Willie-Mania AND Cher-Mania in one year? Get out.

Here are a few of the local entertainment highlights of 2004, though not quite a Top 10:


CHER'S STRONG ENOUGH TO COME TO TOWN. Much like Barbra Streisand, Cher is like buttah.

No one believed it, but the news that Cher is indeed headed to Wichita Falls caused a bit of gleefulness, even though moonstruck fans were told implicitly NOT to line up for tickets until a mere 17 hours before ticket-sale time because of the Texas Thespians' State Festival next door at the MPEC.

No worries. We still believe in life after love (of waiting in line).

Cher will be at Kay Yeager Coliseum Feb. 4.


WILLIE-MANIA. Willie Nelson, after carpal-tunnel syndrome surgery, longed to get back on the road again, but alas, he had to postpone his concert not once, but twice because he hadn't fully recovered.

When he finally did get here, his stop at the Texas Roadhouse attracted high-school cheerleaders chanting "Willie! Willie! Willie!" and throngs of fans who just love the IRS-fightin', done-his-woman wrong, red-headed stranger.

Oh, and the concert was good, too.


CASTAWAY COVE. Wichita Falls didn't actually have a waterfall. But we made one.

We also now have water falling at the city's fist waterpark, thanks to a group of local investors who thought Wichitans needed to cool down and be terrorized by the harrowing Annie's Quest waterslide.

The park caused consternation because of its effect on Wichita Falls' not-so-generous water supply.

But, alas, one can't resist the calming wave pool ...


THE BOWLING FOR SOUP CONTROVERSY, SORT OF. Bowling for Soup, the rockers from Wichita Falls (self-appointed "four fat guys from Texas" and ... a-hem, Grammy-nominated four fat guys from Texas), sang on an advance copy of their latest CD that "Wichita Falls wants us back. But we're NEVER coming back."

The guys got charged with hometown bashing. They say it was good-natured hometown bashing directed at certain elements here who didn't support them. The Times Record News told them in an editorial that Wichita Falls doesn't want them back.

Feelings were riled up, letters-to-the-editor were spawned. But the guys, nonetheless, finally got some love nationwide with their hit "1984" and recorded the "Gilligan's Island Theme" for TBS' reality show "The Real Gilligan's Island."


LOCAL GUYS DONE GOOD. Former Wichitan Kevin Hall took the money and ran on "The Benefactor." He was one of the finalists chosen by Dallas Mavericks owner and billionaire Mark Cuban to be on the show. He was offered a bribe to leave (along with two others) and ended up taking the $30,000.

Clint Chandler, who graduated from Holliday High School, cruised through town as a guitarist with Josh Turner's band. Turner, the "Long Black Train" vocalist, was here for FallsFest.


"THE NUTCRACKER" DOESN'T DANCE FOR JOY. The Wichita Falls Ballet Theatre changed "The Nutcracker" drastically this year because of a decrease in grants and unfulfilled pledges.

Sugarplum fairies suffered, but not as much as ballet-lovers, who had to settle for the "Nutcracker Suite" instead of the full two performances of "The Nutcracker."


NEW MOVIE THEATERS. Hoo-ah!
Cinemark announced it's building stadium-seating movie theaters, moving in on Carmike Cinemas' stronghold in the city. And Carmike has plans to retro-fit its mall facility to incorporate stadium seating.

Maybe now we'll actually get to see "Closer" without having to drive to Dallas.

Now that would be like buttah.

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Arts and entertainment editor Lana Sweeten-Shults can be reached at (940) 720-3462 or by e-mail at shultsl@TimesRecordNews.com.

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Reprinted from the Wichita Falls Times Record News. Article by Lana Sweeten-Shults.