Yep, Ovens looks like a high school gym from the outside. It also looks a tiny bit like one on the inside too. Nonetheless, I've seen some really great shows come here, like Wicked and 9 to 5, so I keep coming back.
As some others have reported, the acoustics aren't great here, especially if you're stuck near the back. However, there are TONS of seats - seriously the theater is much larger that I originally thought. And because of the larger capacity it gets a bit more pull for week-long Broadway tours of high caliber. That's a win.
The concessions and snackies are expensive just like any other theater but you can indeed bring them in (covertly of course). I brought in a bottle of water and some M&M's and saved myself a few bucks. Score!
The attendants here are helpful and assist you to your seat if needed. And while parking can be a total annoyance at large scale shows, it's really not so bad at Ovens. We're usually out of the parking lot and on our way within 10 minutes at the most - just be prepared to pay $5 to park. So, while it's not the sweetest theater I've ever been to, it provides a decent venue to catch a really great show in the Queen City.