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Speaker 1: My next guest is on the phone. She is a producer with a strong music background and director, known for the remix Hip Hop Times Fashion, which is this year her newest project. Also has worked on Precious was the two thousand nine project and The Woods Wind, which is a two thousand fourth project. The next project that she's on the phone to talk about is The Apollo. We're talking about the famous Apollo in Harlem. The Apollo weaves together archival footage of music, comedy and dance performances, were behind the scene footage of the team that makes the theater ron. The film features interviews with such artists as Angela Bassett, Common, Jamie Fox, Doug e Fress, Patty LaBelle, Paul McCartney, Smokey Robinson and for Real. Apollo Debates Winsday November six, So you have to watch it the documentary on HBO. Gotta watch on HBO Debates Winsday November six is also available on HBO Now, HBO Go and HBO on Demand. Please welcome to Money Making Conversations. The first time we've spoken, and I'm happy there will be a many many conversations in the future. Please welcome to the show. Lisa Cortez, Thank you very much. I am good too, good as we say in Harlem. You know, the thing about Lisa was this first time we talked. M I always like to everybody kind of get a sense of who I am interviewing. Uh, I get credits, and sometimes the credits are narrowed down to the project that I'm speaking of. He gives a little bit more about your background before you really got into the film and television side of your career. Uh. Yeah. I was very lucky to uh start my professional career working at def Jam and Rush in the olden age of hip hop, and from there I went on to Mercury Records with at x Stein and then ultimately had my own labeled PolyGram called Loose Cannon Records. UM. After a certain time, I think as I saw the changes that was happening in the music business in the late nineties, a long time ago, I decided I wanted to start making films because I saw that the power of cinema could travel all over the world and then a picture was truly worth a thousand words. And after going back to film school and kind of you know, starting from the ground up again, I ended up working with Lee Daniels and was his producing partner for ten years. Wow. And so let me ask you this now, the Apollo now my background. Just let everybody know, I'm a former stand up comic um at a comedy club in Houston, Texas call the Hip Hop Comedy Stop. I used to finnel talent to the Amateur United. One of the famous features of the Apollo is Amateur Unite, and they would take the show and they'd be a part of the show. They would come down the screen talent. So I just say that least is that I'm excited to interview you because I feel like I'm a part of the history that you're talking about on this show because it expands eighty five years. That's a lot to talk about in a documentary. Oh yeah. And but to thing about what our director, Roger Ross Williams has done is he's made those eighty five years not only go by so quickly, but to evoke memories that we all have. Everybody's got a connection to the Apollo. If you've been there, if you've watched showtime, if you have listened to great artists who were given their start there. And so the history goes by so quickly but we also talk about temporary stories of what is happening at the Apollo. So this documentary is not a museum piece. It is very much alive. When you say that, let's let's talk about let's share a little bit more detail about the directions, vision and telling this story, because you're saying that, see what I because I would have an approach. I would do Apollo about all the all the great hosts that were there with show Time at Devolver Whoopi Goldberg was host, Rickevellis when I was moved to New York and eight. Rickevilis was the host at the time for show Time at the Apollo that Martin Lauren Sindbad and then when sim Bad left and Steve Harvey took over and Monique took over, Kid read at the Anderson to the whole constant was my girl, Kiki Shepherd. She was always out there. She was the original I like to call it Vanna White. Before Vanna White was always Kiki Shepherd. That's a part of the story, But you're not delving so much in that part of the story. You're telling how the process worked at the Apollo and the interviewing people involved. Well, we tell the history of the Apollo as a very important place for the souls of black folks. It was a place that you know, at the top of the circuit, that welcomed us as performers when other venues did not. It was the place, uh, you know, where dreams are born. And so the dot mentory is about great moments like Billy Holiday performing Strange Fruit there. It is a story. It's the stories of Patti LaBelle talking about what it was to be a black woman on the road in the segregated America and what it meant to arrive at the Apollo and what she and the Blue Bells learned there. So it is great moments in the polo history. But it's also the it's political. It is the intersection of how we as black folks use our art to take to lift ourselves out of oppression. But also our art is coded with information on zillions and survival and so the documentary is you know, it's clips of performers. It is you know, when we talk about Amateur Night, we interviewed Miss Eva and I think you remember Miss Eva was a lady who said in the front row, how on everybody come on, you know, and we talked to um, you know, Billy Mitchell, the resident historian, and Joe Gray, you know, the head of stage who's also the set it off man. We you know, we're looking at the people who work at the Apollo because they're as important to the story as the artists who have graced the stage. In addition to political politicians like you know, uh, Charles Wrangel who you know went there as a young man, so uh and Paul McCartney who said, you know, coming to America, that's the first place the Beatles wanted to go, right. You know, the Apollo is the
