Community celebrates E.J. Thomas Hall at Gala Event

When the University of Akron’s Edwin J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall opened in October 1973, then-UA President Emeritus Norman Auburn called the new building a “cultural bridge” between the Akron community and the University.

This September, UA and hundreds of supporters — including a number who attended the opening night gala in 1973 —celebrated the 50th anniversary of Auburn’s vision with two special performances and a red-carpet gala. The weekend of events showcased a facility that continues to be among the most vital in the region and unique in the nation.

Fittingly, the Akron Symphony Orchestra (ASO) kicked off the festivities on Friday, Sept. 29, with a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which features the “Odeto Joy” finale. It was the same piece the ASO performed during the opening night concert in 1973.

Emmy and Tony Award-winning actor and singer Kristin Chenoweth took the E.J. Thomas stage on Saturday, Sept. 30, to entertain concertgoers with her songbook of Broadway and pop hits.

Theron Brown, an assistant professor of practice in UA’s School of Music and a renowned jazz musician who has performed across the country and his trio, opened for Chenoweth.

It was a fitting program, as E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall has in its 50 years featured some of the greatest stars of the stage, and also been a home for regional performing arts groups such as the Akron Symphony, Tuesday Musical Association and others. Many UA faculty members have appeared on the stage and students have had opportunities to perform in the Hall, gaining valuable experience that can be applied to their careers as performers and educators. The Hall has also been the site of many theater and ballet performances, speaker series, higher education and high school commencement ceremonies another events.

During the gala celebration, UA President Gary L. Miller recognized several family members of the Hall namesake, Edwin J. Thomas, who were in attendance. Their presence, and the entire celebratory weekend, was a tribute to five decades of the Hall, the importance of arts and culture on the UA campus and in Akron, and to the enduring ties between the University and the community.

Story by Jessica Whitehill