Hannah Montana News and Concert Reviews

Recording Studio

2008-09-06T13:38:00.002-04:00

dear hannah montana,

i herd u went into dat studio 2 record sum more music. dats hot. u gotta work it, right?

im gonna be waitin 2 hear wut new songs u rote. catch u lata. big ups.

- rawk starr

Is Disney star Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana trying to pull a Vanessa Hudgens?

2008-01-29T22:52:00.000-05:00

Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) Solidarity Strip? - Vanessa Hudgens naked pictures have hit the web and Vanessa Hudgens has become an internet phenomenon. And not for all the right reasons.

Miley Cyrus has shockingly continued the Disney teen strip craze with her photos. There is some doubt as to their validity.

What is not in doubt is that Miley Cyrus has publicly declared her support for the now infamous Vanessa Hudgens.

The Hannah Montana star is the first Disney counterpart to utter a word since Baby V’s nude photo scandal. In a backstage interview with E! News, Miley sounds off on the international photo phenomenon:

“It’s everywhere (the photos), but the thing is.. mistakes happen and I’m just happy I can be there for her as a friend which is what she needs more than anything.”

The 18-year-old Hudgens’s candid mirror-image shots were intended for her boyfriend and High School Musical co-star Zac Efron’s eyes only - but an unknown third party stole the pictures and placed one on the internet.

Walt Disney Records Gets the Party Started with Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party

2008-01-29T22:48:00.000-05:00

Walt Disney Records throws a full-on non-stop dance party with the release of the Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party CD on January 29, 2008.

Following up on last summer’s #1 Billboard 200 release: Hannah Montana 2 / Meet Miley Cyrus two disc set – and on the phenomenally successful 70-date Best of Both Worlds Tour – the Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party CD is a fresh mix of the complete hits from the Hannah Montana 2 disc, remixed into one continuous dance party mix.

All tracks were remixed by Chris Cox (Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna). Cox is a Grammy-nominated producer, chart-topping solo artist, Grammy-winning label owner, club DJ, and mixmaster who specializes in dance music and club-friendly electronica. Bonus features include a Chris Cox Megamix, live performance videos from the London concert, a photo slideshow and a link to printable party invitations.

The Hannah Montana franchise continues to break records. Hannah Montana ranks as the #1 cable show with girls 6-11, and its soundtrack Hannah Montana 2 was the #6 best-selling CD of 2007 (according to Nielsen SoundScan), scanning over 2.6 million units to date. The original Hannah Montana soundtrack release is triple platinum and was the first TV soundtrack to land at #1 on The Billboard 200. Miley Cyrus is the youngest-ever recording artist with two #1 albums in less than one year.

The Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party track list is as follows:

1. "One in a Million" (Remix)

2. "True Friend" (Remix)

3. "Old Blue Jeans" (Remix)

4. "Make Some Noise" (Remix)

5. "Nobody’s Perfect" (Remix)

6. "Rock Star" (Remix)

7. "Life’s What You Make It" (Remix)

8. "We Got the Party" (Remix)

9. "You and Me Together" (Remix)

10. "Bigger than Us" (Remix)

Bonus Features:
-- Chris Cox Megamix
--

Live Performance Videos from the London Concert:
-- "Nobody's Perfect"
-- "Life's What You Make It"
-- Photo Slideshow
-- Printable Party Invitations

Disney Channel is a 24-hour kid-driven, family inclusive television network that taps into the world of kids and families through original series and movies plus contemporary acquired programming. Currently available on basic cable in over 95 million U.S. homes and to millions of other viewers on 27 Disney Channels around the world, Disney Channel is part of the Disney-ABC Television Group.

Hannah Montana 2 Non-Stop Dance Party will be available at retail nationwide wherever music is sold.

Hannah Montana's show coming to Montana big screens

2008-01-06T14:32:00.000-05:00

Disney superstar Hannah Montana is coming to the big screen in Montana starting on February 1st.

The wildly popular artist among children will perform her Best of Both Worlds tour on a 3D screen and will also be featured on 192 Carmike movie screens from February 1st until February 7th.

Miley Cyrus, who plays Hannah Montana, had a soundtrack that hit number one on the Billboard charts back in 2006.

Tickets will cost $15, but Carmike representatives say the 3D experience is well worth the extra price. Hannah Montana's tickets for her live shows often sell for several hundred dollars.

'Hannah Montana' mania hits Cleveland

2008-01-06T14:30:00.000-05:00

Cleveland has prepared for its evening of Hannah-monium.

Miley Cyrus — TV's "Hannah Montana" — brings her sold-out concert tour to Quicken Loans Arena, which says all 16,000 tickets for today's show are spoken for.

Extra security measures at the will-call window are designed to ensure that no Hannah fans lose their prized seats.

Police plan to alter traffic patterns for the expected crush of concertgoers and so parents don't simply drop their kids off but walk them to the arena doors.

Some are coming to the show from far beyond northeast Ohio.

Two mothers say they brought their daughters from Athens, Tex., because they could get tickets for the Cleveland show for $65 each. They say resellers wanted $1,500 for upper-level seats in Dallas.

At Last! Hundreds of Affordable Hannah Montana Tickets Listed online

2008-01-06T14:26:00.000-05:00

After months of sticker shock at the asking prices for Hannah Montana tickets, some welcome relief has come for parents seeking more affordable access to the hottest pre-teen concert tour ever. The supply for three mid-January Hannah Montana shows in Las Vegas has become so plentiful at online ticket marketplace StubHub.com, that fans are reaping the benefits of the lowest asking prices of the entire tour. So much so that dozens of fans have recently purchased tickets on StubHub for less than $30. Tickets have sold for as low as $14 for the Las Vegas show at MGM Grand on January 18.

"It's refreshing to see prices relax for these sold out Hannah Montana shows in Las Vegas. With three performances on a three day Martin Luther King weekend, many fans may have an opportunity to travel to see the show," said Sean Pate, Head of Corporate Communications for StubHub. "The vast amount of tickets on sale is keeping prices extraordinarily low compared to other tour stops around the country. Parents should consider Las Vegas for the opportunity to see a Hannah Montana show at a very reasonable price."

The Hannah Montana concert tour has been one of the most popular and controversial shows in music history. On StubHub, the tour has out grossed legendary acts like the Police and Van Halen, as well as contemporary superstars like Justin Timberlake. The "Best of Both Worlds" tour has become the highest grossing concert series in the history of StubHub based on the dollar volume of tickets sold. Insatiable public demand for her performances has driven resold ticket prices at StubHub to an average of over $260 nationwide. With recently added dates and multiple shows in cities like Las Vegas, StubHub remains stocked with availability and asking prices are at the most affordable levels they have been since the tour began.

Hannah Montana Contest Winner Apologizes For Fake Essay

2008-01-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

The Hannah Montana tour is definitely one of the hottest tickets in town for tweens and their parents, but one woman admits she went a little overboard in trying to win tickets for her daughter. Texas mom Priscilla Ceballos apologized Friday (January 4) on NBC's "Today" show for writing an essay falsely claiming the girl's father had died in Iraq just so the girl could see Hannah (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus) in person. "I just wanted to help my daughter write a compelling story," she said. The fabricated essay won the contest's grand prize, which included airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to a sold-out Hannah Montana concert there, as well as a makeover that included a blond Hannah Montana wig. "Please accept my heartfelt apology and please do not punish my child for my mistake," Ceballos urged on the show.

2000 New Year's baby is a huge Hannah Montana fan

2008-01-06T14:19:00.000-05:00

Alyssa Mary Anne Freimann, the first metro-east New Year's baby of 2000, just turned 8. Alyssa lives in Highland with mom Amy Freimann, dad Kyle Poole, and sister, Kennedy, 3.

On New Year's Eve, the family dining room table was filled with balloons, including one shaped like a giant guitar. Teen actress Miley Cyrus' face smiled from birthday plates and napkins.

It wasn't hard to figure out one of Alyssa's interests. The ponytailed second-grader wore a black Hannah Montana tunic over blue jeans and furry boots.

"Remember what we told you about coming home from the hospital?" said mom Amy Freimann. "You got to come home in a limousine, a big long car like Hannah Montana rides in."

We talked to Alyssa on the eve of her birthday. She had already had a party with friends and looked forward to a family party.

Favorite presents: "I really wanted a pottery wheel and I got that. Puzzles. I got a trampoline." For her birthday, she got more Hannah Montana and "High School Musical" stuff, a camera case for her digital camera and a hair streaker to put color in her hair.

What she likes to do: "I like to swim and jump on my new trampoline. Santa put it up for us. We left cookies for Santa and carrots for his reindeer. He left the tops of the carrots on the oven and a note that said he liked the cookies and the reindeer liked the carrots, and he left a special surprise outside for us that wouldn't fit in the house. I was surprised. I jumped on it Christmas morning in my pajamas."What's on the party menu? "Little smokies, a veggie tray, because I like veggies."

"Chips and soda," said Mom. "Sloppy joes. We worked on the menu together. All of her favorite stuff."

Favorite food: Chocolate chip cookies

What can you cook? "Oatmeal. Take the pack, pour it in a bowl and put hot water in."

What's it like to have a little sister? "Bad. She's trouble. She just likes to do what I do when I'm doing crafts or playing on the computer."Favorite subject: "Reading and spelling. I like the "Magic Tree House" books and "Choose Your Own Adventure." You can skip from different chapters and choose which one you want."

Least favorite subject: "Math. The only part of math I like is fractions. We do rocket math. As many math problems as we can in one minute."

Her chores: "Keep my room clean and put out food and water for the dog (a golden retriever named Mackenzie). Put the shoes away." Her mom added: "We kick our shoes off by the back door. She has to cart them to everybody's room."

How far have you traveled? "We just got back from a ski trip to Devils Head in Wisconsin. My grandpa (Michael Freimann) is from Wisconsin. (The family drove up during the snowstorm on Dec. 15.) I like to go fast."

"Our rule is she has to have somebody with her," said mom Amy. "Uncle Justin (Freimann) who's 21 takes her all over the place."

Alyssa also has been to Biloxi, Miss., to visit her uncle Christopher who is in the Air Force. The family visits Branson, Mo., every year and goes on float trips.

Favorite cartoon character? ScoobyDoo.

Good thing about having your birthday on a holiday: "Pretty much no matter what day it falls on, we have all the family over for it," said mom Amy.

"It's nice to have a special holiday as my birthday," said Alyssa. "No one forgets my birthday or how old I am."

What would you ask Hannah Montana if you met her? "What is it like to have everyone screaming your name?"

Investigation Sought For Hannah Montana Ticket Mess

2007-12-22T07:23:00.000-05:00

An Ohio state senator wants some answers on how the ticketing industry really works, and why fans sometimes get shut out from gaining tickets to hot shows, such as the current Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tour.

State Sen. Eric Kearney, a Democrat from Cincinnati, recently called on Ohio’s Attorney General Marc Dann to investigate the industry, and the senator vowed to introduce legislation to help fans better understand event ticketing by improving the transparency of the marketplace. As a state, Ohio doesn’t regulate ticket reselling, instead leaving it in the hands of municipalities. Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus all allow some version of reselling, such as restricting it to the internet and/or requiring a permit.

Jim Gravelle, spokesperson for the attorney general, told TicketNews that while the office “took the senator’s remarks very seriously,” he can neither confirm nor deny whether an investigation is in the works.

Kearney received complaints from angry parents who were shut out of buying tickets to Hannah Montana shows in the state, but he would like any investigation to look at the industry as whole and not concentrate only on ticketing practices surrounding the young pop starlet. In New Jersey and North Carolina parents have launched lawsuits over various aspects of the Hannah ticketing mess, and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon also investigated the situation.

“Ticketmaster and event promoters operating in Ohio should be aware that customers are angry at the way they do business,” Kearney said in a statement. “This isn’t just about Hannah Montana. It’s about every big event that comes to Cincinnati. Someone is profiting and parents are left paying the price.”

Speaking hypothetically and not specifically about the ticketing industry, Gravelle said that complaints similar to Kearney’s would potentially fall under the state’s Consumer Sales Practices Act, which makes it civilly “unlawful to deceive or treat unfairly” any consumer who is buying goods or services.

Tickets to the Ohio Hannah concerts, and other popular events in state, sold out in minutes, and seats were withheld for Cyrus fan club members and others, a common practice. In addition, tickets were quickly posted by brokers and on Ticketmaster’s TicketExchange for exorbitant prices quickly after selling out.

Young Singer Gives Fans Taste of Hannah Montana

2007-12-22T07:20:00.000-05:00

Up until recently, Melody Hession didn't like Hannah Montana.
When the Annapolis girl first tuned in to the Disney show that's become a pop culture phenomenon, she thought it was "stupid." But Melody's best friend loved the show, so she decided to give it another chance, and now she's a fan.

So much so that 13-year-old Melody, who aspires to her own recording career under the name Melody Page, will be featured at Annapolis Alive! New Year's Eve, the city's new-fangled holiday celebration, dressed as Hannah Montana.

It won't be her first public appearance in costume, either. The St. Mary's Elementary School eighth-grader dressed as Hannah for Halloween.

Melody, er, Hannah will take to the main stage to sing favorites from the show, but she also plans to mix in a few original numbers. Copies of her CD, "Lucky Girl," will be on sale that night, too, according to her father, Bill Hession, who is helping with the planning for the city's festivities.

With tickets to the real Hannah Montana concerts a scarcity, Mr. Hession said the show provides a chance for local families to get a little closer to the real thing. Melody, of course, doesn't want to be known simply as a Hannah Montana impersonator, but she and her father, a musician himself, said it's one way to get her name out and publicize the CD.

"I'm just kind of high energy," said Melody, whoseother musical favorites include current artists like Michelle Branch, Kelly Clarkson and Avril Lavigne, as well as classic rockers like Led Zeppelin. "(And) I love to sing. I've always loved to sing."

