I love a theater with history and 1920's architecture and I found both in the Polk Theatre in…read moredowntown Lakeland. This 1,400-seat theatre was designed by architect James E. Casale and built in 1928 when the town of Lakeland had only 15,000 residents. The Polk Theatre opened on December 22, 1928 with Pauline Frederick in "On Trial". This theatre has the distinction of having the first air conditioning system in the county which pumped artesian well water to cool the building. Other features of the theatre include a mezzanine, a high balcony, a Venetian piazza backdrop, an orchestra pit, a cloud ceiling against which images of twinkling stars are projected, and terrazzo flooring. In 1941 the Polk Theatre was operated by Paramount Pictures Inc. through their subsidiary E.J. Sparks. In December 1978 it was taken over by Plitt Theatres. On September 23, 1984 the theatre was closed for low attendance after a showing of Jim Henson's "The Muppets Take Manhattan". A group of concerned people got together to save the historic theatre from demolition. It was purchased for $300,000 with a grant from the state. On October 15, 1984 the Polk Theatre reopened as a performing arts venue. The Polk Theatre was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1993. Today the theatre has a live performing arts series as well as independent films and special events. In December the event calendar is filled with classic films and a performance of the Nutcracker. Tickets can be purchased through the Polk Theatre website.

Fun and different experience than the traditional move theatre. They sell very reasonably priced…read moresnacks and drinks, and the theatre has been well kept for the number of years that it's been there. My partner loves older movies, so this is right up his alley. I enjoyed the theatre but not so much the older movies.

I have visited Lakeland Community Theatre a few times for plays in which my friend has acted…read more Always a wonderful time! I've seen Cinderella, Little Shop of Horrors and most recently Peter Pan. What a great experience! They spend quite a lot of money on the staging and costumes. Always a very impressive performance. The sound system is excellent and the seating is graduated so the back row is still a great place to sit. Never had a bad seat in the house. The serve 'complimentary' wine and beer before the play and during intermission (please tip to be respectful!). They sell $1 concessions beforehand and during intermission as well. This is a great place to take your family or even go on a date. Main stage tickets are $22 for adults. If you don't mind heading to Lakeland for a show, it is well worth it. On a side note, most restaurants and bars close at 11pm. Check out Texas Cattle Company next door for drinks and/or food!

Just watched Sister Act, marvelous performance by the entire cast. Bouquets to Lead Actress Who…read moreplayed Delores and also Mother Superior, many awesome performances within the cast. Easy to park (free) access to the wonderful theatre and not a bad seat in the house. If I lived in this area ( KY here) I wouyveva season ticket holder.

We found Ms. Tokyo Belle thru her services at Blissful Lotus and then perused thru her website and…read morefound that we could book her for a girls night in party at home. She was extremely professional...she assisted me in creating and organizing the event. She was flexible with time and place. She was prompt in her arrival to the location and immediately jumped into the conversation with the girls to put everyone at ease. After a few "courage" drinks for us chicas...she set up the area for our choreographed "striptease" dance. She was detailed and fun, high energy, informative, and organized. She had us all cracking up..... literally cause we were learned how to "crack the eggs" and "grind the coffee" and if you don't know what that means I suggest you head over to her page and IMMEDIATELY book her. I can't think of a better way to celebrate a bridal shower, girls night in, or a just because there was a sale on shoes than to sign up and take one of her classes.

From the owner: I teach burlesque in Central Florida and beyond ~in the comfort of your own home~…read more Burlesque lessons are a great way to gain confidence and have fun with your girlfriends in a comfortable and fun setting! It works like this: I come to you(your home, hotel space, etc)and teach you burlesque in a safe and comfortable environment. I can also provide dance studio space as well. I can travel throughout Florida and am available most nights. It doesn't matter your size, shape, or age- any lady from Tampa to Orlando, Miami to Jacksonville can learn burlesque and how to peel & reveal! Besides teaching I can provide burlesque or sideshow entertainment for your next event. Fire eating, human blockhead, and burlesque can help make your next party exciting and memorable. Whether it's a classy soiree or a crazy rave- my services will bring things to a whole new level at a reasonable rate. See my website for details on booking burlesque entertainment or burlesque classes.

It's adjacent to a hotel. The parking is not the best because they are remodeling…read more The inside is nice and cool. I went to for the FHSAA State Championship. They have two jumbo screens to watch and they were clear. They didn't have many food options and it was expensive.

This is the only venue I have ever been to where craft beer is actually cheaper than domestic…read moreoptions. Ordering either a $5 Craft Beer or $7 Budweiser is a pretty easy choice for me. That being said, you will still probably have to wait 25 minutes to get your $5 local brew. Lakeland center is dated, dark, and a long way from being a state of the art facility. However, it really isn't trying to be one either. You get the feeling that if Lakeland center could talk it would say; "I'm not the best venue in Florida and I'm OK with that." All kidding aside, the venue is comfortable, intimate and was a fine place to enjoy some Ring of Honor Wrestling. However, it doesn't appear to have been renovated in several decades and the concession lines were very slow. Lakeland center is a bit like a good dollar store knife, it isn't going to impress anyone but it gets the job done.

Every class I have taken has been so much fun! As a beginner I never felt intimidated by the…read moreinstruction and everyone was so friendly. You don't need to have experience or a dance partner. Everyone including the other students helped me feel encouraged and immediately welcome.

