Here are 10 of the most-read entertainment stories for 2014.
The staff of Yellow Dog Cafe in Malabar surround Food Network chef Emeril Lagasse, center, in this Sept. 11 photo. Lagasse filmed a segment there for his show, "Emeril's Florida."(Photo: PHOTO COURTESY OF SCOTT LAFORTUNE)
Before we ring in the new year, we take a look back at what made headlines, what was trending and what stories attracted a lot of clicks and shares from readers like you.
Here are 10 of the most-read entertainment stories for 2014.
Pure Brevard
•Melbourne Air and Space Show takes off. In October, this nomadic air show — it previously occurred in Cocoa Beach, then at beachside Melbourne before finding a base at Melbourne International Airport — performed for a crowd of about 250,000. It returns to the airport the weekend of March 22, the same weekend as Runaway Country. Bonus: The Tico Warbird Airshow is scheduled the week before, so Brevardians have two chances to see planes roar.
RELATED:Back-to-back airshows in Brevard
•Best freebies in Brevard. Family Adventures columnist Maggie Dickinson gave a rundown of things to do and places to go — for free. We're lucky to live on the Space Coast, which boasts comfortable weather, gorgeous scenery and small-town charm. Some of Dickinson's picks include hiking, a boat ride to Samsons Island, airplane rides, and exploring our county's rich history with the space program.
RELATED: 10 best freebies in Brevard
•Susan Boyle performs in Melbourne. In November, the viral sensation squinted to a crowd of 2,000 fans at the King Center and told them, "To me, singing songs is like telling stories." The cheeky Scottish singer shared her story in song and commentary, replaying part of that famous audition from "Britain's Got Talent" and the ire of Simon Cowell. Her supersonic, meteoric rise to fame led to albums, a small movie role and a U.S. tour with stops in Florida.
RELATED: Q&A with Susan
In July, FLORIDA TODAY spoke with Boyle, who said she was excited about her first trip to the Sunshine State.
RELATED:Susan Boyle fanatacis have a fan-tastic time
Reality TV
•Kate Chastain enjoys suite life on deck. The Melbourne Beach resident and UCF grad joined season two of "Below Deck" on Bravo, a reality show based on the yachting industry. It premiered in August and followed the crew that caters to the needs of the rich. Chastain, as chief stewardess, and her "Below Deck" castmates lived in close quarters on board a $10 million luxury yacht.
"Being on a reality show," she told FLORIDA TODAY, "it was a very interesting experience. It's a lot like life condensed. The only thing you can't control is how you react to it."
RELATED: Chastain: Reality TV's 'like life condensed'
•Jada Cacchilli joins the "Bad Girls Club" family. Cacchilli starred in "Bad Girls Club: Chicago" on Oxygen for season 12 in July and returned for "Bad Girls Club: Redemption" in October. She's not only a reality star, but an aspiring singer and rapper. She talked with FLORIDA TODAY about her candid past in Brevard, briefly attending two high schools during a troubled youth, and life lessons learned from reality TV.
"I can tell you that it's a crazy experience," she said over the summer. "I would say stay true to yourself because a lot of times when you feel like everybody's against you, you tend to change your character so they like you. I didn't change who I was. I stayed true to myself."
RELATED:She's not just a reality star, yo
•Bam! Emeril films in Brevard — again. The veteran Food Network star returned to the Space Coast in September to film at several restaurants for his show, "Emeril's Florida."
As a kid, Lindsay Duensing, managing partner of the Fat Snook in Cocoa Beach, watched a larger-than-life Emeril Lagasse yell "Bam!" to his studio audience as he cooked. She and her mom, Mona Foy, took note of his other catchphrases like "Kick it up a notch" over the years. It was an honor, she said, to have Emeril in the Fat Snook's kitchen. On Sept. 10 and 11, Lagasse also filmed a segment at Yellow Dog Cafe in Malabar, Cafe Margaux in Cocoa Village and Cafe Coconut Cove in Melbourne Beach. The episode will air in January.
