Few things flattered performing artists more than a near sellout, and the Leo High School Choir experienced just that when it took the stage at the Beverly Arts Center on Dec. 22.
The performance, held in the center’s Baffes Theatre, marked a homecoming of sorts for the acclaimed all male choir, which had performed on some of the city’s largest and most recognizable stages but rarely this close to the community that had supported Leo High School for generations.
“We like to call them ‘the world renowned Leo Choir,’” said Leo President Dan McGrath, who grew up within walking distance of the original Beverly Arts Center. “Through America’s Got Talent, the choir had become one of the school’s most visible and valuable assets, wowing audiences with their energy and flair while representing Chicago in the most graceful manner.”
The choir rose to national prominence after appearing on America’s Got Talent in September. Throughout the season, the students charmed viewers nationwide with soulful interpretations of pop rock anthems and inventive choreography, including performances of “Born For This” and Fall Out Boy’s “Centuries.” The exposure propelled the choir onto national stages and into prominent media coverage. Their run concluded during the season finale, when host Terry Crews announced the group had finished in fourth place.
Made up of 18 students from the all boys Catholic high school on the South Side, the choir is led by director LaDonna Hill.
Just months after their run on the show, the choir also performed for former President Barack Obama. That success led to additional national attention, including an appearance on WGN Morning News.
Since gaining wider recognition, the students had performed at venues ranging from Soldier Field and Millennium Park’s Cloud Gate, commonly known as The Bean, to the Palmer House Hilton lobby during the Christmas season.
The Beverly Arts Center engagement carried special meaning. Located on the city’s Southwest Side, the venue brought the choir closer than ever to alumni, families and longtime supporters who had followed Leo High School’s mission and legacy for decades.
“These performances felt celebratory,” McGrath said. “They brought the young men back to the communities that had always believed in them.”
The concert also served as an early marker for the school’s upcoming centennial celebration, scheduled to begin in earnest in 2026. Founded in 1926, Leo High School had spent nearly a century educating young men and shaping leaders rooted in faith, service and social responsibility.
Over those 100 years, the school endured and evolved through major chapters of Chicago and American history, from the Great Depression and World War II to civil unrest, neighborhood change and a global pandemic. Sixteen Chicago mayors served during Leo’s existence, alongside cultural milestones that included a world’s fair, a Super Bowl victory, the Michael Jordan era and multiple World Series championships.
Throughout it all, Leo High School remained a constant presence at 79th Street and Sangamon Avenue, serving as a pillar of stability in the Auburn Gresham neighborhood and beyond.
Since its founding, Leo had educated and inspired Chicago’s young men, preparing them for lives of integrity, purpose and service. In doing so, the school helped shape not only a neighborhood, but the city itself.
The Dec. 22 performance represented both a professional milestone and a deeply personal moment, allowing the students to share their talents with a home audience while honoring a legacy nearly a century in the making.
As the final notes echoed through the Beverly Arts Center, the Leo Choir affirmed that its success was rooted not only in national acclaim, but in history, community and a powerful sense of home.
