By Jeff Mays
DNAInfo Reporter/Producer
HARLEM — The neighborhood's most celebrated chef, Marcus Samuelsson, will join actress Leslie Uggams and singer-songwriter Kenneth "Babyface" Edmondsin on the new board of the Apollo Theater.
Samuelsson is one of seven new members that will increase the size of the Apollo Board of Directors, the governing body of the nonprofit foundation that operates the Apollo Theater, from 20 to 27.
"This is a pivotal moment in the Apollo’s history, and I know that their knowledge and insight will be invaluable in guiding the Theater to realize our full potential as a nonprofit cultural institution," said Richard Parsons, Chairman of the Board, said in a statement.
Uggams, a veteran Broadway actress, is well known for her role in the groundbreaking television mini-series "Roots." As a child, she opened at the Apollo for Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald.
