5 Best Performing Arts in New York City, New York

Michael Jackson, Ella Fitzgerald, and James Brown are just a few of the world-class performers who have appeared on this equally famed stage, which first opened back in 1934. If the Apollo's Amateur Night doesn't get you up to 125th Street on a Wednesday, consider the theater's Thursday comedy night. Or come for the intimate, late-night music series, Apollo Music Café, which is held on select Fridays and Saturdays and features a variety of jazz, pop, hip-hop, and rock performers.

Opened in 1929 as a movie theater, the Beacon is now the premier destination north of Madison Square Garden (and operated by the same company) for concerts and residencies by music stars and comedians, from Bono to Jerry Seinfeld. The decor is 1920s; the sound system is 2020s. There also are occasional family program on weekend afternoons.

Built for vaudeville in 1928, this classic theater is still going strong nearly a century later, with a mix of classic movie screenings, stand-up comedy, educational theater performances for kids and teens, and music concerts catering to the Gen X and older crowd—or anyone who enjoys the likes of Air Supply, Dionne Warwick, Queen, or The Smithereens. Without a performance, the building's interior design still dazzles; the theater is a mix of Spanish and Italian baroque styles, with paintings and murals throughout, as well as tiled fountains.