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. 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.
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 680-seat John Legend Theater opened that autumn.
John Legend, a native of Springfield, offered to help complete the project. The school district matched donations to reach that total. Local businesses, foundations and individual donors also chipped in. 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.
The first full school year brought more than 120 events, including assemblies, guest speakers and outside groups that needed a proper stage. 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 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. 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.
The theatre also gave a new purpose to an auditorium that had been left out of the school’s earlier redevelopment. Since then, students from multiple districts have had the opportunity to use the theatre and learn how to run a production.