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crossroads. We know. It's really interesting when I because you know, I've walked in Apolo. You know, first of all, is bigger than life, because if you walk into you go, okay, that's how big it really is. But that doesn't mean that. But the process of getting on that stage it's really interesting. You you have the you have the audience. But when you walk on that stage and you look at the audience, it's almost overwhelming because there's so much history that comes. I was seeing Prince on stage there. You know this thing you know, you know, uh, James Brown recorded a live album at the Apollo that became one of his biggest sellers. And now the one of the parts of the Apollo that stood out the most was Amateur Night. And I've reason to say that is that how important was amateur Night to the history of the Apollo venue. Amateur Night is so important in ur the theater open Ella Fitzgerald is an amateur night that just goes to show you the soap of and depths of the talent that was given an opportunity there. Amateur Night is also interesting because the first time, you know, Lauren Hell performed as a young girl, she was booed off the stage. What is unique about the Apollo is that the audience is in on it. The audience and the performer have a unique conversation because the Apollo is church and so there's very few places that you entertainment venues that you're going to have the kind of call and response between the performer and the audience in the way that you do at the Apollo. Well, you know, it's really important that you say that. Let me read something about the Apollo has served as a launch path for such legendary talents like you mentioned Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin that you just mentioned Ellaphus Gerald, the Supreme, Stevie Wonder, Jimmie Hendrix, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, Patty Lebert who's been interviewed in the documentary showcase, comedians such as Red Fox, Dick, Gregory, Dick Gregory, Richard Pryor, the great incredible Mars Maylie. I hope somebody does a movie on her one day Moms mainly incredible actor Jamie Fox, and you interviewed Jamie Fox in the documentary talked to us about that. We also have clips from Moms mainly and did Gregory and Richard Pryor and Chris rock Um. You know that speak to the unique connection that comedians had with the theater, but also what it is how we use comedy um in a very unique way right now. The interesting thing about it, are you able to talk about the origin of the buoy? Yes, we we talked about because they're not that right there, Miss Evil. It was, it was awesome, But the booing is what the what? What was separated uh the talent from the wanna be talent? That what That's what you walked on stage with this with this fear that you can be rejected massively by room full of people which can crush some people are just make them determined to come back and show these people that I'm better than what you think that I just talk to talk to us about the origin of the boot. Well, you know, I mean,
we um the power of the booth. That is, we spent some time with I want to talk too much because I want people to see this absolutely, absolutely, absolutely absolute, but we definitely get into the power of the boot and the place that it has played with artists. Even Jamie Fox talks about, you know, his experience there. I remember his experience. I was actually there on the side of the stage, so I I know about that. I know about a lot of these famous people as a comedian. See the thing about it is that Apollo UM. As a I never I wasn't bold enough to get out there. I'm admitted everybody. I didn't. I didn't I had the opportunity to go in front of this day. It was something about New York, the fact I remember one time Um, because I was like, I moved in New York in and I used to go through Apollo and watch and you know, amateur night, and I remember you catched the subway downtown because Apolos on a hundred s and so, and I remember it was it was this guy he got booed on stage. He had a red suit on and he was sitting on he was sitting on the on the subway and it's like a group of like five people walked up to him. They said, excuse me, all you two dude who were just performing at the Apollo. He said yes, and they went boo. Interesting, Lisa, they booed him from A hundred and five the forty second. Okay, they booed that young man. So I don't know if he ever want that red suit again, but I was just letting you know the power of the boot left the building with them. Okay, we're gonna wrap up this segment right quick, Lisa. We will wrap up this second right quick, and want to continue with some great interviews. Is an amazing interview about that as the documentary about to Apollo this uh uh that's premiering November six on HBO uh HBO streaming