Melody, who said she's known among her friends for wearing ties and suspenders, models some of her songs after Hannah Montana's music, and constantly scribbles down ideas on scraps of paper and in a well-worn notebook titled "Lyricks."

Rather than being nervous about her upcoming performance, Melody said she's pretty psyched. "This is so cool," she said. "I'm happy, excited. I like being the center of attention."

Hit maker

Maybe it's no surprise that Melody was bitten by the music bug.

Her parents met doing karaoke, and they sang to her in the womb. Plus, it's in her name.

The melody part is self-explanatory, but her middle name, Paige, is also musical. Paige is a feminized version of Page, taken from Led Zeppelin's iconic guitarist Jimmy Page, who happens to be Mr. Hession's idol. They changed it from Paige to Page for her stage name.

Mr. Hession said Melody started singing at age 3 and basically never stopped. She's acted, playing the title character in "Annie" with a local theater group, and got serious about the guitar in the past year. She practices an hour a day after she gets home from school and before she starts her homework. She also plays the piano.

Mr. Hession works with his youngest daughter (he also has a 20-year-old) on her music in their home recording studio. He's helping to produce Melody's CD, and plays all the instruments on the recording. Mr. Hession's full-time job is selling copiers, but he's also been playing in local bands for the past 20 years.

"She's going to be famous in six months," he proclaimed. "I just love working with her."

Hannah Montana Thrills Providence

2007-12-22T07:18:00.001-05:00

She's an idol to young teens all over the world. Miley Cyrus, also known as, "Hanna Montana" entertained the crowd Thursday night at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. For the kids, it was a blast, but for the parents it was a long evening.

Traffic and very long lines at the will-call line made some tempers flare. But for the audience, it was a fabulous night!

No Apologies for Hannah Montana Tickets

2007-12-22T07:15:00.000-05:00

Asked Thursday whether parents who stood in long lines trying to buy their kids tickets to the Dec. 8 "Hannah Montana" concert at the Allstate Arena should be upset that he and his daughters ended up with free tickets and a backstage visit -- all courtesy of his buddy, state Sen. James DeLeo -- Gov. Blagojevich said:

"I have two daughters and being a good dad is a heck of a lot more important to me than being a good politician. And when my little girls ask their dad how to find a way to get them to see Hannah Montana, I do everything I can to get them to see Hannah Montana.

"Now, in my home, when I'm home, there's a conflict when it comes to the television. I would like SportsCenter. My little girls would like the Disney Channel. And it's usually the Disney Channel. They win and I lose. I think Hannah Montana is a wholesome, sweet performer. I've seen every episode of the Hannah Montana show because my daughters like to watch it.

"If you think my daughters are going to ask me to try to get them tickets to see Hannah Montana and I'm going to tell them 'No,' well then you're wrong. I think it's a good thing to do for your kids. I did what I could to get them tickets to see Hannah Montana.

"I got tickets the way a lot of people get tickets: You call a friend and say, 'Hey, can you find some tickets?' In that particular case, Sen. DeLeo did. I said, 'How much do I owe you for the tickets?' He said, 'Don't worry about it. You can get dinner next time.' That's what friends do."

FatHead Launches Disney Line

2007-12-20T00:02:00.000-05:00

Fathead®, the number one brand in sports and entertainment wall graphics and the brand best-known for its official life-size images of professional athletes, animated heroes and entertainment characters, is launching a new line of Fathead wall décor featuring Disney Channel?s Hannah Montana, and characters from both the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy and the Disney Pixar film Cars, just in time for holiday gift-giving. Disney Pixar Cars characters include Lightning McQueen, Mater, Sally, Luigi, Guido, Doc Hudson and Ramone, and Pirates of the Caribbean features Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. These spectacular life-size images are a must-have for this holiday season.

Hannah Montana rocks! Disney Pixar Cars characters roll! And Pirates swashbuckle! It?s just that simple,? said Brock Weatherup, Fathead CEO. ?We are thrilled to be offering Disney fans of all ages a unique way to decorate their homes with images from these popular franchises.?

A ?Fathead? is a bold, colorful, life-like, life-size wall-graphic of well-known stars. Fathead is an especially popular brand among sports fans, teens and tweens, moms, dads and gift-givers. A special adhesive backing allows them to be moved from wall to wall, making them a Mobile and fun part of any family?s home décor.

Each image captures the essence of the character it portrays. Fathead images are perfect for decorating a bedroom, office or entertainment area and can be purchased by visiting the company?s website, www.fathead.com, at select retailers, or by calling (877)-FATHEAD.

About Fathead LLC: The Livonia, Mich-based company, whose products are commonly referred to as Fatheads, takes pride in connecting fans with their passions. Fathead has become the preferred home, personal and lifestyle décor purchase for sports and entertainment enthusiasts of all ages. The most popular Fathead product line consists of a colorful vinyl wall graphic of popular sports stars, NASCAR race cars and entertainment characters. Fathead LLC maintains license agreements with the NFL and PLAYERS INC., Disney Consumer Products, Inc., Collegiate Licensing Company, Licensing Resource Group, Inc., MLB and MLBPA, NASCAR, NBA Entertainment, MLS, Action Sports, NHL and NHLPA, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, Lucasfilm, Ltd., Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation, Gracie Films, Time, Inc., Marvel Characters, Inc., Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc., and WMG. Fatheads can be seen and purchased at www.fathead.com or 1-877-FATHEAD and will soon be available at preferred retailers throughout the United States.

Fathead LLC is a privately-held company led by Dan Gilbert, chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, the nation?s largest online mortgage lender. Gilbert also is Majority Owner of the NBA?s Cleveland Cavaliers basketball team. Dan and his partners also operate Flash Seats LLC, which replaces physical tickets for sporting events with an electronic approach; and the American Hockey League?s Lake Erie Monsters franchise, that began play at Cleveland?s Quicken Loans Arena in the 2007-08 season. Other companies in which Gilbert and his partners have invested include Michigan-based online promotions company e-Prize.

Hannah Montana to Perform in Chicago, IL

2007-12-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

Hannah Montana will be performing at the United Center, located in Chicago, Illinois on January 14, 2008 at 7pm. Tickets for this show are currently on sale.

Hannah Montana will give a concert at the United Center, located in Chicago, Illinois this coming January, as part of, "The Best of Both Worlds" Tour. According to United Center's press release, the concert will feature both Miley Cyrus as Hannah Montana as well as a solo artist. More specifically, Miley Cyrus will be performing songs as Hannah Montana during the concert, including the songs, "Nobody's Perfect," "I Got Nerve," "Rock Star," "Life's What You Make It," and, "Just Like You." She will be performing as a solo artist by including the following songs in the Miley Cyrus portion of her concert, "Start All Over," "Right Here," "G.N.O. (Girls Night Only)," "Good and Broken," and, "The Best of Both Worlds."

Tickets for this upcoming performance are currently on sale. Tickets for this show vary in price. Floor and 100 level seats cost $66 apiece, 200 level seats cost $56, and 300 level seats may be purchased for $26 or $43.50.

It is important to note there is a four ticket per household limit on this concert.

Additionally, the United Center will have a parent's lounge during the concert in which parents may relax while the concert takes place. Use of the lounge is first, come first serve, and can accommodate up to 149 individuals.

It is also important to note that parents may not enter the concert without a ticket at any time. Additionally, there are no designated drop-off or pick-up locations at the United Center, so parents should ensure they set up specific locations where they can reunite with their children after the concert is over.

Miley Cyrus to Appear on Oprah Again

2007-12-19T23:56:00.001-05:00

Miley Cyrus will appear along with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus, on the Oprah show on Thursday, December 20. According to Oprah's show summary, Miley Cyrus will be answering questions from her fans while she is on the show. Oprah also asserts that her father, Billy Ray Cyrus will tell fans what he would like them to know about his daughter.

According to Oprah's website, Miley and Billy Ray Cyrus will also be performing a duet together.

Oprah invites 100 of Miley Cyrus' biggest fans to join her audience. According to Oprah's website, they think that they are there to participate in a Miley Cyrus Biggest Fan contest. They are all surprised when Miley comes out onto the stage and performs, "The Best of Both Worlds," as none of her fans are aware she is going to be present.

Miley Cyrus is a well-known singer, songwriter, and actress. She plays Hannah Montana and Miley Stewart on the Disney Channel's show Hannah Montana, where Miley Stewart appears to be a normal teenage girl by day, but is really Hannah Montana, a famous singer. On the TV series, Miley struggles to hide her identity from almost everyone, except her family and a few of her closest friends.

In October 2006 the Disney Channel released the first of Hannah Montana's soundtracks, which contained eight songs from the show Hannah Montana.

Miley Cyrus also signed a four-album contract with Hollywood Records for her own solo career in 2006. In June 2007, Cyrus released a double album: Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus. According to Wikipedia, Hannah Montana 2 serves as the second soundtrack for the Disney Channel show while Meet Miley Cyrus serves as Cyrus' solo debut album.

Cyrus is currently on "The Best of Both Worlds" Tour in which she performs some songs as Hannah Montana and other songs as Miley Cyrus. Earlier this month the tour was extended to the end of January 2008 because of the tour's popularity.

Miley Cyrus wows the crowd in Philly

2007-12-19T23:54:00.001-05:00

You look at most pop stars and think, "How can they do that?" But Miley Cyrus, performing as herself or her alter ego, Hannah Montana, inspires a different thought. It's more like, "I can do that."

Cyrus, the 15-year-old daughter of former country-pop phenom Billy Ray Cyrus ("Achy Breaky Heart"), doesn't have a particularly powerful voice and isn't a particularly graceful dancer. But Monday night at the Wachovia Center, she performed her polished, catchy songs with boundless energy and unflagging high spirits.

"Life's what you make it, so let's make it rock," she sang, with thousands of young voices cheering her on.

At another point, she announced, "Everybody in the house is a rock star tonight."

Cyrus' diva-next-door appeal -- as well her endless exposure on television's Disney Channel and Radio Disney -- has made her "Best of Both Worlds Tour" one of the year's hottest concert tickets. If you haven't noticed, the phrase "Hannah Montana tickets" has entered the language, meaning something infinitely desirable to a young girl, but practically unobtainable. Sample sentence: "It's not like they're Hannah Montana tickets, but I think she'll like her presents anyway."

Monday's show sold out quickly. So did upcoming shows at Newark's Prudential Center, Dec. 29-30, and Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, Jan. 5. There have been reports of tickets being resold for hundreds, even thousands of dollars, and her fan club has been sued for not doing enough to help members obtain tickets.

In part to satisfy the overwhelming demand, a digital 3-D movie version of the tour will be in theaters for a week in February, with tickets priced at $15.

Monday's show -- a fast-moving two hours and 15 minutes -- was state-of-the-art arena pop, with bursts of fireworks, frequent trips down a ramp that extended about 20 rows into the audience, and a confetti grand finale.

Backed by a seven-piece band and eight dancers, Cyrus sang most of the songs live, though she did lip-synch during a few of the most energetic dance productions. Fans were occasionally encouraged to get out of their seats and make more noise, though really, no one was sitting, and it's hard to believe the adoring masses could have been any louder.

The "Best of Both Worlds Tour" is, among other things, a transition to Cyrus' post-Montana solo career.

She took the stage as Montana, performing, mostly, songs from the Montana disc of her recent double CD, "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus." During "Nobody's Perfect," clips from the program were shown behind her.

The Jonas Brothers, the three siblings who opened the concert, joined her for the last Montana number, "We Got the Party." They then played two songs on their own -- the quirky pop song "Year 3000" and the power ballad "When You Look Me in the Eyes" -- before she reappeared as herself.

"Are you ready to meet Miley Cyrus?" asked Nick Jonas. The words "Meet Miley" flashed on the screens, and a video was shown of her backstage, walking toward the stage with her assistant, who helpfully wore a T-shirt saying "Mileys (sic) assistant."

Hannah Montana to Perform at Dick Clark's New Year Special

2007-12-19T23:48:00.000-05:00

There's another way to catch Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus besides her Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour, where she performs both as a solo artist and in her pop star character. Fans can also catch the 15-year-old singer as she rocks Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008 with a live performance at Time Square in New York City.

Airing Monday, December 31 on ABC, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve is three and one half hours of special New Year's programming, hosted by Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest (American Idol) from New York, with roving reporting by Marysol Castro (Good Morning America Weekend). While the show typically centers on counting down until the New Year ball drops, it also features various numbers performed by today's hottest artists.

One of the most popular young stars in Hollywood, Cyrus has established herself a colossal fan base with her exposure on the Disney hit series, Hannah Montana. As a singer, she has successfully launched her triple-platinum "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which became the first TV soundtrack to debut at number 1 on the Billboard Top 200. She has also released her double album "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus," which she presently promotes as part of her sold out concert tour.

Aside from the Hannah Montana star, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve will include American Idol season 4 winner and Grammy award-winning artist Carrie Underwood and teen sensation the Jonas Brothers.

Also performing on the primetime special from Hollywood is R&B singer Fergie, who will also host the West Coast party, and OneRepublic. Other musical acts featured on the special from the Hollywood party will be Akon, Natasha Bedingfield, Sean Kingston, Plain White T's, Taylor Swift and Will.i.am.

Catch Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve 2008 on ABC at the following timeslots:

Primetime telecast at 10pm to 11:00pm ET
Part 1 at 11:35pm to 1:05am ET
Part 2 at 1:05am to 2:05am ET

Hannah Montana Heads 2007 Ten Best-Mannered List

2007-12-19T23:46:00.000-05:00

-- Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus), who was commended for being a role model to young people, heads the list of the "Ten Best-Mannered People of 2007," as named by the National League of Junior Cotillions, an etiquette and social training program that involves thousands of young people in the United States.

