of the Beta Sigma chapter of Omega Psi Phi said, “Tonight’s event was beautiful in every way and I was glad to see my fellow students come out and enjoy themselves during Omega week”. Baker is a student athlete, SGA representative, along with being a member of Omega Psi Phi, Overall, ShOWTime at the Apollo was a true success, and it is an event that students should look forward to seeing more of in the semesters to come.
Burnell Taylor performing at the Showtime at the Apollo on Novemebr 15,2016
