“An Evening with John Legend”

***** I need to start off by telling you that tonight’s visit to Ravinia to see John Legend’s one-man show was not my idea. Jane is in love with his music and since I have made her sit through non-musical plays of late, she felt “I owed her one”. I love Ravinia, but with our crazy theater and restaurant schedule, we have had less time to enjoy the most beautiful entertainment park I know. I must say, that the crowd was one of the largest I have seen in a long time. It almost felt as if we were back in time ( before Covid changed our lives). We arrived early and were very lucky to get a table in one of Ravinia’s fabulous dining rooms, Park View Restaurant. It is on the second floor with glass windows ( and a patio) overlooking the vast park, so dining allows you to see all of those who have brought their entire kitchens to set up for the evening. That is one of the beautiful aspects of Ravinia, everyone fits in!

For the record, Jane had their burger and I had the amazing Crispy Crab Roll. Both came with some tangy fries, fried just right. By the way, they make a great martini.

As we walked to the Pavilion, we could see every type of portable chair and table made ( and a few that appeared improvised) and people dining in style with candles and real plates and silverware. We got to our seats, sat back and enjoyed two hours plus of John Legend ( actual name- John Roger Stephens) telling us his story, from his childhood, growing up in Springfield, Ohio, being home-schooled bu his mother, working in the family church and the growth that made him who he is today.

During this one-man show, Legend takes us deep into the troubles of his youth and pays a special tribute to his grandmother as he sings a wonderful version of “Like A Bridge Over Troubled Water”- I felt a tear in my eye and to be honest, I began to feel a little better about attending this concert. The stories were honest and sincere and the music showed his tremendous range and his sparkling personality. He has wroked with many of the top writers and has many awards to his credit.

When he began to prosper due to his talent, he vowed that he would use his power to help his community, and has continued t do so. Yes, he is part of a TV show and yes, he has won awards for his music, but he has also been awarded BET’s Humanitarian of The Year award in 2010 . There is also a surprise visitor to the stage ( the man who gave him the Legend name). By the way, there is a terrific story about the name he chose ( or should I say was given to him) that will make you laugh.  He does all of his known songs and most of hte audience did sing along when he said join in. I know that Jane had a night to remember and you can as well as there is one more show Monday night, August 14th at 8 p.m.

Tickets are available at www.ravinia.org