Sing along to 'Sound of Music' at ECC Arts Center Oct. 18
The Elgin Community College Arts Center will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the classic movie musical "The Sound of Music" on Saturday, Oct. 18, when it presents "Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music."
The performance will begin at 7 p.m. at the Blizzard Theatre located in the Building H Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
A preshow Austrian-themed dinner starts at 5 p.m. and takes place in Spartan Terrace Restaurant which is conveniently located just a few steps from the theater.
The film "The Sound of Music," with music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein, premiered in 1965, won five Academy Awards, and has become a beloved classic. Since starting in the United Kingdom back in 1999, "Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music" has now also become a worldwide hit, playing to packed houses across the globe with over 10,000 performances in 11 different countries.
For those not yet converted, "Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music" is a screening of the classic Julie Andrews film musical in glorious, full-screen Technicolor, complete with subtitles so that the whole audience can sing along!
The fun-filled show starts with a vocal warm-up led by the evening's host, who also takes the audience through their complimentary "magic moments fun pack," containing various props to be used at strategic points throughout the film.
While not required, audience members are encouraged to wear Sound of Music-themed costumes to the show so that they can participate in the famous "fancy-dress" costume competition in which all costumed audience members are invited on the stage to show off their tailoring skills and compete for a grand prize. Previous entries have included: nuns, girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, a lonely goatherd, a man in a gold catsuit (aka Ray - a Drop of Golden Sun!), and even a gazebo.
Celebrity fans of "Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music" include Dan Ackroyd, Charmian Carr, Carrie Fisher, Elton John, Debbie Reynolds, Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys, Hugh Grant, Joan Collins and Graham Norton. The Los Angeles Times says, "'Sing-a-long-a Sound of Music' is like the most cathartic rock gig experience!"
Tickets for "Sing-a-Long-a Sound of Music" are $22.
Tickets for the preshow dinner prepared by ECC's award-winning Culinary and Hospitality program are an additional $29. The Austrian-themed menu for that evening includes roasted squash soup, pork schnitzel with lemon aiolo accompanied by spaetzle and a cucumber salad, and a trio of Sacher torte cream puffs (a rich chocolate torte with apricot filling).
The deadline for dinner reservations is Monday, Oct. 13.
Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu, at the ECC box office located in the Arts Center, or by phone at (847) 622-0300. Box office hours are noon to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.