The 2007 list includes:
1. Hannah Montana - (Miley Cyrus) for being a positive role model for young people.
2. Tim Tebow - for displaying good sportsmanship on and off the field.
3. Reese Witherspoon - for setting high standards of excellence as an actress.
4. Tony Dungy - for his example of humility and politeness.
5. Rachel Ray - for the warmth and kindness she extends to her guests.
6. Brett Favre - for his perseverance as an athlete.
7. Marie Osmond - for her positive influence as an entertainer.
8. Billy Graham - for his life of integrity and dedication.
9. Laura Bush - for her commitment to family values.
10. Tiger Woods - for inspiring young people to achieve their best.
.
Says Anne Colvin Winters, NLJC Executive Director, "The annual selections are based on the demonstration of honor, dignity and respect. Hannah Montana was chosen because of the courteous manner in which she treats her fans."

Nominations are from cotillion students and directors nationwide.

Hannah Montana show reaps big business from small-fry fans

2007-12-19T23:44:00.000-05:00

Tonight, as crowds pour into the arena for a Hannah Montana concert, ticket takers will have to bend down to scan most entry passes, gripped by the tiny hands of fans as young as 5 years old.

It will be worth the back strain. Marketers for the state-owned performance venue see big money in small concertgoers. So far, their efforts to appeal to the so-called “tween,” or between childhood and adolescence, market appear to be paying off.

Tonight’s Hannah Montana show sold its 9,000 tickets in three minutes and set off a panic among parents who failed to secure one.

That meant big profits for secondary ticket sellers, who advertised tickets on StubHub.com for as much as $500 for a show originally priced at $21 to $63. But the Dunkin’ Donuts Center is also sharing the bounty. A legion of chaperons is expected to spend lavishly on food, drinks and merchandise — key sources of revenue for an arena struggling for profitability.

“This show goes out with some big-ticket items,” Lawrence J. Lepore, executive director of the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, said. Alongside CDs and posters, fans may have a chance to pick up items ranging from expensive jackets to blonde wigs.

In the past, the Dunkin’ Donuts Center had few attractions for tweens, who would graduate from family shows only to plunge into an entertainment purgatory until they became old enough to see a rock concert.

Now, the Walt Disney Co. has stepped into that void, promoting a new set of acts through its radio station — available in Providence at WDDZ (550-AM) — cable TV and stage shows. Arenas throughout the country are rolling out the red carpet for a new, intensely loyal, high-spending demographic.

“You’re reaching a niche market,” Cheryl Schadone, director of marketing for the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, said of the Hannah Montana show. “For a lot of kids, this is their first real concert. It’s something no one tapped into before.”

Hannah Montana, the stage name of 14-year-old Miley Cyrus, is undoubtedly a phenomenon. Her Disney Channel show draws more than 5 million viewers, and a 3-D film of her 54-concert “Best of Both Worlds” tour, arriving in Rhode Island in February, is expected to pack theaters with fans shut out of tonight’s performance.

But Hannah Montana is not alone on Disney’s lucrative tween circuit.

In 2005, The Cheetah Girls drew breathless, adolecent screeching at the Providence Performing Arts Center. Less than a year later, they sold out the Dunkin’ Donuts Center, evidence of what The Providence Journal’s music critic Rick Massimo described as “the ohmigod factor of the Girls’ movies, videos and general ubiquity on The Disney Channel.”

Last month, the stage version of the Disney Channel movie High School Musical drew a total of 23,000 people to eight performances at PPAC.

“We were thrilled to be able to able to book that show,” P.J. Prokop, director of marketing for PPAC, said. “The audience has become more sophisticated at a younger age. They’re very savvy about what’s out there.”

In August, tickets for High School Musical: The Ice Tour went on sale at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Only weeks later, the arena added a second performance.

The show has sold 8,900 of 14,000 tickets, with more than a month left before the performance. Lepore said he expected it to sell out.

“You must be living under a rock if you don’t know what a phenomenon this is,” said Nicole Feld, executive vice president of Feld Entertainment, the Virgina company that is producing and promoting the ice show. “It’s something that has resonated with parents. It has an upbeat message.”

Fans can win Hannah Montana Tickets at Hockey Game

2007-12-19T23:42:00.000-05:00

The ECHL's Trenton Devils and the New Jersey Education Association have announced today that they are partnering together during the Trenton Devils New Year's Eve game to give fans an opportunity to register to win four tickets and a limousine trip to attend the Best of Both Worlds Concert starring Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus on January 5th at Atlantic City's legendary Boardwalk Hall.

Miley Cyrus has exploded onto the TV and music scene as her alter ego Hannah Montana. The Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana" focuses on Miley Stewart (played by Miley Cyrus), who lives a double life as an average teenage girl at school during the day, and a famous pop singer (Hannah Montana) at night, concealing her real identity from the public, other than her close friends and family.

The Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Tour mirrors that show as Cyrus performs both as Hannah and herself. Cyrus' tour is sold out nationwide, selling out some venues in as little as 60 seconds.

Of the promotion Trenton Devils Executive Director Jim Leahy said, "Our games and our promotions are so family oriented, I can't think of a better way to reward our fans than with a chance to ring in the new year with what is undoubtedly the hottest concert in the country." He also added, "Once again partnering with the New Jersey Education Association gives us a chance to promote its programs while keeping in line with our focus on community outreach programs."

The Trenton Devils will also be running a book drive during the New Year's Eve game to benefit the NJEA. These books will be dontated to schools in the Greater Trenton area. NJEA Associate Director of Public Relations, Dawn Hiltner, commented, "The NJEA is so excited to be a part of this night of fun. Our main goal is to provide a fun educational environment for our school's children. The Trenton Devils have helped to bring awareness and attention to our organization which can only benefit our educators and the children in our schools."

The Trenton Devils have also called on one of their long time sponsors, A-1 Limousine of Princeton, to provide a limousine to and from Atlantic City for the lucky winners to attend the concert.

Fans who attend the New Year's Eve Trenton Devils contest against the Cincinnati Cyclones will also be treated to a visit from the Radio Disney AM640 Party Patrol who will be playing family-fun music, games and contests with plenty of Radio Disney prizes to give away.

All fans will be eligible to enter for the chance to win tickets to the concert. Representatives from the NJEA and the Trenton Devils will announce the winner on the ice during the game's second intermission.

Hundreds Brave Cold For Hannah Montana Tickets

2007-12-16T23:42:00.001-05:00

Hannah Montana is making a return to St. Louis, but like her last trip to the city, getting to see her will still be a challenge.

KSDK.com reported that hundreds of fans gathered Saturday outside the Scottrade Center, hoping to get their hands on tickets for her January 15th show.

Some camped out all night for a chance to get one of 272 special, numbered wristbands. Workers then drew numbers to determine who got to be at the beginning of the line.

"It's kind of like luck of the draw," one Hannah fan told Newschannel Five. "...so even if you're like number one you get the first wristband, you could be last in line,"

Tickets for Hannah Montana's October concert sold out almost immediately.

By Saturday afternoon there were already nearly 180 people selling tickets on eBay for the St. Louis show.

Girl with Brain Tumor Treated to Special Night at Hannah Montana Concert

2007-12-16T23:29:00.000-05:00

To say Brooke Bemont of St. Charles was on cloud nine or had Christmas early last weekend might be an understatement.

The 10-year-old Munhall Elementary School student had the thrill of a lifetime when she was offered tickets to the Hannah Montana concert at Allstate Arena in Rosemont.

And if anyone ever deserved an unforgettable night seeing one of her heroes in concert, it was Brooke, who has endured four rounds of chemotherapy and 23 radiation treatments the past several months to treat a brain tumor.

Many people came together to arrange for Brooke. her sister, Caleigh, and a friend, Mia Dadian, to attend the concert in grand style -- with a limo ride and seats in the mayor's skybox, courtesy of Mayor Bradley Stephens of Rosemont.

Brooke's mother, Christal, got the ball rolling by contacting Bare Necessities, an organization dedicated to eliminating pediatric cancer and providing hope to those suffering from it.

Christal inquired about the Small Miracles program and let folks at Bear Necessities know how Miley Cyrus (Hannah Montana) had become a hero to her daughter.

Crystal Arts, a volunteer for Bare Necessities, secured this small miracle by getting tickets through a request to cancer survivor Rick Weigand, an employee of Leyden Township, who knew Mayor Stephens. Brooke and three other girls also suffering from cancer chosen by Bare Necessities were beside themselves with excitement when it all came together.

"The girls barely slept that night, and the big, black stretch limo that picked them up was filled with candy and food," Christal said. "They all just felt like mini-celebrities."

The night was full of pleasant surprises, as the girls met the Jonas Brothers, the band that opened for Miley Cyrus, and then also met Cyrus backstage after the show.

Christal praised Stephens, saying he gave up his skybox for the girls and filled it with food and gifts.

"The whole night was about the kids," Christal said. "And it was all made possible by other people. It was just an amazing thing.

"When I asked Brooke afterward if it was as good as she had hoped it would be, she just told me, 'It was so much better.'"

Hilary Duff Surprises Miley Cyrus

2007-12-16T23:27:00.000-05:00

While answering a phoned-in question for MuchOnDemand, Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus received a thrilling surprise – the seemingly random caller was actually Hilary Duff!

When the secret was revealed to Cyrus, she was flabbergasted and literally couldn’t speak for a few seconds. Once she gained her composure, the host asked whether Miley wanted any advice from Ms. Duff.

“Anything!” Miley exclaimed. “You are amazing and getting to meet you was seriously…it was like…I never like, be quiet, and I was for once, speechless! I was so happy. so thank so much just for everything! And also, and I never got a chance to tell you this, but thank you for making it cool to be a good girl and to want to be a good role model. Thank you making that cool. Cuz that’s something that really…I look up to you a lot for that.”

“Awww…thank you so much,” Duff replied. “Well you’re doing such a good job and you have such a career ahead of you and it’s been really cool just to get to watch someone I know admires me to see them grow up and be so successful and do things that they love and have fun. And that’s one thing you should always remember is that as hard as it is to make those sacrifices of not getting to be with your friends or waking up early you know, it’s still worth it. And so many people would love to be in your boots.”

The mutual admiration the two had for each other was palpable to everybody who was watching.

Snow Storm vs Hannah Montana

2007-12-16T23:22:00.000-05:00

Two powerful forces battled it out on Sunday, in Rochester, N.Y.

Teen music sensation Hannah Montana competed with the mighty Nor'easter for the spotlight — and she won.

Hundreds of fans were dismayed when a ferocious storm hit Rochester, Saturday night, coinciding with the much anticipated arrival of Montana, aka Miley Cyrus.

Rochester was the 39th stop on her 69-date "Best of Both Worlds Tour" that has caused a national frenzy among tweens and their moms.

Tickets for the first 55 shows sold out within minutes of going on sale, and scalpers have been selling tickets for four to five times the face value. The average ticket sells for $214, higher than the average ticket resale price for concerts by Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, and The Police.

In November, a man held onto a 12-foot statue of Montana for six days to win tickets to the Tampa concert, and one fan paid $2,565 for a ticket to her show in Charlotte, N.C.

So, girls lucky enough to have one of these golden tickets weren't taking any chances over the weekend. Hundreds of young girls and their mothers arrived in Rochester a day early to ensure that they wouldn't be snowed out of the concert.

Consequently, the Rochester Hyatt Hotel — which the rumor mill had leaked to be Miley's residence of choice — was packed by the end of the day, after having been booked at only a third of its capacity that morning.

A slumber party was inevitable.

Swarms of pajama-clad girls spent hours in the lobby, blasting Montana's music on their iPods, while awaiting her arrival. When she finally appeared around 2 a.m., after a long trek from Toronto, she was greeted with hysterical screams from her delighted audience.

With that kind of support, the storm didn't stand a chance against Hannah Montana. She performed on schedule — another roaring success for the 14-year-old superstar.

Miley Inspired Fashion

2007-12-09T22:24:00.000-05:00

Blond wigs, sequins, beaded necklaces and other homage to Hannah Montana were everywhere as 14,000 of the younger set and their parents flocked to the recent concert at the FedExForum. Miley Cyrus, star of the Disney Channel hit show about a teenager who has a secret life as a rock star, seemed to be as admired for her cool clothes as for her bubbly personality and talent.

Emilee Inman, 6, and her sister Madison, 4, of Poplar Bluff, Mo., were decked out like rock stars in metallic jackets and tunics, sparkling belts and headbands. The outfits, made for them by a friend to wear to the concert, had been hanging in their closet for a month.

"Now I can wear it every day!" shouted a jumping Emilee.

Cassidy Johnston and Kelsey Smiley, both 11 and from Smyrna, Tenn., wore identical long tops, denim minis and striped knee socks mimicking an outfit Cyrus wore on her show. "We're going to be the next Hannah Montanas," said Cassidy, who had her mom send her photo to an agency.

"I like her pop star sound," said Autumn Moore, 11, of Memphis, who offered a calm analysis amid the general pandemonium: "She has a unique way of dressing. It's sparkly and glittery, and she wears jackets with everything." Autumn attended with her twin sister, Adrianne Moore, in matching pink vests.

The Memphis concert was only the first stop for Ella Gossett, 4, of Jonesboro, Ark., who had her groove thing going in a decorated T-shirt and cap. Her mother, Brandy Gossett, said they had tickets for another Hannah Montana concert in Arkansas a few days later. Ella said she loves Hannah Montana "because she dances every day."

Taylor Gatlin and her friend Rachel Pelts, both 13, of Memphis, shivered in the night air in dresses and Ugg boots worn without coats. "It's OK," Taylor said. "It's Hannah Montana."

Ashlan Davis, 13, and her friend Ashley McCormick, 12, both of Scotts Hill, Tenn., dressed like Hannah and her TV show friend, Lola, in blond and brunette wigs, fingerless gloves, studded belts and beads. Davis's mother was first in line in a Jackson mall, waiting from 2 a.m. to 10 p.m., to get the only four tickets available. They were a birthday gift for Davis.

"We watched the first episode. It was awesome," Ashley said. "She (Miley) is from Tennessee!"

"She's kind of normal," Ashlan said. "But not."