I can't believe we waiting so long to start lessons. We are taking private lesson but now are…read moreconfident enough to try a group class. Kevin is amazin and we are so thankful for Lori. She'll jump in when needed. This is our weekly date nigh. We both have jobs that travel from time to time. Kevin is accommodating and works with us.

I am consistently impressed by Theater Winter Haven. They put on some amazing shows and it's such a…read moregreat community theater. I really enjoyed Frozen and Little Shop of Horrors. Can't wait to go again. We became season ticket holders this year because of how impressive their theater is.

Great time. First time for 11 & 8 year olds grandgirls attending live theater. Annie was great…read more Cast and crew wonderful. All volunteers very friendly. Seats comfortable and easy to acess. Candy, water, soda and adult beverages for sale. But ladies do calculations in their heads and added $2 to price. Oh well. Donation. I hope to bring the girls again for another show. Easy free parking. Handicapped accessible.

This company provided the most memorable birthday event for my seven-year-old daughter. We had…read moreMerida and Moana come celebrate with us, and they kept several girls enngaged and enthralled for an hour and a half! Moana taught them island dances, Merida taught them archery, both princesses gave the girls makeovers, and Merida played a hide and seek game at the end. Everyone was thrilled, especially the birthday girl! A memorable and special birthday party option. Highly recommend.

This company goes above and beyond to ensure that little princesses feel special and loved. Whether…read morefor a birthday, or a tea party the Princess characters go out of their way to make the time special. I have attended 2 tea parties, and had them at a birthday party. My daughters and their friends love them. They are much better than what you even get at Disney. The upside its not as expensive, more one on one time, and not fighting a huge crowd. We just had Anna & Elsa at our 8 year old's Frozen party. My 2 year old wants Ariel at her 3rd party. We can't wait!

Fun place, economical drinks and great music. Both solo acts and bands perform a variety of music…read more The service is always "top shelf". The Pink Piano is a hidden gem right here in Lakeland.

I wandered in to The Pink Piano on a weeknight that happened to be open mic night and it was…read moreabsolutely delightful!! The bartender/owner was super friendly. They just had beer and wine, which worked for me. It was the best end to date night! Would definitely go back if I'm in Lakeland at night.

As a member of the CATS program for Polk County (Visit Central Florida), we had the privilege of…read morebeing invited to the dress rehearsal of The Sound of Music at the Haines City Theatre. It's been a long long time since I've seen a live performance like this and I've got to say it has renewed a spark in me to do this more often. I was impressed by the the experience as a whole. The scene changes were like none I've ever seen before. They were done with precision and didn't distract from the performances in any way. The opening scenes with the nuns singing was magical. Their harmonies were angelic and the actress who played Mother Abbess has such a beautiful and powerful voice that was in full display throughout the play. Her bravado is amazing. All of the actors and actresses did a fantastic job with their parts and singing and that's both the children and adults. Their performance was believable and heartfelt. I even heard people saying they cried during the performance. If you can bring out emotions like that, then you know you're performing at a high caliber. I highly recommend for anyone in the area or even outside, to go see this performance of The Sound of Music. It's refreshing to see a well known classical brought back to life, especially with a stellar performance as the one we saw. Please support this local gem of a theatre.

Dinner with friends then attending CATS group for the opening "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever"…read moresuch a cute story. Thanks for the invitation. A must see production & don't forget a non-perishable can good to be donated. This production had lots of cast members & it all worked. Going to try to catch a couple more times. Extra Bonus: group of the cast children played bells such an extra surprise!!

I can't fully express how grateful and happy I am that we got to meet Chris Torres today. We came…read morein with family and friends just to enjoy some drinks, and he took care of us in a way no one ever has before. His hospitality, kindness, and attention to every detail made our experience truly unforgettable. We're so thankful for the amazing service, and honestly, we would come back again because of him. Thank you, Chris, for giving us some of the best hospitality in the world -- you truly made our day special.

Let me start off by saying that I had no expectations when visiting this venue for the first time…read morethis evening. They were starting a karaoke night and I figured since I enjoy performing that this would give me an opportunity to check out the venue for possible future event visits. The event was scheduled from 8pm to 12pm or later. We arrived 10 min. early in case there was already a crowd. GM Chris came to the door and asked us what time it was(?), that should have sent a red flag as he was the point person for running this event. We spent 10 min speaking with the Pink Piano owner next door and had a great conversation. At 8pm we went in and there was 1 individual sitting at the bar and the bartender. I ordered a scotch and a neutral for my disabled spouse. At 8:46pm with just 4 people (included) waiting for the karaoke, I went to the bar to close out my tab. The total for my drink and spouse came out to $19 and I left a $5 tip for the bartender who spent the entire time talking to the young man sitting at the bar. These are very difficult financial times for many people and to charge this type of prices for drinks, especially in Lakeland, Fl is absurd. As a very well organized individual who has managed many venues in his past along with being a professional performer, this was a complete disappointment from an operational point of view. If you are going to advertise a venue with a start time, at least either start on time or apologize to patrons who made provisions to attend the venue for events. My time is just as important as those running this establishment. Making arrangements to bring out a disabled spouse and having to wait almost an hour is totally unacceptable. If this is the type of operational standards then I along with my spuse will patron those establishments who have a deep appreciation for return customers and their financial contribution to the running of the business. I will leave it with this, if people choose to allow business's to simply run it without any regard for the paying customer, then you deserve what you get.