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.
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Legend → be → Springfield
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.
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he → take → Dome
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.
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that → host → Orchestra
From school auditorium to theatre
The building once housed South High School.
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building → house → School
In 2008, when the city's two high schools merged, it closed.
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it → merge → 2008
Later, it was transformed into an educational centre.
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it → transform → centre
However, the auditorium was not included in the original redevelopment plans because there was insufficient funding to complete the work.
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auditorium → include → work
John Legend, a native of Springfield, offered to help complete the project.
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Legend → offer → project
The renovation cost $2.5 million.
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renovation → cost → million
The singer donated $500,000 towards the work, which covered the auditorium, lobby and entrance on Clifton Avenue.
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which → donate → Avenue
The school district matched donations to reach that total.
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district → match → total
Local businesses, foundations and individual donors also chipped in.
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businesses → chip → ?
The 680-seat John Legend Theater opened that autumn.
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Theater → open → ?
For Legend, renovating the theatre was personal.
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renovating → renovate → theatre
Before becoming a famous singer and songwriter, he took part in school productions and talent shows in Springfield.
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he → become → Springfield
It was the same place where he had performed as a child.
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he → perform → child
He wanted to preserve the auditorium while also giving it a new purpose.
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He → want → purpose
It was where the first seeds of his music career were sown.
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seeds → sow → career
The theatre also gave a new purpose to an auditorium that had been left out of the school's earlier redevelopment.
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that → give → redevelopment
In October 2016, during the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the renovated theatre, Legend recalled fond memories of growing up and performing in the city.
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Legend → cut → city
He wanted young people in the city to have more opportunities.
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people → want → 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.
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he → know → Sun
He also performed several songs in the renovated space.
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He → perform → space
The first full school year brought more than 120 events, including assemblies, guest speakers and outside groups that needed a proper stage.
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that → bring → stage
The Springfield Symphony Jazz Orchestra calls it home and holds many of its youth concerts there.
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Orchestra → call → concerts
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.
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theatre → sit → audiences
Since then, students from multiple districts have had the opportunity to use the theatre and learn how to run a production.
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students → have → production
The theatre was named in Legend’s honour.
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theatre → name → honour
His contribution helped turn the unused space into a venue for students, musicians and local residents.
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contribution → turn → students
Students now use it for music, drama and other performances.
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Students → use → music
Young people also get the chance to perform on a stage equipped with modern sound and lighting systems.
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people → get → systems
Nearly ten years after opening, the theatre continues to host concerts and other events for students and local residents.
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theatre → open → students
The Aporia