Networks. Quartet Production is the people who producing this project, The Apollo documentary about an amazing venue that has changed lives even today. Hi, this is Rashan McDonald and you're listening to money making conversations. We're talking about the documentary, Uh, The Apollo. Uh. We're on the phone with the producer, Lisa Cortez Lusa. How are you doing. I'm great. How are you I'm doing fine. I'm really excited because you're talking about a piece of history, entertainment history, the Apollo. I've been fortunate too. I lived in New York and eight in ninety as a stand up comic. I was pursuing a career as a stand up comic when I was living in New York, so it has to go over there and watch Amateur Night. And then I moved back to New York and two thousand five as a seven when I was managining Steve Harvey and we were we launched our radio broadcast network on WBLS one on seven point five in New York City. So I've seen the transition in the in the process because when I was managing Steve, he actually managed was seven years. I believe he was the host of the TV version of Showtime at the Apollo. So I was always at that facility. And a lot of the names that you're talking about are people that I'm familiar with, but I asked you now the question I've asked, why this story? Now you know why. Well, you know, it was amazing for us to discover that there had been a documentary about the Apollo. So many greats from dance, vocalists, comedian has, you know, like everybody, politicians have been there and it's a mecca, and it was kind of like, this is a story that is so rich and it is continuing to grow and evolve as the theater becomes a place where new productions are being created. So one of the things we do in the film is we map the production and presentation of a special stage reading of Tana Hatzi Coats is between the World and Me that the Apollo created. You know, Tana Hassi is our James Baldwin and this piece with music by Jason Moran is serious and Apollo created this. So you know, it's that place where are African American creativity. Our conversations are held in such reverence. Now it's really interesting because you know, we were upbeat and to my understand the documentary and we're not trying to tell the story of the document We want people to watch the show. When Your premiers November six on HBO, it's important to people understand it. But you want to talk about the good times and the bad times at the Apollo, correct, Yes, we do. We take people through the opening, the challenges that's the theater uh faced, and then the incredible solution that the theater has found that has placed it in this really thriving, prosperous place. The film is also about African American history, because you cannot separate the two. You know, our entertainment does not come from a bubble. Our entertainment that we create comes from both our joy and our pain, and we use it as a means of expressing ourselves now. And I'm pretty sure you know Apollo is anonymous with music, Uh in a creative collaborative collaborators on the music. Let's talk about you come into the project, Lisa, because to understand, white Horse Production is to is the company that is producing my House pictures, excuse me, is producing the project. How was How did you get involved in the project, Lisa? Uh? You know I ran into the director, Roger Ross Williams. We've always wanted to work together, and he said, you know, at least I've come on this new project. Uh. And what are you up to? You live in Harlem, background music industry. You know, let's let's come to you know, can you join the team. And I was like, can I start right now? It was such a delight because I've been going to the theater since i was a child. You know, it's really important when you when you start telling the story, you're interviewing the right people, getting the right people on camera who have have an emotional connection to the people. I know, we talked about Jamie Fox, You mentioned Paul McCartney, who are are something that other people that were interviewed for are describing special moments at the Apollo for the documentary. Oh wow, um, Dougie Fresh and Dougie is amazing, you know, and it connects us to that whole
time with the role that the theater played in presenting hip hop when a lot of other venues were not doing that. Angela Bassett Um we spoke with Miss Bassett of course, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle Farrell, williams Uh, the incredible Camilla Fours, the executive producer now at the theater. So you got Leslie Uggins is here, Oh Leslie. We talk about the history of dance there, so you know, we just everyone uh just gave was so generous with their time and with their memories. And and Miss Patty Labell, you know, she invited us to her home and just she took care of us. You know, we're here to interview and take care of you. Miss Patty is like, no, sit down and get comfortable. She's that person. You know. It's really interesting when you have all this footage and we kind of hit on it early on with eighty five years and you said, Roger, the director had had a vision of it. What was your you know, like I said, you came on board of the project, project was moving forward. You came on to the very instrumental person. How did you you know, I look at Marvel Marvel and they put all these storyboards. They said, we're gonna start here, We're gonna start here. How did you start pulling, pulling