There are two things Oscar- and Grammy-winning artist John Legend has always held close to his heart: music and his hometown of Springfield, Ohio. In 2016, that connection took physical form when he donated $500,000 towards the renovation of an auditorium inside The Dome, the former Springfield South High School.
The result was the John Legend Theater, a 680-seat venue that now hosts youth concerts and serves as a home for the Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra.
From school auditorium to theatre
The building once housed South High School. In 2008, when the city's two high schools merged, it closed. Later, it was transformed into an educational centre. However, the auditorium was not included in the original redevelopment plans because there was insufficient funding to complete the work.John Legend, a native of Springfield, offered to help complete the project. The renovation cost $2.5 million. The singer donated $500,000 towards the work, which covered the auditorium, lobby and entrance on Clifton Avenue. The school district matched donations to reach that total. Local businesses, foundations and individual donors also chipped in. The 680-seat John Legend Theater opened that autumn.For Legend, renovating the theatre was personal. Before becoming a famous singer and songwriter, he took part in school productions and talent shows in Springfield.
It was the same place where he had performed as a child. He wanted to preserve the auditorium while also giving it a new purpose. It was where the first seeds of his music career were sown. The theatre also gave a new purpose to an auditorium that had been left out of the school's earlier redevelopment.
680-seat John Legend theater
In October 2016, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated theatre, Legend recalled fond memories of growing up and performing in the city.
He wanted young people in the city to have more opportunities. “I knew how important that was for me when I was in high school and middle school and throughout my time in Springfield, and how important the arts and performance spaces were to me,” he told the Springfield News-Sun.
He also performed several songs in the renovated space.The first full school year brought more than 120 events, including assemblies, guest speakers and outside groups that needed a proper stage.
The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra calls it home and holds many of its youth concerts there. The Dome sits within Springfield’s Promise Neighborhood, and the district has made it clear that the theatre is intended for young people as much as for audiences. Since then, students from multiple districts have had the opportunity to use the theatre and learn how to run a production.
The theatre was named in Legend’s honour. His contribution helped turn the unused space into a venue for students, musicians and local residents. Students now use it for music, drama and other performances. Young people also get the chance to perform on a stage equipped with modern sound and lighting systems.Nearly ten years after opening, the theatre continues to host concerts and other events for students and local residents.