RELATED:Emeril gets a taste of Space Coast
•Pumped! Ariana Madix joins "Vanderpump Rules." The service industry has rules. But when it comes to reality TV, there's quite a different set to follow. Melbourne native Ariana Madix joined the cast of of this Bravo reality show for its third season, which premiered in November.
"Vanderpump" isn't shy on the tears, nudity or eyebrow-raising drama. Madix tends bar on the show along with her boyfriend Tom Sandoval and his ex, Kristen Doute. Let's just say there''s a mix of drama and tension behind the bar.
"I want people to know that it's not a misconception," Madix said in November. "You are who you are on the show. It's really hard but it's also really fun. ... In real life, if you don't like somebody, you don't talk to somebody. But in this situation, you have to. That's hard."
RELATED: 'Vanderpump' not shy on tears, nudity or drama
•Pratt, housemates win $1 million on MTV show. Tyler Pratt and the rest of the crew of MTV's "Are You the One" scored some cool cash: $1 million. So what will the Merritt Island High grad do with his share?
"Honestly, I should probably give it to my mom just so I don't spend it all," he said earlier this month.
Filming for the reality show took place in the summer in Puerto Rico with a debut on Oct. 6. The premise? Ten twenty-something men and 11 women were tasked with trying to find their perfect match. The catch? One man would have two female perfect matches.
Pratt, as he was known on the reality dating show, found his perfect match in castmate Paris Eike. The former nerd/fitness model made a lot of friends: "There's a lot of tears, a lot of screaming and a lot of yelling," he said of the reunion episode. No matter the drama, he added, "we all love each other like a family."
RELATED:411 on MTV star Tyler Pratt
Movie theater news
•Palm Bay Dollar Movies closes. In spite of its popularity for slightly cheaper movies, the movie theater shut its doors in June. Run by Teicher Theaters for four years, Alan Teicher of Sun City, president of the company that owns theaters in Ohio, Indiana and Florida, cited the costs of digital films as the reason for its closing.
•Carmike brings IMAX to South Brevard. In August, Carmike West Melbourne 12 opened at Hammock Landing. Owned by Carmike Cinemas, West Melbourne 12 has 11 movie screens and one IMAX theater, which seats 460 people with a screen that's 65 feet wide and 3 1/2 stories tall, general manager Clayton Snell had told FLORIDA TODAY. The arm rests are movable, and the leather seats are cushion-y and recline.
The other auditoriums boast the same style of seats, just without the leather.
Moviegoers who pay extra for IMAX: when the sound system is at its max — 11,000 watts of power — the theater shakes. "When the bass hits and the lightning strikes in the movies," Snell said, "you're going to feel it."
RELATED: Carmike brings IMAX to South Brevard
Orlando
•Ta-da! Diagon Alley opens. Fishy Green Ale and Toad in the Hole, anyone? If that's not your cup of tea, consider Butterbeer ice cream or Dragon Scale Draught Beer. It's what all the witches and wizards have been consuming at Universal Studios since Diagon Alley opened in July.
Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Hogsmeade at Islands of Adventure opened in 2010.
Consider the bar raised — in fan experience and growth. A Hogwarts Express train marries the two parks — for a price — to park attendees who wish to travel to and fro. Several celebrities from the films made appearances at the theme parks for the opening. They'll return for "A Celebration of Harry Potter" in January.
RELATED:Diagon Alley breathes fire into Universal Orlando
•It's Harry, Niall, Liam, Louis and Zayn (sort of). "Today" show host Matt Lauer dubbed Nov. 17 as "One Direction Day." That's the day 15,000 screaming fans camped out at Universal Orlando CityWalk for a coveted glimpse of the mega popular boy band. In town to tape NBC's morning news show with fellow host and weatherman Al Roker, Lauer talked shop with Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson. The band arrived by boat to a chorus of ear-piercing screams. Noticeably absent from the "Today" show taping was band member Zayn Malik, who, castmates said, had a "tummy bug."
RELATED:15,000 swarm Orlando for 1D, 'Today' show
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