all this, putting all this together? You know, roughly less than two hours the documentary. There's a lot going on, at least I gotta keep saying that because it's a lot. There's so many different ways you could have taken a story and how you know what what y'all just shooting down idea? Now we're not gonna do that. How did this out of this whole process start evolving to being shot? And this is how we're gonna tell the story beginning, middle, and end. I really need to clearly understand that I want to not saying that you're not doing that, but I really want to let people know this is eighty five years this is the legendary facility that's still open today creating stars. You know, this this story is is um It's big, and there were many stories that we wanted to tell that time did not allow for. You know, in the process of producing is really you know, led by the north star that the director sets. And so once we have the north star of we're going to create different timelines in the edit room, and we're gonna look at major moments in the Apollo history, major moments in African Americans, okay, American history and musical history. How do they intersect? One are the moments that stand bright, you know when you think of what is happening to black folks in the thirties. When Billie Holiday goes and sings Strange Fruits on the stage of the Apollo, she's singing a protest song, you know, and so it becomes more than the song, more than Billie Holiday. It becomes a very big part of our history. And so, uh, how does it happen? We have a great team. I worked with two other producers, Genie Alfon, Sesta Cassidy Hartman. We had incredible editors, got Jene Chen and John Fisher, Amazing music supervisors Dondi Bastone, Gilly Rockwell, and and so many other people. Um, if you look at the credits, our credits go for like seven minutes because there is an amazing theme, you know, an archival producer to help us find footage and what was most that person was busy for love Central. This is a love song to the Apollo, to the place that it holds not only for African Americans, but to the world. Absolutely, it's such a recognized iconic and it's really just you know, I like have been moved to New York and eight eight, so I've seen that only the community change around the Apollo, you know, in the gentrification that's set in, and it's the atmosphere is different, how people shop around their Apollo is just a whole different atmosphere around it, which doesn't diminish what the Apollo is it just shows you, even with change, it stays the Apollo. It stays in an iconic place where you can see talent on amage and night today. You know, still there going stage, they still boo there. You still see great shows, play eas are being done there. A lot of great touring events are being done there. Major superstars are still recording comedy. Uh. Not only just African American talent, but also white talent is also performing in booking themselves at the Apollo. Before we get off the air, though, Lisa, you have another project that I want to be remissing not having you talk about is called Hip Hop Times Fashion. Tell us about that. Let let's talk about there for a couple of minutes. Well, it's called the remix hip Hop Times Fashion, and it's the story of the women behind the scenes in hip hop fashion who created not only the looks that changed how we express ourselves, but it also are the looks that them went to the runway until we talked to people like Missa Hilton, the style architects who created those incredible looks for Missy Elliott and Mary and Little Kim, April Walker Walker Ware and of course Dapper Dan, you know who started built was the one with the little famous outfit for a little Kim on that with Dinah Ross, right, yeah, with the v H one, right with the oh yeah, oh yes. I just won't let everybody know how iconic that moment was. I actually interviewed on money Making Conversations on Bear for me to laugh about it a lot. So so she was, and she also has a fashion schooled up in New York as well. It's really popular as well. So yeah. So that's a project I produced and co directed with Fara Khalite, Fara X and Uh. It will be coming to a streaming service. I will be able to announce shortly um next year. It's going to be out in the world. We've had a great run at festivals. We've won many awards as the best documentary. And I love it because I was a woman in hip hop and I've seen so many hip hop documentaries that really leave out the story of the contributions of women behind the scenes. And you know, we've been there from the beginning when Cool her through that party and he dj as for the very first time, his sister through the party. His sister sold the tickets. So I think it's important in looking at our hip hop history, that we make certain that a place is set at the table for the contributions of women. My friend. First of all, you know you have love on this show. Thank you for producing. The Apollo Again airs on November six on HBO and all its streaming channels, HBO to own Demand as well. Lisa, when your next project comes out, the Remix, please come back. I know it's next year, but keep us on your calendar. I want to continue to promote the brand of Lisa Cortez, an exciting talent. You're very creative with your music background and now you're in the film. You can only keep winning again. Thank you for coming on money they can come say thank you, Lisa Cortez. Thank you