Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Leo's Live

    5.0 (1 review)
    Open 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    Leo's Live Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Leo's Live

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration
    Photo of Todd W.
    121
    83
    12

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Polk Theatre

    Polk Theatre

    4.4(16 reviews)
    5.1 mi

    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.

    We went here for the first time, having bought tickets back in February for an August show. So our…read moreseats were great at the center front row balcony. These seats were pretty good and afford you a rail platform in front of you to securely place your drinks. The seats were not uncomfortable. If you are of a shorter stature you may need to lean forward during any live performance to see the entire stage, at least from near dead center seats. My/our only real complaint was the lack of some serious air conditioning up there. I can't tell you if my thinking on this is correct, as we never experienced the orchestra seating temps. I realize that heat rises and it was a sold out show, but still it made for a slightly uncomfortable time. The acoustics for a comedy show was pretty good and I wondered how a concert would be up there. The folks sitting next to us were veterans of this theater and recommended sitting in the orchestra area for concerts, thus since we did not hate this venue we purchased tickets to a couple of upcoming tribute bands, seats within the first 5 rows and seats in the very back row of the orchestra level. The staff were all very pleasant and made you feel welcomed. The architecture within was wonderful to look at. The restrooms were clean and of good size for an old theater. The concessions were extremely reasonable compared to other venues, with nothing over $4! That included beer and wine.

    Photos
    Polk Theatre
    Polk Theatre
    Polk Theatre

    See all

    Leo's Live - musicvenues - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...