Hannah Montana Hits Chicago For a Cause

2007-12-09T22:22:00.000-05:00

She's one of the hottest tickets around, to say the least, and when Hannah Montana's Miley Cyrus plays Saturday evening at the Allstate Arena there won't be an empty seat in the house.

But her concert tour isn't the only reason she's in the Chicago area; she's using her fame to help students as CBS 2's Suzanne Le Mignot reports.

More than 4,000 Office Max employees and their family members let out thunderous screams and applause, as Miley Cyrus took the stage at Rosemont Theater Saturday.

To her legion of young fans, Miley Cyrus is also known as Hannah Montana. On her hit TV show, she's a regular kid by day and a singing sensation by night.

"It feels good inside too, because kids can look up to you and what they see on TV is the exact same thing as you know, when they get to meet me," Cyrus said.

For many of the tween set, the event was a dream come true.

"I didn't really get to see her in person, never," said Hannah Montana fan Jessica Villa.

So what was it like to see her in person?

"It was really, really awesome," Villa said.

Cyrus is supporting adopt-a-classroom. Office Max, one of the sponsors of her music tour, donated $1 million to the charity. The group will give the money to teachers nationwide so they can buy classroom supplies.

During the Saturday event, Cyrus was surprised by a visit from her favorite teacher, from second grade.

Fan Chloe Burns said, "She cares about the schools because a lot of teenagers don't really like school that much…yeah kids too."

Many of the kids who attended won't be able to see the 15-year-old when she performs in Chicago – as Hannah Montana and herself, in her "Best of Both Worlds" tour.

When asked what she thought about her concert tickets being scooped up by online brokers and sold for thousands of dollars each, Cyrus said, "that was a hard situation, because what I wanted most was everyone to get to come to my concerts."

She hopes fans will be able to make future tour dates.

Hannah Fans Brave Wind and Rain

2007-12-09T22:20:00.001-05:00

Most fans younger than 10 also were tight-lipped when talking about their favorite singer — 15-year-old Cyrus — and the Montana character she portrays on a popular Disney Channel sitcom.
Quotes of “She’s pretty,” “She’s cool,” and “I like her songs” occupy little real estate in a reporter’s notebook, but youngsters from Louisville, Ky., suburban Chicago and Central Indiana said the same things again and again.

Alyssa Pometta, a 9-year-old from Darien, Ill., at least made the prediction that Cyrus would sing a rendition of “Deck the Halls” to give holiday flair to the event that resale brokers have called the most in-demand concert in the basketball arena’s 8-year history.

In September, local brokerage company Circle City Tickets listed a second-row ticket for the concert at $1,840. On Thursday, the company’s Web site had an asking price of $980 for a seat in the arena’s lower level.

Three hours before the concert’s 4 p.m. start time, however, brokers held “cheap tickets” signs outside the arena and one offered a lower level seat for $125.

That’s probably not great news for 18-year-old Danielle Lynne, who couldn’t get tickets for the Indianapolis show when they went on sale and then spent $200 for a ticket to the tour’s Jan. 3 stop in Cleveland. Lynne said she made her transaction at resale Web site www.stubhub.com.

Because Lynne is more of a Jonas Brothers fan than a Hannah Montana backer, she spent this morning at a Circuit City store in Castleton, where the Jonas trio — the concert’s supporting act — held court during a free meet-and-greet with 500 fans.

Adoration for Kevin, Nick and Joe Jonas rivals Montana mania, as four teenagers from Carmel camped out at the store from 6:30 a.m. Saturday until the musicians arrived at 12:30 p.m. today.

Allie Daniels, Taryn Ford, JoAnna Morgan and Ellie Payne passed the 30-hour endurance test.

Payne, who also met the Jonas Brothers when they played a free show at this year’s Indiana State Fair, knew what she wanted to say to Nick:

“Do you still have the Hello Kitty ring I proposed to you with?”

Ford won tickets to the concert through a call-in contest at radio station WZPL-FM (99.5), while Daniels had luck placing an order at www.ticketmaster.com.

Outside Conseco Fieldhouse, where pre-teens, parents and grandparents gathered around a pink tour bus promoting “The Ultimate Miley Party,” concertgoers praised the fan club Web site www.mileyworld.com as the source for their tickets purchased at face value ($56 and $40).

Brenda Dawson, a 62-year-old resident of Louisville, said her family bought more than a dozen tickets to multiple tour stops after paying $29.95 in one-year membership dues at Miley World.

Standing near granddaughters Maggie Hoehler, 8, Gracie Hoehler, 7, and Caylee Dawson, 7, Brenda said she’s become a dedicated fan of the Hannah Montana franchise.

“I find myself watching (the television show) when the kids aren’t at my house,” she said.

'Hannah Montana,' 'High School Musical' are like really, really huge. Really!

2007-12-02T10:29:00.000-05:00

To what ends would you go to satisfy your child's pop culture passions?

How about buying concert tickets — at a scalper's re-sale prices — and driving 300 miles so your daughter and her friend can see the concert while you wait for four hours in the car, spring for a hotel room, then turn around and drive 300 miles back home?

Welcome to the world of Terry Eparvier of Brillion.

Also welcome to the world of Hannah Montana mania.

Eparvier, her 13-year-old daughter, Nicole, and 15-year-old friend Erin Kruschke got a close-up look at the frenzy surrounding young Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, and the "Best of Both Worlds" concert tour when they made the road trip recently to a concert in Moline, Ill.

It's not quite Beatlemania, but it's getting close.

"It was nuts," said Eparvier, not wanting to reveal just how much she dished out for the tickets. "It was wall-to-wall people. There were police directing traffic four blocks away. When I pulled up to the drive-up lane I had like five seconds to drop the girls off because there were like 50 cars waiting behind me."

The only thing grabbing the attention of today's tweens and young teens in a similar fashion is the "High School Musical" movies.

Both come courtesy of the Disney Channel. And both have become industries unto themselves.

The dual phenomenons have spurred numerous offshoots — best-selling CDs, movies (a "Hannah Montana" movie is in the works and negotiations are ongoing for a "High School Musical 3"), stage shows, Web sites and an avalanche of merchandise. Tickets for the 15-year-old Cyrus' "Best of Both Worlds" concert tour have been selling out in a matter of minutes, with scalpers getting well into triple figures.

Why?

Actress Arielle Jacobs, who stars as Gabriella Montez in the touring stage production of Disney's "High School Musical," which ends its run at the Fox Cities performing Arts Center with two shows today, can't quite wrap her head around the hysteria surrounding the Disney shows.

"When we take our bows, it feels like the audience is cheering for huge rock stars," she said. "I don't know ... is that what we've become? Perhaps the 'phenomenon' of 'High School Musical' has allowed us to step into that role, but it still feels absolutely unreal. I'm just grateful to be a part of it."

Nicole Eparvier understands the fascination, whether it be those East High Wildcats from "High School Musical" or the lovable Cyrus.

Watching Cyrus, the daughter of co-star Billy Ray Cyrus, navigate the worlds of normal teen and teen pop star is, well, cool.

"Who wouldn't want to be famous?" Nicole said. "Most kids my age would, and they see her and like her because she is a normal kid, our age, but then a pop star also."

Monica Stoeger, 12, of Appleton also gets it. She's a huge "Hannah Montana" fan "because not only is it an awesome and funny show, it has situations that any girl may face in reality. It teaches you how to deal with real-life situations in school and out. Another reason is Hannah Montana is a fantastic singer with a beautiful voice. No wonder her concerts sell out in seconds."

That and the fact brokers snatched up tickets, much to the dismay of parents and fans. The "Best of Both Worlds" is the hottest concert ticket on the planet right now. Its closest pass to the Fox Cities is the AllState Arena in Rosemont, Ill., where it lands on Saturday. Although a quick check with Ticketmaster shows the concert is sold-out, the Texas-based Coast-to-Coast Tickets, a member of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, still has seats available — from $320 to $1,005.

MarketWatch.com reported the average ticket price for the entire "Hannah Montana" tour is $230. To put that in comparison, the Bruce Springsteen tour average price is $232— Billy Ray Cyrus' daughter is neck-and-neck with the Boss.

It's Disney world

The Disney Channel has been around for a couple of decades, but it truly arrived as a big-time player in cable TV in 2001 with the launch of "Lizzie McGuire."

Hits "That's So Raven," "The Cheetah Girls" and "The Suite Life of Zach and Cody" would follow.

But the 2006 arrival of "Hannah Montana," featuring Cyrus as a seemingly normal teen with a secret double life as a rock star, and the first "High School Musical" took it to a whole new level. A single "Hannah Montana" episode set a basic cable record for a series with 10.7 million viewers. "High School Musical," which debuted in January 2006, became the most viewed non-sports show in all of cable land. The movie garnered two Emmys and numerous other awards. The movie's soundtrack was the No. 1 selling CD of 2006.

The sequel, "High School Musical 2," debuted in August, attracting 17.2 million viewers, making it basic cable's most-watched telecast ever. Last week the film earned several top honors in the Family Television Awards, including best actor for Zac Efron. The two movies launched Efron, in the lead role as Troy Bolton, as today's hottest teen idol.

Idol worship

Eparvier said she took daughter Nicole to see Cyrus — and opening band the Jonas Brothers — because she saw it as a rite of passage. She had taken her older daughter to see the Backstreet Boys three times. She screamed for teen idols Donny Osmond and David Cassidy at concerts as a kid and wanted a similar experience for her daughters.

"So I kind of made sure my kids got to," she said.

Sadie Diedrick of Appleton knows the feeling. She wasn't able to snag concert tickets, but she had "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical" on her mind when she went Christmas shopping at Toys R Us the day after Thanksgiving. She said she obsessed on the musical "Grease" as a youngster, so she understands the hold that these shows have taken on her kids.

Consider "Hannah Montana" and "High School Musical" generational touchstones, she said.

Sociologically speaking

Donald Meckiffe, assistant professor of communications and theatre at the University of Wisconsin-Fox Valley, thinks he may know why shows like "Hannah Montana" are so hot. They seem to fit into a larger pattern of recent representations of teen girls, he said.

The strength of the Hannah Montana character and story is that the glamorous pop star stuff is presented as playacting and the ordinary girl remains underneath. The tween market coveted by advertisers interested in selling flashy products to the age group is what drives shows such as this, Meckiffe said. The major problem, he added, is resistance from parents, especially in the wake of what has happened with previous Disney teen idols such as Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan and Christina Aguilera.

"The schizoid nature of the Hannah Montana character is because of the schizoid nature of the culture's fascination or fear of the sexuality of young girls," he said. "By pushing the sexy pop star stuff into fantasy, the 'Hannah Montana' show and character can play it both ways. Girls get to buy the makeup, companies get to sell and parents are reassured that it's all a harmless game — a win-win."

Keeping it clean

As the "Hannah Montana" theme song says, it's the best of both worlds — entertainment that catches the fancy of a young audience and a G-rated storyline that comforts parents. Unlike the animated "Bratz," which follows the adventures of girls as they scoop the hot stories for their own teen magazine, "Hannah Montana" and the "High School Musical" movies fall within the Diedrick family's boundaries of what is appropriate to watch.

"I think ('Bratz') portrays the wrong type of message to that age group with their clothes and the makeup and stuff," Diedrick said. "I don't think it's appropriate for my daughter to be watching it thinking it's OK to dress like that or look like that. So that's why 'Hannah Montana' and 'High School Musical' are within our taste."

"My dad even likes it," 8-year-old Taylor Diedrick said.

Hannah Montana, the Highlands Elementary School third-grader explained, isn't just a celebrity, she's also a real person, and that's why Taylor likes the show. As for "High School Musical," Gabriella is her favorite character. "She's not as mean as Sharpay, and she's never yelling at anybody. She's really, really sweet."

Sweet, indeed.

