Thanks, Wayne!

When some people think of the name Wayne Newton, they picture a cocky teenage Matthew Broderick defiantly lip-synching "Danke Schoen" whilst straddling a float in Ferris Bueller's Day Off. That's OK. Most of you out there were only a twinkle in Daddy's eye when Wayne was scorching the airwaves with that signature song back in 1963. Perhaps some of you know him from his numerous and varied movie roles over the years. From the mind-bogglingly atrocious Adventures of Ford Fairlane to the lost cult classic The Dark Backward, "The Newt" has been lending his velvet presence to the silver screen for more than 35 years. He started young (his first professional singing gig was at age 6) and sounded young for years after that. Wayne's trademark soprano singing voice had many people believing that he was either a teenage girl, a castrated boy or just a late bloomer. Well, they were right. But when I think of the name Wayne Newton, two words pop into my head: "Las Vegas." Newton is the undisputed king of Sin City, at one point commanding a staggering $1 million a month for his loungey, casino ballroom magic. And if you ask me, he's worth every penny. The king of Vegas is coming 8 p.m. Wednesday to Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie, 1001 Performance Place. Tickets are $40 to $85. Call 214-373-8000 or visit ticketmaster.com.
Wed., March 7, 8 p.m.