TV REVIEW : ‘Apollo’ Tribute: Entertaining but Many Gaps

Generally fast-paced and entertaining, the two-hour “Apollo Theatre Hall of Fame� (at 9 tonight on NBC, Channels 4, 36 and 39) is centered around stars who performed at the New York theater back in its heyday--the 1930s through 1950s--when it was the showcase for black entertainers.

The theme of the show, hosted by Bill Cosby and Danny Glover, is to honor inductees into the theater’s Hall of Fame--among them Ella Fitzgerald, the Ink Spots and Billie Holiday. Others, including Richard Pryor, Sam Cooke and Ray Charles, get special awards.

Contemporary artists perform the hits of the honorees, with one exception: Ray Charles, who opens with a rousing version of his classic “What’d I Say� and later adds a soulful version of Paul Simon’s “Still Crazy After All These Years.�

The highlights include Regina Belle’s version of Ella Fitzgerald’s “Mr. Paganini,� Al Green’s show-stopping “So in Love With You� and the climactic all-star blues segment, featuring B. B. King and Buddy Guy.

There are some clunkers too--principally Diana Ross butchering two Billie Holiday songs, doing glitzy versions of intimate, personal material.

To lure white viewers, black-themed network variety shows invariably include token whites--often stretching the concept to squeeze them in. Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton fit comfortably in the blues segment but it’s quite a reach to have pop-rocker Bryan Adams, often attacked for his bland style, singing Sam Cooke songs. Robert De Niro shows up for a one-minute tribute to Richard Pryor. Though mentioned in some of the promos, Robin Williams mysteriously doesn’t show up at all.

Another mystery is why James Brown, who’s announced in Cosby’s introduction as an inductee, doesn’t get a special segment.