Hannah Montana: Miley Cyrus' character is loved by fans and approved by moms

2007-12-02T10:27:00.000-05:00

Asia Worthy is a 6-year-old who appreciates Hannah Montana's sense of style and fashion. Abby Heckel, age 10, likes the teenage pop star for her music and talent. And 3-year-old Macey Laubenthal thinks "she's cool and she's neat," reports mom, Maria. Whatever the reason, Hannah Montana is a Disney Channel creation who has become an overnight sensation to millions of loyal fans. Portrayed by Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana will appear before thousands of screaming - likely hysterical - girls Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills, where the show sold out in minutes. Most popular among girls ages 6 to 14, Hannah Montana is the secret identity of Miley Stewart, a normal teenager living in California who goes to school, crushes on boys, and hangs out on the beach. But the secret she hides, along with her two best friends, is that by donning a platinum wig and snazzy clothes, she evolves into an American pop star. What girl hasn't dreamed of a life like that? The sitcom has become a hit for the Disney Channel and the character a popular alter ego for Miley Cyrus, the daughter of country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, who plays her father, Robbie Ray Stewart, on the show. The father-daughter team acts together, sings together, and hits the talk show circuit together. And most important for the millions of mothers who watch their daughters scream with delight at the thought of a chance to see the teenage superstar, Miley Cyrus and her father seem to really like each other. It's this family connection that gives Rossford mom Maria Laubenthal the sense of ease she needs to leave her daughters Megan Mahaffey, 8, and Macey, 3, to watch the show without supervision. "It teaches them that it's cool to be popular but it's also cool to be at home and like your dad and it's cool to like your brother even if you fight," she said. "That's important and I think it teaches them that." Miley Cyrus appeared beside her dad on recent tapings of Oprah and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. In both episodes, the daytime hosts asked Cyrus what made his daughter different than the other teenage stars gone bad. Lindsey Lohan and Paris Hilton have spent time behind bars and Britney Spears in rehab. The answer was her ability to love the music and her parents' attempts to keep her grounded. It's an appealing thought to mothers nationwide. But although Miley Cyrus is projected as a "good girl," Montana Miller points out that Hannah Montana is no Orphan Annie or member of the von Trapp family from The Sound of Music. Instead, she's a highly promoted Disney character who has been expertly saturated into the market, and into the minds and hearts of America's tweens, Ms. Miller said. "It's cool that she has a double life and that she's a regular teenager by day and a by night, she's a rock star," said Ms. Miller, an associate professor at Bowling Green State University's Department of Popular Culture. "But the hype that has been built up, that hype has been created by marketing to them at all sides." Ms. Miller acknowledged a "romantic" ideal portrayed in the program, which shows that an ordinary girl can be extraordinary, even if nobody else knows it. And that idea of being a secret star is appealing to young girls, she said. But after spending time reading about the character and surfing the Internet, Ms. Miller said Hannah Montana and all her accompanying products are really just a "very powerful force, much more powerful than any parent." Abby Heckel of Point Place was shut out from a chance of seeing the pop star in concert after her parents were among the thousands of unsuccessful buyers attempting to purchase tickets through Ticketmaster. She said it was disappointing to be denied a chance to see her favorite singer, but it didn't shake the 10-year-old's appreciation for the Hannah Montana legend. With her two best friends, Abby said she formed a band and one day hopes to be a pop star just like Hannah. And despite concerns that the influx of marketing may stunt creativity, Abby is proof that sometimes girls just want a night out. And that's the name of her band, by the way: GNO. "It's named after one of Miley Cyrus' songs on her second album. 'G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)'," she explained. "I really like Miley because she writes songs and it's something I like to do too." What her mom, Gina, likes best about the show is that on the show Miley is "normal." She goes to school, she has an allowance, and Hannah Montana does not get everything she wants. "I remember an episode where she wanted a new phone that was similar to the iPhone but her dad wouldn't get it for her. She ended up realizing that she didn't need material things," Mrs. Heckel said. "It's important to me that she is normal, if that's what you call it." Mrs. Heckel admitted she was heartbroken when she was not able to buy tickets for the Detroit area concert, but said she refused to pay the inflated prices demanded by scalpers. She said she was still angered by those who bought up thousands of tickets to the children's show with plans of making an extra buck. The 54-date "Best of Both Worlds Tour," which opened Oct. 18 in St. Louis, has become the hottest show of the year. Average ticket prices to the sold-out concerts went as high as $237, and scalpers and brokers were reported to be asking as much as $2,500 to $3,000 for Hannah Montana tickets. Candi Buchan was one of the lucky ones. The mother of three from Lapeer, Mich., said she had three people online the minute tickets for the show at the Palace of Auburn Hills went on sale. Her father and brother-in-law scored four tickets each. This Wednesday, Mrs. Buchan, her mother, and her two daughters, Sarah, 7, and Emma, 4, will be spending an evening with Hannah Montana. And although she knows she could have made a mint selling the other four tickets on auction Web sites, she sold them to a friend at face value. Although she appreciates the teenager's songs, Mrs. Buchan said she doesn't let her girls regularly watch the show. "I think the show is geared a little bit more toward older girls," she said, pointing out that some episodes focus on dating and impressing boys. "I'm definitely on the outside on this issue, but I'm pretty picky on what my kids watch. I try to keep them focused more on the music than the image." And so the Buchan girls can sing Hannah Montana songs on a Hannah Montana karaoke machine and will give mini concerts, but that's where it stays. Asia Worthy and her older sister, Veronica, 9, said they watch the television show together and enjoy how funny and talented Miley Cyrus is. Fans since the sitcom's inception, the sisters said they each have favorite episodes and Asia will gladly talk about how she likes Hannah's wardrobe and her relationship with her family. "She wears cool clothes and pretty clothes and she has a funny dad and a weird brother," Asia said. But don't expect to find Hannah Montana merchandise in the Worthy household. Although the girls tend not to miss an episode, they don't ask for the hundreds of items that bear the face of Miley Cyrus in a long, blond wig. "Mom wouldn't get us that stuff," Asia said. Although mom Kristine insists, "They've never asked me." "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert," a 3D concert film made from three performances in two cities, will be showing at the Maumee Cinema de Lux for a week beginning Feb. 1. Tickets went on sale yesterday.

Hannah Montana Star Is Nice and Stylish

2007-12-02T00:27:00.001-05:00

It's the first day of December and that means two things. The holidays are right around the corner and if you want presents, you better have been good this year. Secondly, it's that time of year where countdowns and lists are made of the best and worst events and happenings of the years. Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus star ended up on two lists that would make any parent proud. In a recent poll, Cyrus was named the nicest celebrity by children ages 2-12. Seventeen magazine also named her one of the most stylish stars of 2007. It seems it was a good year for the young Disney star!

A former Disney star herself, Britney Spears did not make the nice list this year. Instead, she topped the poll's naughty list along with sometimes-friend Paris Hilton. Over 1100 children were polled by E-Poll Market Research to gather the data. The children were asked what qualities someone like Miley Cyrus would have to possess in order top that nice list. They suggested "cleaning up and doing chores," "sharing" and "being honest and polite" among their answers.

Cyrus was also selected as one of Seventeen magazine's "Style Stars" for their December/January issue, on stands now. Singer Rihanna, former star of The OC Rachel Bilson, "Harry Potter" actress Emma Watson, and the ladies of the CW's Gossip Girls are also featured in the issue. Cyrus was chosen for maintaining an innocent, youthful image for her fans. However, Seventeen fashion director Gina Kelly says that it will be a fine line to walk as she gets older and more famous. "I'd love to see her evolve a little but also keep her youthfulness," she said.

Miley is currently on tour promoting her Best of Both Worlds album, in which she performs as both herself and Hannah Montana. She also recently taped an appearance for Walt Disney World's Christmas Day Parade. A new episode of Hannah Montana airs this Friday.

Arkansans Prepare for Hannah Montana Concert

2007-12-02T00:25:00.000-05:00

As many Arkansans prepare for Saturday's Hannah Montana concert, the Attorney General's Office continues to investigate what they call the illegal scalping of the concert tickets.

Thousands of Hannah Montana tickets sold out in just minutes prompting the Arkansas attorney general's office to investigate.

Friday afternoon this arena will be full of thousands of Hannah Montana fans but while they enjoy the concert, the Attorney General's Office will continue to try and identify ticket scalpers.

The Disney show Hannah Montana and its stars are such a phenomenon these days sometimes even the stars themselves can't believe it.

(Mitchel Musso, Hannah Montana co-star)"Yeah, I guess I'm surprised, but at the same time like they love Hannah Montana, they love the show, they're really excited about the concert."

No kidding- nine thousand tickets for Saturday's Hannah Montana concert featuring Myley Cyrus sold out in just minutes.

Then tickets for the show appeared on the internet-some 10 times the face value of the ticket price.

Now the Arkansas Attorney General is investigating what they call illegal scalping.

(Justin Allen, Chief Deputy Attorney General)"Arkansas has what is traditionally known as a scalping law and it says for event like this you are not allowed to sell ticket for above the face value excluding a reasonable handling fee."

And while the Attorney General's Office tries to identify who these scalpers are, they worry some concertgoers will unknowingly present fraudulent tickets at Saturday's concert.

(Allen)"The history so far at other Hannah Montana concerts is that there has not been much of that but we're certainly concerned that there's a few individuals who may find that they're ticket was not good."

If you are going to the concert Saturday--North Little Rock Police say there is a good chance a section of Broadway between Popular and Magnolia will be closed.

Hannah Montana fan club post sale today

2007-12-02T00:21:00.000-05:00

Did anyone log on to Ticketmaster.com today, just randomly checking to see if any tickets opened up for Thursday's "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Tour" at Van Andel Arena?

And did you notice the very odd, Mileyworld.com fan club sale going on?

As best we can gather, this is the tour's response to those who joined the mileyworld.com fan club but did not get tickets when the show went on sale exclusively to fan club members. Obviously, a lot of fans are still upset that they were shut out. A lawsuit even was filed by some of those fans.

Now, this one-day sale is on ticketmaster. And it's not just in Grand Rapids. It seems to be going on for most of her remaining tour dates, beginning in GR.

It looks as if the tour promoter is releasing some held tickets that were initially production kills, but now that the tour is up and running, those production kills are now good seats. (This is a common thing on all major tours.)

We know that on Thursday, the show promoter announced out of the blue that some additional tickets were opening up for Miley's Wednesday concert at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Is the same thing possible in Grand Rapids?

I'm guessing that if fan club members don't snatch up the extra tickets today that those tickets may -- and I say this very cautiously, MAY -- become available Monday or Tuesday.

My best advice: Don't make any promises to the kids. But keep going to Ticketmaster.com as often as you can all next week.

Or, check out our special one-day contest that we're kicking off Sunday. Come back the "Going Gonzo" blog on Sunday for more details on how to win a pair of tickets.

AMC Entertainment Offers Guests an Unforgettable Hannah Montana Experience in...

2007-12-02T00:18:00.000-05:00

AMC Entertainment(TM) Offers Guests an Unforgettable Hannah Montana Experience in DIGITAL 3D Tickets for the Hannah Montana Big Screen Concert Experience Go on

Sale Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(Business Wire)--AMC Entertainment Inc. (AMC), one of the world's largest and mostinnovative theatrical exhibition companies, announced today HannahMontana's sold out concert tour will appear on the big screen inDIGITAL 3D at nearly 100 participating AMC theatres in the U.S. andCanada. Fans of the Disney Channel's popular "Hannah Montana" TV serieswill have a chance to see their favorite singer, songwriter andactress, Miley Cyrus, perform her Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best ofBoth Worlds Concert in a feature film experience in spectacularDIGITAL 3D, the week of Feb. 1-7, 2008. "AMC prides itself on innovation and continually looks foropportunities to program a diverse and broad selection of content inorder to create the best entertainment experiences for our guests,"said Alice Rogers, senior vice president, AMC Entertainment. "MileyCyrus and her television character, Hannah Montana, are wildly popularand we're thrilled to be bringing her concert in the impressiveDIGITAL 3D format to the communities we serve." Tickets go on sale Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 and are $15.00 each forall seats and all showtimes. Visit www.amctheatres.com to purchasetickets online and for more information about Hannah Montana/MileyCyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert at AMC theatre locations. This filmed version of the concert tour was shot instate-of-the-art Disney Digital 3D(TM) format. The film is directed byBruce Hendricks, produced by Art Repola from the concert tour, whichis created and produced by Kenny Ortega ("High School Musical"). Cyruswill perform as both a solo artist and as her hugely populartelevision character, Hannah Montana. The series is currently in itssecond smash season, and has attracted legions of fans all over theworld. Beginning this weekend at the box office, and while supplies last,all guests purchasing an advance ticket for the Hannah Montana concerton the big screen or a ticket to "Enchanted" will receive one limitededition "Hannah Montana" free song download card per ticketpurchase.(a) The card includes a code for a free mp3 "Rock Star" songdownload, Hannah Montana computer wallpaper and a downloadable "ticketwidget" to purchase tickets to the special event. To view the film'sDIGITAL 3D effect, fans will receive 3D glasses, which they can takehome as a reminder of this special experience. In October 2006, the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack became the firstTV soundtrack to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, and turnedCyrus into a multi-platinum recording artist. Her latest CD, "HannahMontana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus," was released on July 24, 2007, andscanned over 325,000 units in its first week to become the top sellingalbum in the U.S. "Hannah Montana" is seen on the Disney Channel all over the worldand on DisneyChannel.com via streaming broadband video. In 2006 andthus far in 2007, it was the No. 1 series on basic cable in the U.S.among children from six years old through the 'tween years, and,across all television, was second only to "American Idol" in those keyyouth demographics. It is also seen Saturday mornings on the ABCTelevision Network's "ABC Kids" programming block.

(a) Limited edition "Hannah Montana" free download cards are onlyavailable at theatres that are programmed to play Hannah Montanaconcert on the big screen Feb. 1-7, 2008. About AMC Entertainment Inc. Headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., AMC Entertainment Inc. is oneof the world's largest and most innovative theatrical exhibitioncompanies. With a history of industry leadership dating back to 1920,the company today serves more than 230 million guests annually throughinterests in 358 theatres with 5,128 screens in six countries.www.amctheatres.com. Editors note: List of participating U.S. and Canadian theatres:-0-*T

