They stand in front of the big dressing-room mirrors to rehearse their dance routines, check their wardrobes, pray or simply try to shake off jitters before facing the tough crowd.

It was at this legendary theater on Nov. 21,1934, that a then-undiscovered performer named Ella Fitzgerald captivated the audience at the taping of radio host Ralph Cooper's show Amateur Nite Hour at the Apollo,¹¹ winning the competition and launching her legendary career as a jazz vocalist.

The Apollo Theater, now a national landmark on 125th Street in the heart of Harlem, has become a factory for producing legends, transforming unknowns such as Dionne Warwick, Gladys Knight, Jackie Wilson, James Brown, The Jackson Five and Patti LaBelle into names. The Apollo became known as the place "where stars are born and legends are made."

Now, 74 years after Fitzgerald's dazzling Amateur Night performance, New Yorkers still flock to the Apollo Theater every Wednesday night to cheer and heckle up-and-coming entertainers. There's a saying that if you can make it at the Apollo, you can make it anywhere - crowds at the Apollo show no mercy for subpar amateur perfomances.

Chanj, an independent R&B artist who competed in several Amateur Night competitions last year, remembers stepping onto the legendary Apollo stage for the first time. He stood backstage, counting down the number of amateurs ahead of him, becoming more and more terrified as the time neared that he would have to step out and face the crowd.

"I was so nervous," said the 25-year-old from Plainfield, New Jersey. "I was shaking and pacing backstage. But I just really embraced where I was. I learned I could be just as great as those who had performed on that stage."

Unlike the countless amateurs whose dreams of stardom were crushed after an unsuccessful performance at the Apollo, Chanj won three consecutive rounds of Amateur Night. His rendition of "Say Yes," the hit song from the R&B duo Floetry, won him second place in the final competition in 2007.

His popularity with the audience merited him a spot on "Showtime at the Apollo," the syndicated television show that has been taped at the theater since 1987. His performance, which aired in May, was so captivating that he was awarded this year's grand prize. But perhaps more important, since his win Chanj has gone from unknown to an independent R&B sensation in New York City.

He's become part of the Apollo's celebrated legacy, in keeping the cultural history of Harlem's large black and Latino community alive. The theater's contribution to American music is especially significant, considering blacks were, at one time, not allowed in the theater at all.

Before 1934, the venue was a whites-only burlesque theater. It was dubbed the Apollo, after the Greek god who symbolized the sun, music and entertainment, when New York City Mayor Fiorello La Guardia led a campaign to crack down on racy entertainment venues in the city, said Billy Mitchell, tour director for the theater.

Black patrons were still prohibited from the theater, except to perform, as black entertainers dominated the popular Apollo show "Jazz À la Carte." Two years later, black patrons were allowed, but could only sit in the last row of the top level.

The theater slowly began attracting a predominantly black audience toward the end of the Harlem Renaissance, a pro-black literary, artistic and musical movement roughly between 1920 and 1935, when whites flocked to the suburbs in large numbers. The neighborhood is now evolving again as whites are moving back, as well as a number of families of Japanese descent, Mitchell said.

"We've never seen an all-white or all-black audience," Mitchell said of the theater's diverse draw. "Every race - Asian, Indian, Latino, whites and blacks - have had a part in this theater."

Mitchell has been frequenting the theater for 44 years now, after starting to work there as a kid, running errands for performers.

The Apollo, now a city, state and national landmark, has undergone major renovations in the past six years. So far, the building's old marquee, its façade, the stage and old, narrow seats have been replaced. In 2010, the theater will be shut down for 11 months while the interior is painted. The overall cost for the complete renovation is estimated at $90 million.

In addition to tourist hotÂspots like Times Square, Broadway and Central Park, visitors to New York City should add the legendary theater to their itineraries, Mitchell said.

"For people visiting Harlem, the Apollo is a must-visit for what it has done for American music."

cmayorga@sltrib.com

See the Apollo and have fun in Harlem

Getting there » Tours of the Apollo Theater, 253 W. 125th St., are usually available seven days a week, by appointment only. The cost is $16 on weekdays and $18 on weekends. To schedule, contact Tour Director Billy Mitchell at 212-531-5337 or billy.mitchell@apollotheater.org

Where to eat » Harlem is known for its soul food eateries. These Zagat-rated restaurants are popular with vistors and locals alike:

» Amy Ruth's serves a nice variety of waffle and breakfast combos starting around $6, a bargain in New York City. The restaurant also has a nice selection of salads, sandwiches and entrées, including the delicious Southern honey-dipped fried chicken for $13.95. Breakfast starts at $6.50, sandwiches start at $10.95 and entrées at $11.95.

» Sylvia's Queen of Soul Food Restaurant, 328 Lenox Ave. (between 126th and 127th streets); 212-996-0660; www.sylviassoulfood.com. Since 1962, Sylvia's is a fixture in Harlem, attracting well-known locals like Bill Clinton and Al Sharpton. The restaurant is known for its fried or smothered chicken and barbecue ribs. Delicious sides include macaroni and cheese, candied yams, collard greens, potato salad, mashed potatoes, rice and black-eyed peas. Lunch specials start at $7.25; entrées range from $8.95 to $18.95.

» Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too, 547 Lenox Ave. (between 137th and 138th streets); 212-690-3100; www.spoonbreadinc.com. Miss Maude's is known for its Southern cuisine, and its fried chicken is the "best in New York," according to the New York Post. The fried chicken and waffles, the seafood gumbo and the catfish are also highly recommended. Lunch specials start at $7.95, dinner at $12.95.

Places to stay » Newton Hotel, 2528 Broadway (between West 94th and 95th streets); 212-678-6500; www.thehotel newton.com

» Days Hotel Broadway: 215 W 94th St. (between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue); 212-866-6400; www.dayshotel nyc.com

» Marrakech Hotel: 2688 Broadway (at 103rd Street); 212-222-2954; www.marrakechhotelnyc.com

Other places to visit while in Harlem

Strivers' Row & Abyssinian Baptist Church » Walk along West 138th Street between Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard and Frederick Douglass Boulevard to visit the Abyssinian Baptist Church, which will celebrate its 200th anniversary in October. The beautiful Gothic and Tudor building sits right on Strivers' Row, a group of elegant townhouses once inhabited by Harlem's hard-working professionals or "strivers." Visitors can tour the church, whose members have included Ossie Davis and Cicely Tyson, by appointment. To schedule a tour, contact the church at 212-862-7474. Sunday church services fill up fast, so visitors are encouraged to call ahead to get seating.

Lenox Lounge » 288 Lenox Ave. (between 124th and 125th streets); 212-427-0253; www.lenoxlounge.com. This jazz club opened in 1939, and a number of greats have performed here, including John Coltrane and Billie Holiday. Dine or sip a cocktail while listening to live jazz every Friday and Saturday night and Latin jazz on Tuesday nights.

The Studio Museum in Harlem » 144 W. 125th St. (between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard). Since 1968, this museum has strived to be a forum for local and international artists to display various art inspired by black culture, according to the museum's mission statment. The museum is closed Mondays, Tuesdays and major holidays. Adult admission is $7, seniors and students $3 and free for children under 12. Guided tours are given by appointment.