NEW YORK — Jonelle Procope, the departing CEO/president of the Apollo Theater, will have a new performance space named in her honor.
Following last fall’s announcement that the award-winning executive will step down after 20 years of leadership with the storied Harlem venue, board members unveiled plans to pay her a top honor.
The 99-seat theater in The Apollo’s soon-to-be-opened expansion will be named the Procope Theater.
The flexible theater is one of two new performance spaces in the renovated 25,000-square-foot Victoria Theater facility, located just a few steps east of The Apollo on 125th Street.
In making the announcement, Charles E. Phillips, chairman of The Apollo’s board, said, “Jonelle’s leadership of The Apollo has transformed The Apollo into an internationally recognized cultural institution, expanding it into the largest Black performing arts organizations discovering new talent and hosting established artists on the iconic Apollo stage.”
“It’s fitting that for years to come, as artists and audiences enter the theaters at the Victoria, they will be able to experience culture in a space that bears her name,” he added.
Procope, who will exit her role in June, said she is “honored” by the naming of the space said to open later this year.
“The realization of a project of this magnitude has long been a strategic goal of The Apollo, and it will be incredible to see the impact this space will have on generations of artists and arts professionals to come,” she said in a statement.
Operated by The Apollo, the new Victoria Theater will also have office space, allowing the nonprofit landmark to “expand its programming and collaborations with artists, cultural and civic organizations, and educators and students.”
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