AMC "HANNAH MONTANA" PARTICIPATING U.S. THEATRESSTATE MARKET THEATREArizona Phoenix AMC Arrowhead 14Arizona Phoenix AMC Desert Ridge 18Arizona Phoenix AMC Mesa Grand 24Arizona Phoenix AMC Westgate 20Arizona Tucson AMC Loews Foothills 15California Los Angeles AMC 30 at the BlockCalifornia Los Angeles AMC 12 at Downtown DisneyCalifornia Los Angeles AMC Burbank 16California Los Angeles AMC Century City 15California Los Angeles AMC CityWalk Stadium 19California Los Angeles AMC Ontario Mills 30California Los Angeles AMC Promenade 16California Los Angeles AMC Puente Hills 20California Los Angeles AMC Santa Anita 16California Los Angeles AMC Santa Monica 7California Los Angeles AMC Tustin 14California Oakland AMC Bay Street 16California San Diego AMC Mission Valley 20California San Diego AMC Palm Promenade 24California San Francisco AMC Loews Metreon 16California San Jose AMC Cupertino Square 16Colorado Denver AMC Highlands Ranch 24Colorado Denver AMC Westminster Promenade 24Connecticut Hartford AMC Loews Plainville 20Florida Jacksonville AMC Orange Park 24Florida Jacksonville AMC Regency 24Florida Miami AMC Aventura 24Florida Miami AMC Sunset Place 24Florida Orlando AMC Altamonte Mall 18Florida Orlando AMC Pleasure Island 24Florida Orlando AMC Loews Universal Cineplex 20Florida Sarasota AMC Sarasota 12Florida Tallahassee AMC Tallahassee Mall 20Florida Tampa AMC Regency 20Florida Tampa AMC Woodlands Square 20Georgia Atlanta AMC Barrett Commons 24Georgia Atlanta AMC Discover Mills 18Georgia Atlanta AMC Mansell Crossing 14Georgia Atlanta AMC Southlake Pavilion 24Illinois Chicago AMC Cantera 30Illinois Chicago AMC River East 21Illinois Chicago AMC South Barrington 30Illinois Chicago AMC Loews Streets of Woodfield 20Illinois Chicago AMC Yorktown 17Kansas Kansas City AMC Town Center 20Kentucky Cincinnati, OH AMC Newport on the Levee 20Maryland Baltimore AMC Columbia Mall 14Maryland Baltimore AMC Loews White Marsh 16Massachusetts Boston AMC Loews Boston Common 19Massachusetts Boston AMC Framingham 15Massachusetts Boston AMC Loews Liberty Tree Mall 20Massachusetts Boston AMC Loews Methuen 20Michigan Detroit AMC Forum 30Michigan Detroit AMC Star Gratiot 21Michigan Detroit AMC Star Great Lakes 25Michigan Detroit AMC Livonia 20Minnesota Minneapolis AMC Arbor Lakes 16Minnesota Minneapolis AMC Rosedale 14Minnesota Minneapolis AMC Southdale 16Missouri Kansas City AMC BarryWoods 24Missouri St. Louis AMC Chesterfield 14New Jersey New York City AMC Clifton Commons 16New Jersey New York City AMC Loews Freehold Metroplex 14New Jersey New York City AMC Garden State 16New Jersey New York City AMC Loews Jersey Gardens 20New York New York City AMC Loews 84th Street 6New York New York City AMC Loews Palisades Center 21New York New York City AMC Loews Port Chester 14New York New York City AMC Loews Raceway 10New York New York City AMC Loews Stony Brook 17North Carolina Charlotte AMC Northlake Mall 14Ohio Columbus AMC Easton Town Center 30Ohio Columbus AMC Lennox Town Center 24Oklahoma Tulsa AMC Southroads 20Pennsylvania Philadelphia AMC Loews Cherry Hill 24Pennsylvania Philadelphia AMC Hamilton 24Pennsylvania Philadelphia AMC Neshaminy 24Pennsylvania Philadelphia AMC Plymouth Meeting 12Texas Dallas AMC Grapevine Mills 30Texas Dallas AMC Mesquite 30Texas Dallas AMC Stonebriar 24Texas Dallas AMC The Parks at Arlington 18Texas Houston AMC Deerbrook 24Texas Houston AMC First Colony 24Texas Houston AMC Gulf Pointe 30Texas Houston AMC Studio 30 - HoustonTexas Houston AMC Willowbrook 24Texas San Antonio AMC Huebner Oaks 24Virginia Norfolk AMC Hampton 24Virginia Norfolk AMC Lynnhaven 18Virginia Washington D.C. AMC Loews Georgetown 14Virginia Washington D.C. AMC Hoffman Center 22Virginia Washington D.C. AMC Potomac Mills 18Virginia Washington D.C. AMC Loews Rio Cinemas 18Virginia Washington D.C. AMC Tysons Corner 16Washington Seattle AMC Pacific Place 11AMC PARTICIPATING CANADIAN THEATRESToronto, Canada Toronto AMC Whitby 24Toronto, Canada Toronto AMC Winston Churchill 24*TParris Communications for AMC EntertainmentLaurie Roberts, 816-931-8900

Five ways to make your own Hannah Montana Party

2007-12-02T00:16:00.001-05:00

W hat? You didn’t get tickets to the Hannah Montana concert Monday at Sprint Center?

Join the club.

Then get over it.

As the blond-wigged beauty would say, “Life’s what you make it, so let’s make it rock.”

Thanks to the enterprising folks at Disney, there’s plenty of H.M. merchandise to get your own party started.

Here are five ways to get your Hannah on.

Have a ‘Hannah Montana’ viewing party
If you’re obsessed with the Miley Cyrus character, start with a “Hannah Montana” LCD TV with a 15-inch screen and official H.M. logos. Pop a DVD into your player. We recommend “Hannah Montana: Pop Star Profile” with four TV show episodes, including one with an appearance by Dolly Parton, as well as a “Nobody’s Perfect” concert performance and some behind-the-scenes footage of Miley Cyrus. Or try “Hannah Montana: Life’s What You Make It,” with four episodes, including “Achy Jakey Heart,” parts I and II.

Cost: TV, $299.99 at Toys R Us. Videos, $14.99 each at Target.

Get out your Hannah Montana dolls
Choose an H.M. Singing Doll and start accessorizing with a lot of clothes and equipment. Sold separately, of course. Our faves: the H.M. Pop Star Stage with lighted runway and the tour bus with eight play areas.

Doll, $19.99 at Target and Toys R Us. Stage, $69.99 at Target. Tour Bus, $79.99 at Toys R Us.

Have a Hannah Montana singing party
Start with the “Hannah Montana 2: Best of Both Worlds” two-CD set. One disc features 10 H.M. songs, including “Nobody’s Perfect” and “Rock Star.” The other has 10 Miley Cyrus songs, many of which she helped write, including “I Miss You” and “G.N.O. (Girl’s Night Out).”

Pop the CDs into your computer to get all the lyrics. Then download the CDs onto your iPod and pop that iPod onto your official Hannah Montana iPod dock and amp. Grab your Hannah Montana microphone as a prop and sing along. And if you’re really ready to rock, get the official Hannah Montana electric guitar.

CD, $16.99 at Target. iPod dock, $69.99 at Toys R Us. Microphone, $9.99 at Target. Guitar, $99.99 at Toys R Us.

Let someone else dress you like Hannah
This may be the ultimate luxury. Get your Hannah-loving self over to a Club Libby Lu store and ask for a Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity Concert Tour Pack. For $40, you’ll get a wig, a star guitar compact for lip gloss and eye shadow, a mic and five of the store’s Pick-a-Mix treasures, plus a Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tee and a concert bag. If $40 is steep, go for the Hannah Montana Secret Celebrity Libby Du makeover. You’ll get the wig, compact, a mic and treasures for $27.50. There are Club Libby Lu stores in Oak Park Mall and Independence Center. Find more stores at clublibbylu.com.

Dress like Hannah Montana
Pull on an H.M.-style blond wig and get yourself into some H.M. clothes and jewelry.

Wigs are $9.99 at Target and $20 at Claire’s. Denim and casual separates from Dillard’s and Macy’s, $30-$38. T-shirts at Limited Too, about $25. H.M. official tennis shoes at Payless cost less than $20. You can also buy H.M. jewelry at Claire’s. Most pieces cost less than $10.

Disney's Hannah Montana co-star appears in Alpharetta

2007-11-30T00:27:00.000-05:00

A few dozen patient people had waited more than two hours in line just to catch a glimpse of Mitchel Musso, who plays Oliver Oken on the Disney Channel sensation, "Hannah Montana."

Musso, 16, stopped by the Verizon Wireless store in Alpharetta Nov. 27 in an effort to promote the Hannah Montana concert at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth.

The line of fans holding photos, posters and other Hannah Montana memorabilia nearly wrapped around the Verizon store – all to have their photo snapped with Musso and receive his autograph.

Disney Radio kept children busy with hula hoop contests and other activities while they waited for their chance to see Musso.

Once inside, fans got the chance to ask him questions and tell him about their favorite Hannah Montana episode.

Musso said he loves his job, especially since he's able to be with his best friends on set of the show. But sometimes it's hard to juggle work and school.

"When you do something you love, it's worth it," said Musso. "I love it."

Musso said he is a little like his character on the show, Oliver Oken, but unlike his character, he doesn't mind getting a little dirty or sweaty at times.

Musso, who co-resides in Texas and Los Angeles, has been acting since he was around 10 years-old. He has appeared on "King of the Hill," "Oliver Beene," and Disney's "Phineas and Ferb."

Currently, Musso is keeping busy promoting the Hannah Montana concert, but has learned that he loves writing songs and would like to dive deeper into music.

Ticket Scalpers - Hannah Montana Tickets

2007-11-30T00:25:00.000-05:00

Tickets for the concert sold anywhere from face value up to three thousand dollars. That's because scalping is legal in Tennessee as long as the scalper isn't selling tickets on the property of the concert venue. Scalpers at the Hannah Montana Concert (at the FedEx Forum) were selling tickets well above face value. They say its all about supply and demand, but many parents say the laws on scalping need to change.

To put things in perspective - the face value of the most expensive Hannah Montana ticket at the FedEx Forum - 64 dollars. Hannah will perform in Little Rock, Saturday December 1st. No tickets are available. December 2nd, she'll be in Oklahoma City and tickets are still available for one thousand dollars.

Another Hannah Montana ticket crunch coming?

2007-11-30T00:22:00.000-05:00

Tickets go on sale at 12:01 a.m. Saturday for "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: The Best of Both Worlds Concert Movie."

"Disney is spinning this as a hot Christmas gift, hence the early on-sale date," said Ron Van Timmeren of Celebration Cinemas, whose properties at North, South, Rivertown and Studio 28 will all sell tickets to the movie.

The digital 3-D movie will open for a theatrical run Feb. 1-7 in movie theaters across the country. It will play a minumum of five times each day. Tickets are $15 per person and on sale online or at each theater's box office.

"Apparently, she is a hot ticket," Van Timmeren said. "But it's (being marketed) as -- 'Can't get tickets to show? The next best thing is to get tickets to the 3-D digitial movie.' "

Hannah Montana Star Responds to Pregnancy Rumors

2007-11-28T22:56:00.000-05:00

After a nasty rumor about America's sweetheart, Miley Cyrus A.K.A Hannah Montana blasted in the Internet, the young star is ready to face the public and respond to all those who have shown their disappointment in her. Recently, an inauthentic article from J-14 magazine had been circulating in the Internet, speaking of how Miley accidentally got pregnant and quoted her apologizing to her fans and promising to keep the baby. The fake article was far from what the real one had talked about, which was Miley's gross habits on set. The magazine immediately made a statement, saying the article was tampered with, and that they had nothing to do with it. Other popular media and publications also backed them up, saying that the rumors were not true.

However, the damage had been done. It was publicized, and Miley Cyrus, just like any other human being, was hurt by this terrible rumor that swept the Internet. Although the 14-year-old singer/actress is used to bad publicity, this particular one hit home.

Cyrus reportedly couldn't stop her tears when she talked about the pregnancy rumors.

"As much as I wanna say it didn't affect me, it really hurt my feelings," she said in a conversation with ContactMusic.

In addition, Cyrus responded to these rumors recently in a conversation with the entertainment news show, Extra.

"That would be impossible because I'm living my life the way I believe is right, and that is to stay pure," Cyrus declared.

Now that we all know what's true, we can say that the hacker, who was discovered to have tampered with the article, did a pathetic job at ruining Miley Cyrus career, or damage her world-wide fame. The young star does have a good head on her shoulders, so we won’t be counting on that rumor to become true anytime soon.

Hannah Montana Fans Score Innovative Music Game on Nintendo DS

2007-11-28T22:52:00.000-05:00

If you are looking for an alternative to the sold-out Hannah Montana concert series, the new video game "Hannah Montana: Music Jam" may be just the ticket you need.

Hannah Montana: Music Jam, a game created exclusively for the Nintendo DS, lets you assume the identity of Hannah in an adventure where she learns to play musical instruments. The game also acts as a rock-band simulator where you and your friends can jam together to compose music, and even create your own Hannah Montana music videos.

The game offers two modes of play: Adventure and Creative Play. In both, you practice music and create your own music videos. The adventure takes place in the world of Disney's Hannah Montana television series. You become Miley Stewart, the high-school girl who is the secret identity behind the pop star Hannah Montana. Only Miley's family and close friends know about her double life.

Balancing Fame and Friends

The story line revolves around Miley trying to balance fame and friends. As Hannah, her fame is being challenged by Savannah Star, an upcoming rock star who can play her own instruments. The two go head-to-head in a contest to win the Music Jam Online Award.

To keep up with Savannah, Hannah decides to learn to play all the instruments she will use in the music videos she must submit for the competition. Learning to play lead, rhythm, and bass guitars, as well as the drums, become minigames within the adventure. Likewise, you will put together music videos using the backdrops, lights, dance moves, clothing, and songs that you earn during the adventure. While talking to others and completing a series of routine fetch-it tasks moves the story along, the adventure is inventive because of the embedded minigames.

Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour in Disney Digital 3D

2007-11-28T22:49:00.000-05:00

Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC), a leading motion picture exhibitor owning and operating the largest theatre circuit in the United States, today announced that tickets will go on sale for HANNAH MONTANA CONCERT IN 3D on Saturday, December 1. Hannah Montana fans will have a chance to see their favorite singer, songwriter and actress, Miley Cyrus, perform her sold-out "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" on the big screen. The special engagement is a Disney Digital 3D presentation available at Regal Entertainment Group theatres for one week only February 1-7. All participating Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theatres are listed below.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Business Wire EON) November 28, 2007 -- Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE:RGC), a leading motion picture exhibitor owning and operating the largest theatre circuit in the United States, today announced that tickets will go on sale for HANNAH MONTANA CONCERT IN 3D on Saturday, December 1. Hannah Montana fans will have a chance to see their favorite singer, songwriter and actress, Miley Cyrus, perform her sold-out "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" on the big screen. The special engagement is a Disney Digital 3D presentation available at Regal Entertainment Group theatres for one week only February 1-7. All participating Regal Cinemas, United Artists and Edwards Theatres are listed below.

“Regal Entertainment Group is proud to offer moviegoers a chance to see the sold-out Hannah Montana concert in this exciting and impressive Disney Digital 3D format. Miley Cyrus is beloved by her fans and we’re certain that they will be eager to enjoy this 3D experience,” stated Dick Westerling, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Regal Entertainment Group. “As we begin advance sales at this time of year, tickets to the exclusive one-week engagement are likely to be popular Holiday gifts for Hannah Montana fans.”

