My husband and I have always loved going to the theater during our dating years. Before kids, we used to trek into the city to see the bigger productions. Since having kids, things look a little different but our love for live performances hasn't changed. Now we make it a point to support local theaters closer to home. It's more convenient, more affordable, and still gives us that special date-night feeling. We've been to this theater twice since last year. My favorite so far has been "Green Day's American Idiot" production that ran last summer. The songs instantly brought back memories of seeing Green Day live during our college days. The cast delivered a lively, high-energy production that kept me tapping my feet the entire night. I felt transported back to my 20s reliving those songs. Because ticket prices are so affordable, we treated ourselves to front-row seats and I felt so immersed throughout that night. That show was performed in the main theater (I believe it's called the Blizzard Theater), seatings was assigned, and tickets were only $16 for adults. In my opinion, it was an incredible value for a production of that caliber and soundtrack. We returned this past weekend to see "Unsung Broadway," which features musical numbers from shows that never made it to Broadway or had short runs. It was both entertaining and educational. This performance took place in the SecondSpace Theater, located next to the main theater. It's a much more intimate setting, and there really isn't a bad seat in the house. You can see the actors faces very well from any angle. They also do a great job of using all the stage area and turning at all points during their performances. Tickets for this show were $22. There's a small online processing fee when purchasing ahead of time, but overall, it's still very reasonable. You select your own seats of what's available or remaining once you enter the theater. The seats are a little bit tight together your traditional classic theater seat seats so there's not too much room when you have a big coat on during the winter time. If you want more leg room, you can get the floor seats which is right next to the stage and comes with a table with a candlelight centerpiece which gives off a very romantic & intimate flair also. They seem to pair off about 2-3 chairs per table. Both times we've been here we noticed they don't sell snacks or drinks during intermission, but the restrooms are conveniently located just outside between both theater entrances and are well kept. Parking is easy, and you can walk straight into the building -- no stairs required, as both theaters are located on the first floor. We truly enjoy coming here and appreciate having quality live performances so close to home. We'll definitely be back for both planned performances and more impromptu date nights and I want to also try to pair it with the student culinary experiences in the future :) read more

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I've been here twice for concerts; it's a decent venue. And I love that it's so close to home. Not a huge venue, but perfect for a community college campus theater. read more

My family and I had a wonderful evening at the ECC Arts Center! We enjoyed dinner first at the Spartan Terrace where the culinary students of ECC test out their new found skills. We enjoyed a great tomato bisque, a delicious slice of beef with a great potato dish, and then a mocha creme brulee for dessert. It was such a fun experience, we would definitely come back again. The alcohol at Spartan Terrace was a limited selection-beer and wine- cash bar. After our dinner we enjoyed a great show- From Broadway to Obscurity. I would highly recommend doing the dinner/theater experience at ECC- it was a fantastic Valentine's Day! read more

Located on the campus of Elgin Community College, the ECC Arts Center presents an amazing artists in intimate theaters. Attendees have an added opportunity to enjoy delicious dinners prepared by college's award-winning culinary arts program. Seats are ample an comfortable. Parking is plentiful and free) read more