Livonia, MI Indoor Activities

Perfect for ringing in autumn with the calming clack of lobster shells, the Back East Feast offers a taste of Atlantic seafare in the heart of Michigan. The feast itself starts at 5:30 p.m., so before getting in line to load up on corn on the cob, guests can stretch their hunger muscles while listening to the live tunes of Hidden Agenda Band and drinking one of the house wines or a Miller Lite.

The 17th-annual festival boasts an impressive lineup of esteemed musicians and emerging artists performing work from the classical chamber repertoire as well as contemporary compositions. The festival’s theme this year is “The Poet Speaks,” and the June 12 performance features the music and poetry of Lera Auerbach in a piano, cello, and soprano trio, as well as the Haydn Piano Trio in C Major and Schumann’s Piano Quartet in E-flat Major. Forty-five minutes prior to the concert, which begins at 8 p.m., Auerbach will present an educational prelude about her music and writing.

When Kelle Ilitch turned her dream Pilates studio into a reality, she spared no consideration. The airy blue space is instantly calming, although its abundance of high-tech Reformer machines makes it clear that she and her fellow instructors mean business. The space accommodates many class styles, from classic mat Pilates lessons—including specialized sessions for seniors and kids—to ballet-barre-based workouts. Like Pilates and cummerbunds made of cement, the barre workouts strengthen cores while lengthening and toning thighs. The staffers also teach Kinesis, a form of strength training that allows for an entirely free range of motion, making it easier to tone muscle groups across bodies simultaneously.

Andiamo Novi combines the eloquence of upscale Italian cuisine with the spontaneity of live entertainment. Dinner in the Andiamo Novi restaurant starts around 8:30 p.m., and pasta-covetous guests can choose any entree from the dinner-show menu. Order the farfalle con bocconcini di pollo to find chicken tenderloin scintillatingly cloaked within bowtie pasta with wild mushrooms, or set course for seafood with the pesce bianco alla Sicilianna, a thinly breaded whitefish sautéed in olive oil. After they've filled up on Italian cuisine, diners can head to the upstairs theater for an evening of golden wits and guffaws, courtesy of the restaurant's Late Night Comedy Series. Each show lasts about 80 minutes and features a changing lineup of comics provided by Heffron Talent International. Even humor skeptics who proclaimed comedy dead when president/ventriloquist William McKinley was assassinated by his anarchist dummy should find ample opportunity to chuckle.

The energetic hosts at My Girly Party plan lavish birthday parties and events chock full of entertainment and interactive fun. Their roster of parties—which range in theme from princess to pajama party and can be held in their private party space or on location—incorporate high-energy karaoke, tea parties, and fashion shows. The hosts also pamper their pint-sized guests with mini facials and manicures. My Girly Party also hosts soirees designed specifically for Girl Scouts, enriching their scout experience with activities like dance parties, photo shoots, and tying up stuffed animals with complex square knots.

Village Pilates Studio's owner, Regan Hoerster, boasts an impressive 1,000 hours of apprenticeship work, earning a master's certification with the Pilates Method Alliance. She draws from her extensive education to create a comfortable, friendly environment with class styles to accommodate patrons of all skill levels and varying needs. Hoerster offers one-on-one private lessons and semiprivate lessons with a maximum of four participants, which are especially beneficial to beginners. The small class sizes enable her to devote ample attention to each person to foster the development of proper technique. More advanced patrons can opt for gender-specific classes, large-group mat classes, or those that incorporate props such as the barre, pole, and low chair. Reformer machines—built specifically to enhance Pilates workouts by adding resistance to the exercises—line the walls of the hardwood studio, with the majority of the floor space left open for performing mat work and impressing fellow students by forming every letter in Mississippi with your body.