Tickets go on sale Saturday, December 1 at 12:01AM local time for each participating theatre. Log onto www.REGmovies.com to purchase tickets online. Tickets for this special attraction are $15 for all seats and all showtimes. No passes or discount tickets will be accepted. For the Disney Digital 3D presentation of HANNAH MONTANA CONCERT IN 3D audience members will receive comfortable, lightweight glasses enabling them to view the film’s 3D effects. These glasses can be taken home as souvenirs of the movie.

HANNAH MONTANA CONCERT IN 3D is directed by Bruce Hendricks and produced by Art Repola. Their credits include ESPN'S "Ultimate X: The Movie.” The concert was created and directed by Kenny Ortega whose work includes "High School Musical.” This filmed version of the Hannah Montana concert is being shot in state-of-the-art Disney Digital 3D at several venues during the 54-city tour which also features special guest, Jonas Brothers. During the concert tour Cyrus, the 15-year old singing sensation and star of Disney Channel's hit series, is performing as both a solo artist and as her hugely popular television character, Hannah Montana.

Disney's Hannah Montana a Huge Success

2007-11-27T23:58:00.000-05:00

A throbbing, pulsating roar began at the karaoke and merchandise booths in the courtyard of the Westgate City Center.

By the time you entered Jobing.com Arena, you were assaulted with an all-out, ear-splitting wall of scream.

This is what it must have been like when the Beatles arrived in America, or when Elvis did his trademark hip-swivel for the first time on national TV: all-out, uninhibited pandemonium.

Welcome to the new generation of pop music stars, manufactured and nurtured by Disney for an audience of tykes and tweens and approved by parents. Stars like Hannah Montana and the Jonas Brothers, who performed a 2 1/2-hour shriek-fest sold-out concert Friday. They are this generation of 5-to-12-year-olds' Elvis, Rolling Stones and Beatles.

Will Montana, aka Miley Cyrus, be remembered 20 years from now? Perhaps.

Or, in the words of Cyrus' Disney alter ego, Hannah Montana: "Who said, who said I can't be Superman / I say, I say I know I can."

The young audience and their parents screamed with such enthusiasm and volume when the Jonas Brothers took the stage that you feared your eardrums would shrivel in retreat. The three Jo-Bros set the energy level at high; the crowd filling nearly every seat in the arena bolted to their feet and that's where they stayed. Parents and kids sang along to the trio's remake/tweak of "Kids of America" — they're "Kids of the Future" — and went absolutely, bouncing-off-the-walls nuts when big-Bro Joe sauntered to the edge of the center runway and assumed a Mick Jagger swagger in bright-red polyester pants.

The intensity and volume amplified when the first of the headliners took the stage.

You see, the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus show was two concerts. The first 45 minutes was dedicated to the upbeat, inspiring sugary pop songs the blond-haired, preppy-dressed Disney TV character sings on her show. She is consumed with hanging out with friends and hiding her double life with bubbly lyrics in "Life's What You Make It," "Nobody's Perfect," "Old Blue Jeans," "Who Said," "I Got Nerve" and "Make Some Noise." (One of Hannah's highlights was joining with the Jonas Brothers on the slamming dance song "We Got the Party.")

The second 30 minutes was Miley Cyrus, the 14-year-old daughter of country star Billy Ray Cyrus. She's slightly anti-Hannah — tousled brown-haired, tight black jeans and chains, heavier makeup and a tank-top covered by a leather vest. She and her BFF are ditching the boys and going on "G.N.O. (Girls Night Out)." There's none of the Avril La- vigne-style teen angst, but there's hints of loosening the Disney ropes of innocence that bind her.

Miley sings about getting the guy with a whisper of attitude that is edgier and more defiant than Hannah. Her music squeezes the sugar out and reaches for a rock personality: driving guitar riffs, raucous drum rants and a thumping bass line.

In the end, Hannah and Miley came together — courtesy of a video screen — to perform a duet of Hannah's theme song, "Best of Both Worlds." Perhaps this is the perfection the lyrics portend, where Hannah and Miley can meet in the middle and envelop themselves in the wall of screams from adoring tweens.

Miley Cyrus among Seventeen's 'style stars'

2007-11-27T23:56:00.000-05:00

Rihanna led the pack of trendsetters this year, but she may have Miley Cyrus, Rachel Bilson, Emma Watson or the "Gossip Girls" nipping at her heels in 2008.

That's the prediction of Gina Kelly, the fashion director of Seventeen who helped pick the "Style Stars" for the magazine's December/January issue.

In some ways, it's the younger generation of celebrities who enjoy the most influence over the fashion world because they're the ones willing to take the risks that inspire new trends, says Kelly.

"All the people we picked are true to their own style," she adds.

Take Rihanna: She rocked the 1980s look with bold prints, bright colours and big door-knocker earrings.

"I love her because she's not like anyone else out there," Kelly says. "It starts with her haircut. When she started out, it was long and pretty, but when she got the asymmetrical bob, she just started to break out - and then she got a cool new wardrobe to match her cool new hair."

Other winners in Seventeen's first Style Star awards were Vanessa Hudgens, Jessica Alba, Jordin Sparks, Fergie, Lauren Conrad, Ashley Simpson and Lil Mama.

"Lil Mama - she stands out because she's super individual. There's a little tomboyishness, but she also can be girlie," Kelly observes. "She's also very age appropriate. There's never too much skin."

Right now, Cyrus, the real-life "Hannah Montana," is doing a good job connecting to the teens and tweens who love her, Kelly says, but she'll have to walk a fine line as she gets older and likely becomes an even bigger star. "I'd love to see her evolve a little but also keep her youthfulness."

Meanwhile, "Gossip Girls" has become the TV destination for style-savvy young women, in the way "The O.C." and "Sex and the City" were for the girls who are now in the 20s and 30s, according to Kelly.

Caution Fake Hannah Montana Tickets are Found

2007-11-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

Parents who’ve paid hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for Hannah Montana tickets and their children could show up tomorrow and be crushed. The Gwinnett Arena is warning parents to watch out for counterfeit tickets.Hannah Montana beats the Rolling Stones when it comes to quick ticket sales. And ordinary buyers had an even tougher time getting tickets to the Gwinnett show we’re told, because ticket resellers used some kind of virus to circumvent firewalls at an official ticket website and bought large blocks of seats.

Hannah Montana is concert goliath – her shows here and everywhere else sold out in minutes. Now scalpers and resellers are having a field day selling $66 tickets for anywhere from $500 to $2,500.Miley Cyrus, or Hannah Montana, has declined interviews about her concert tour and the skyrocketing price of scalped tickets. With so much money to be made, people have been reselling tickets online for an enormous profit. The problem is, there’s no telling how many of those tickets are counterfeit – produced by computer software."We are definitely concerned about that when the tickets went on sale we tried to put the warning out there the only tickets we can stand by through Ticketmaster is their phone lines or our box office,” said Chris Hendley with the Arena at Gwinnett Center.Arena officials told Channel 2 concerned parents have called asking if they can bring in tickets bought elsewhere to confirm they’re legitimate. But officials said they cannot do that.One parent, lucky enough to get a pair of tickets at face value said she’s appalled by the counterfeiting and the outrageous re-sale prices.“In a lot of state it’s illegal to re-sell them at this point because of the scalpers who have come out and charged unreasonable amounts,” said parent Andrea Kiep.Getting “The Best of Both Worlds” won’t be easy for those hoping to snatch up a Hannah ticket and making sure it’s the real deal.Gwinnett officials said parents who bought tickets from non-official sources won’t be able to confirm they are legitimate until they are scanned at the door. Officials said they’re also concerned about duplicate tickets. The bottom line is to be very careful who you buy from.

States Compete for Hannah Montana Disney Movie

2007-11-27T22:28:00.000-05:00

Miley Cyrus and her hit Disney show ‘Hannah Montana’ are in high demand right now as the 15-year-old performs sold-out concerts and prepares to film a ‘Hannah Montana’ movie. Miley and her country singer father Billy Ray Cyrus star in the hit show as a father-daughter pair who have to deal with her double life as a high school student and a pop star.

The show is based on Miley Stewart and her father, who move to Tennessee to Southern California. Billy Ray says the upcoming film is about the Stewart family returning to Tennessee. Several states are competing for the film to be shot inside their state lines, but Billy Ray says Disney is leaning toward Tennessee.

“The thing of it is, Walt Disney really wants to film this movie in Tennessee,” says Billy Ray.

Executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission Perry Gibson said the state is limited on what financial incentives they can offer, but the could benefit from the movie. “It would mean a real impact on tourism and it would be a family friendly film that would come to the state,” said Gibson.

Louisiana is also offering Disney incentives to film in their state, and Gibson said it is unclear what state Disney will choose.

The film is scheduled to begin filming in April and is set for release in late 2008 or early 2009.

Mom Splits Tickets Won in Contest

2007-11-26T23:35:00.000-05:00

They both wanted their daughters to see Hannah Montana in concert. And those two moms will get that chance.

Miranda Vaughan and Donna Weaver decided to call it a tie after spending 60 hours with their hands on a car at a Fort Mill car dealership hoping to win the tickets for their daughters.

The tie means each mother gets two tickets to Hannah Montana's sold out show at Bobcats Arena Tuesday night.

More tickets are up for grabs north of the border. In Gaston County in North Carolina, a raffle was held at two locations in Belmont. The winning ticket will be announced at noon Tuesday.

Britney Spears Stands Up Miley

2007-11-26T23:32:00.000-05:00

The invitation was sent out by Billy Ray Cyrus to Britney Spears through the media. Come to Nashville and spend Thanksgiving with Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus and the entire family. It seemed like a nice gesture by Billy Ray and certainly would have given Britney some much needed good publicity. But did she diss Miley?

She even told one photographer that she was going according to a report from TMZ. Apparently she took a pass. According to US Weekly Magazine she hit a West Hollywood Virgin Megastore on Thanksgiving, while her sons, Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, spent turkey day with dad.

Us reports - She did get some face time with her boys that day. At around 8:30 a.m. they were driven in her chauffeured Escalade to the Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, where she and the kids enjoyed a quick breakfast. (The court-appointed monitor followed them in a separate car.)

Spears then turned her sons over to Federline around 11 a.m. She and her producer pal Sam Lutfi later hit the Virgin Megastore, where she bought a CD and a movie before returning to the Four Seasons. She should have headed to Nashville after dropping off the kids.

Miley Cyrus Spends her 15th Birthday with Hometown Fans

2007-11-25T23:39:00.000-05:00

Disney actress Miley Cyrus had a unique way of celebrating her fifteenth birthday -- by playing to a sold-out crowd of fans in her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, on Sunday.

Miley Cyrus celebrated turning 15 with more than 15,000 hometown friends, who serenaded her with "Happy Birthday" toward the end of her "Best of Both Worlds" concert, complete with pyrotechnic displays and a cake delivered on stage.

The star of the hit Disney TV show "Hannah Montana" told the crowd that being home in Nashville with her fans was only wish for her 15th birthday, and so to be home with her fans on her birthday is amazing.

The "Best of Both Worlds" show Friday was sold out.

She said anyone from a small town can live their dream.

Shortly after the singer closed the show with a bow alongside opening act of "The Jonas Brothers," she reemerged for an encore. For the encore, her dad, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, 46, came out with an acoustic guitar to sing their signature duet, "Ready, Set, Don't Go," and included her sister Brandi Glenn Cyrus on backup guitar.

New Hannah Montana Toys

2007-11-25T23:37:00.000-05:00

HM and HSM are shorthand for what's shooting to the top of toy wish lists this holiday season. They are the acronyms every parent with a child under 12 knows, even if parents don't want to admit it: HM (Hannah Montana) and her Disney Channel counterpart, HSM (High School Musical).

"We're in a peak period with Hannah Montana," says Bob Giampietro of Toys R Us, which named the Hannah Montana doll from Play Along one of its hot toy picks. The doll belts out Best of Both Worlds which, of course, is what Hannah represents: typical teen by day, pop star by night — a post-Bratz, parent-approved paradox. "It's safe, but it also has kind of an edge to it," Giampietro says.

This year, Hannah is encroaching on the turf of fashion toy titans. It ranks No. 6 on the National Retail Federation's top toys for girls list, just behind such stalwarts as Barbie, Bratz, Dora the Explorer and Hannah's Mouse House competition, the Disney Princesses. Hannah made her debut, at No. 10 on this year's top 10 most-searched-toys list from Lycos.

Miley Cyrus, who plays Hannah Montana, graces the cover of the holiday issue of Toy Wishes magazine, which approached Disney a year ago about putting her on the front.

"That's how certain we were," says co-publisher Jim Silver, that she'd be such a babe in toyland. "She's wholesome, she's cool. It was just a no-brainer." With her transformative powers, "she's almost like a female superhero." Silver estimates retailers will sell "hundreds of millions" of dollars in Hannah products this year.

Hannah Montana Merchandise

2007-11-25T15:14:00.000-05:00

With Thanksgiving over and the Christmas season open, the hunt is on to nab some of the hottest toys on the market before they sell out, said Reyne Rice, toy trend specialist with the Toy Industry Association. For some parents, this will mean searching store after store to find the toys their children swear is what they want more than anything else in the world.

"Parents really want to make sure that their kids have a happy holiday season. They'll forgo getting a coat for themselves or a new car, but they do want their kids to have those happy memories of the holidays, especially when they are young, and it is still magical," Rice said.

There is no guaranteed way to predict what toys will be the most popular items of the season, but based on sales and research, local and industry officials have their predictions.

Some of the hottest items are products tied to television shows and movies, said Jim Silver, editor in chief of Toy Wishes Magazine. Among those, Hannah Montana is expected to be at the top.

"Besides being a hot-selling concert, she has been a hot-selling toy, from the singing doll to her sound stage to her guitar to the Hannah Montana DVD game. Most of the products with her image based on the television (show) are just flying off the shelves," Silver said.

With its own line of dolls, games and decorative pillows, items related to Disney's "High School Musical" also are expected to sell well, Rice said. The popularity of the two movies took many people by surprise, but the reaction to the toys has not.

"Parents are embracing it because it is really kind of a return-to-innocence type of movie. It is fun; it is about high school, but these kids are very wholesome," Rice said.

For boys, the "Transformers" Ultimate Bumblebee is going to be a favorite, Silver said. The action figure is half Camaro and half robot and talks, makes sounds and bursts into motion at the push of a button.

Many of the games and toys coming out add an extra element to the play using a television or computer, said Brandy Doyle, a spokeswoman for Target. The Smart Cycle is a stationary bike that hooks up to the television and allows preschoolers to peddle their way through educational games. As long as they are cycling, the activity on the screen keeps moving, so they stay active and have fun as well.

"Learning toys with that interactive play component are becoming more and more popular," Doyle said.

The American Idol Talent Challenge also plugs into the television and allows people to sing karaoke-style and get reactions from the judges, Rice said. Parents can make the game a group activity and get the whole family to play.

Children and parents will be fascinated by what they see on the television screen when they hook it up to Eye-Clops, an electronic magnifier that shows a new side to even the most mundane items, Silver said. Point the eye at an object and see what the image looks like magnified 200 times on the screen.

"You are seeing up close, whether it be your hair, your skin, paper. The things that you find are scary – things that you just didn't know existed," Silver said.

One of the hottest trends this year is to have toys that interact with online worlds, Rice said. With more than 50 different animals to choose from, Webkinz will continue to be a popular item this season. Children get a plush toy with a code on its label that allows them to go to a special Web site to play games and nurture an online version of their pet.

Children also can go online to the Web site of the Barbie Girls unit, an MP3 player with the image of a young girl on it, Silver said. Girls can download music, design an online character and chat with other girls.

A range of board games and video games provide entertainment for the whole family. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock is the latest in a line of hard-rocking video games. The new version includes music by Beastie Boys, Kiss, Smashing Pumpkins and Alice Cooper.

A familiar game is getting a new image with Monopoly Electronic Banking Edition, said Dina Chrobot, an assistant manager at Kmart in Rocky Mount. Players use cards to collect rent, buy properties and pay fines.

"You no longer have to deal with money. The bank actually counts the money for you. Therefore, there is probably no cheating," Chrobot said.

There is no one item this year that truly captures the attention of children of every age and both sexes, as items such as Tickle Me Elmo have in the past, Silver said. A 3-year-old girl doesn't want the same thing as a 6-year-old boy or a 9-year-old girl.

"You take a couple of the hottest items – say Guitar Hero III and Smart Cycle – how do you fairly compare something that is a video game that goes older versus a preschool item? They are both must-haves on different age lists. They are both going to sell out, but it is tough to compare the two," Silver said.

If parents really want to find the perfect gift for their children, the best way to do it is pay attention to what interests them, Rice said.

"What are their favorite hobbies and aspirations? What do they like to do? What kind of music are they listening to? That will help guide them in selecting a present that is just perfect for that kid," Rice said.

Hannah Montana Movie Update News

2007-11-25T15:07:00.000-05:00

Bob Iger, Disney's chief executive, on Thursday warned that its ABC television business could be hit by a prolonged Hollywood writers' strike but said its film studio would be unlikely to feel any effect until 2009. This means that High School Musical 3, The Hannah Montana Movie, Cheetah Girls 3, and Dadnapped production will procceed as scheduled. Therefore, talent may continue to submit 8X10 photos and resumes' for these films.

Hollywood screenwriters have spent this past week picketing studios and TV networks after failing to agree a new pay deal. The writers want a share of money generated by the streaming of their work on the internet. But the studios and networks have refused to budge, saying free internet streaming is for promotional purposes only and should not be covered in the pay deal.

Hannah Montana Movie Under Way

2007-11-25T15:06:00.000-05:00

Filming tentatively set to begin April, 2008.

**Please submit by mail only. No personal drop-offs**

Talent can send Photo & Resume to:

Carol Goldwasser
Goldwasser/Meltzer Casting
5800 West Sunset Blvd
Building 11 Suite 201
Hollywood, CA 90028.

Extras Casting (Tennessee or Louisiana): TBA

Filming Location: TBA

Possible locations are Tennessee or Louisiana. The Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission is still waiting for details from Disney about what Louisiana is offering. Louisiana has had an aggressive program in recent years to bring film business to that state. The Tennessee program offers rebates and sales-tax breaks to filmmakers based on a percentage of their in-state spending.

Production Company:

Disney Channel in association with

It's a Laugh Productions, Inc.
2800 West Sunset Blvd.
Bldg. 11, Suite 201
Hollywood, CA 90028

Executive Producers:

Sally Lapiduss
Steven Peterman
Michael Poryes

Director:

Sam W. Orender

Starring:

Miley Cyrus - Hannah Montana / Miley Stewart
Billy Ray Cyrus - Robbie Stewart
Emily Osment - Lilly Truscott
Jason Earles - Jackson Stewart
Mitchel Musso - Oliver Oken

Story:

Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) might seem like an average girl but she isn't. She moved from Tennessee to Malibu and is adapting to a new lifestyle. Miley has a huge secret only known by her dad/manager Robbie Ray Stewart (Billy Ray Cyrus), her weird brother Jackson Stewart(Jason Earles), and her two best friends Lilly Truscott (Emily Osment), and Oliver Oken (Mitchel Musso). Miley Stewart's huge secret is she leads a double as the famous pop singer Hannah Montana along with her friend Lilly who also has a double life as Lola, Hannah's friend.

The film will center around the Stewart family's return to Tennessee.

(story update will occur after the final script revisions)

"Hannah Montana: The Movie" will not be a Disney Channel Original Movie instead it will be a feature length film, released in cinemas worldwide.

Want to be in the new Hannah Montana Movie????

2007-11-25T15:03:00.000-05:00

Disney and It's A Laugh Productions announced that they are going to start shooting "Hannah Montana: The Movie" in late January 2007. The feature length film will be released in theatres worldwide, instead of being released as a Disney movie. Although the writers strike is going on right now, Bob Iger, Disney's Chief Executive, says that the effects of the strike won't be felt in the film business until 2009. This, of course, means that everything is on schedule for the upcoming films "High School Musical 3", "Cheetah Girls 3: Indian Adventure", "Dadnapped" and the afore mentioned Hannah Montana movie. On a side note, there are still accepting photos and resumes at the casting office for the Hannah Montana film.

Contact Information:
Disney Channel Auditions

Contact Person:
Alan Baltes
Production Manager

Web: http://hannahmontanacasting.blogspot.com

What Gets Miley in Trouble : Miley Cyrus on Oprah

2007-11-25T14:59:00.000-05:00

Miley Cyrus admits she's not a typical 14-year-old. She gets in trouble with her mom and dad — and her offenses include losing a credit card and spending too much money in one day.

"Well, I had a credit card and it's like you have to be responsible. I lost it in like two days," Cyrus told Oprah Winfrey on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in a segment that aired Wednesday. "I'm still in trouble."

Cyrus, the star of the Disney Channel's "Hannah Montana," appeared with her father, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus. He said he doesn't worry about her because "she's got a great head on her shoulders."

She said her mother, Tish, gives her news clippings about Beyonce Knowles as an example of a star remaining humble.

She surprised 100 screaming girls, who thought they were in the studio to compete to see who was the biggest "Hannah Montana" fan.

"I recommend earplugs," she told Winfrey as the two of them walked into the room.

Miley told Winfrey that she's allowed to date, but her dad is "like, weird" about it.

"The other day I had one of my guy friends over and he was, he was hiding in the kitchen. We were outside just like hanging out and I look around ... and my dad's standing there like this. He's standing there with his German shepherd watching us and I'm, like, `Dad, you're gonna scare him. I'm not going to have any more friends.'"

Billy Ray Cyrus protested to Winfrey that he was just kidding, not trying to check up on his daughter and her boyfriend.

"Because they knew I was there," he told Winfrey. "It's not like I was spying."

Miley is in the middle of her tour, which has been the hottest concert ticket of the year, with shows selling out in as little as four minutes and scalpers getting four or five times face value.

Radio Station Contest for Hannah Montana Tickets

2007-11-25T14:57:00.000-05:00

More than a dozen people took part in an unusual contest on Friday for a chance at winning four tickets to a Hannah Montana concert.

The concert will be held at Bobcats arena on Tuesday.

The contest was at Fort Mill Ford.

Sixteen people joined the contest around 10 a.m.

By 8 p.m., only 5 contestants were still in the race.

The contestants were required to keep one hand on the car at all times.

The last person touching the car will win the four tickets.

Problematic Hannah Montana Ticket Prices

2007-11-25T14:54:00.000-05:00

The undisputed hottest concert ticket of the year is for 14-year-old pop star Miley Cyrus, star of the Disney Channel show, "Hannah Montana."

Frenzied fans are so desperate for seats to the teen sensation's 54-date "Best Of Both Worlds" tour, kicking off later this month, that venues have sold out in as little as four minutes, and ticket brokers are getting four-to-five times face value and more, creating a torrent of complaints from frustrated parents.

Some ducats are fetching thousands of dollars each.

Using advanced programs to get into computer systems before tickets go on sale to the public, brokers bought large amounts of tickets, circumventing the promoter's rule of four tickets per transaction at a maximum of $65 a pop.

The Early Show co-anchor Hannah Storm, who found asking prices as high as $20,000 on one ticket reseller's Web site, told her daughters they couldn't go.

"They're dying to go to the concert," Storm says. "They've been asking since the summer. I've been trying for months -- on the Internet, pulling every string I know, making phone calls, all to no avail."

Florida state legislator Dan Gelber's (D, Miami Beach) young daughters have also been shut out -- and he's sponsoring a bill to do rein in ticket brokers in the Sunshine State.

What the brokers did, he explained to Storm Wednesday, is "use an automatic dialling system to basically, literally in minutes, take all the tickets to the Hannah Montana concerts in Florida. So, the result was that everyday people just calling to get tickets for their kids were shut out. I could take my kids to the concert, but it would cost about $2,000, $3,000 for a family of four to go to a Walt Disney concert, which is obviously outrageous."

Gelber says his bill "brings the practice of the automated dialing within our Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act in Florida. The second thing it'll do is require the resellers to file a bond and register with the state of Florida, the way telemarketers have to. That's an industry that also can have some concerns with what they're doing. This brings these Internet folks into the state physically, and requires some penalties if they do these kinds of, I think, pretty predatory practices."

Hannah Montana Mania Hits Knoxville

2007-11-25T14:52:00.000-05:00

Saturday night was big for teen sensation Hannah Montana. She performed in front of thousands in Knoxville's Thompson Boling Arena.

Hannah Montana, is a character on the popular Disney Channel show played by Miley Cyrus.

Tickets to the concerts have been hard to come by to say the least, gaining national attention because of it.

But the more than 20,000 fans didn't hesitate paying bick bucks to see Hannah Montana here in Knoxville.

"I paid $377.00 for two tickets that say the face value is $40.50," said Rhonda Alexander.

But some were lucky enough to score same-day tickets for $75.00.

However, we found one parent who paid $377.00 per ticket and purchased three, her children couldn't have been happier.

"She's awesome, it's Hannah Montana and I am so excited," said eight year old Leila Kyracios.

And there's no denying everyone at the concert was singing her praises.

Miley Cyrus, is the daughter of country music's Billy Ray Cyrus.

The teen shot to stardom on the Disney Channel.

Miley Cuts a Deal With Celebs for Hannah Montana Appearance

2007-11-25T14:50:00.000-05:00

How hot are Hannah Montana tickets? Even celebrities have t make a deal with Miley Cyrus to hook up their family members and kids to get to see Disney's big fifteen year old attraction. In Touch Weekly reports that even though most celebrities are accustomed to having the red carpet rolled out for them, the buck stops when it comes to getting tickets for Disney's hit show Hannah Montana.

Insiders at Disney reveal to the magazine that the show is so hot, stars have to earn their keep if they want to watch the show from the studio audience. And Ava Sambora, Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora's daughter, is no exception.

The weekly entertainment magazine reports that earlier this month Heather, 46, made her first of two appearances, on an episode titled "Lilly's Mom Has It Goin' On," to ensure that 10-year-old Ava and pal David Spade could attend a taping. But Ava wasn't the only one starstruck.

"Miley loves Heather," Billy Ray Cyrus, who co-stars on the show with his daughter, tells In Touch. "She and Heather could be sisters. They are two peas in a pod." Brooke Shields' daughter, Rowan, 4, was so jealous of her on-screen appearance that she shouted, "Noooo! That's my mama for real life." Heather joins the ranks of TV stars Brooke Shields, Larry David and Ray Romano, who have guest-starred on the hit show to get their kids tickets.

Hannah Montana Movie May Be Close

2007-11-25T14:46:00.001-05:00

Singer Billy Ray Cyrus wants his daughter's upcoming "Hannah Montana" film to be shot in Tennessee, but state officials say they might not be able to offer the producers enough financial incentives.

The film based on the wildly popular Disney TV series is scheduled to start shooting in April and expected to be released in late 2008 or early 2009.

In the series, 14-year-old Miley Cyrus plays a high school student, Miley Stewart, who moves from Tennessee to Southern California and lives a secret double life as a pop star. Billy Ray Cyrus also plays her father on the show.

Cyrus said the movie is centered on the fictional Stewart family's return to Tennessee and it is only fitting for it to be shot in Tennessee as well. The real-life Cyrus family also has a home in Tennessee and was in town for Thanksgiving during a break on Miley Cyrus' sold-out tour.

"The thing of it is, Walt Disney really wants to film this movie in Tennessee," Billy Ray Cyrus said.

Perry Gibson, executive director of the Tennessee Film, Entertainment and Music Commission, said the state could benefit from having the movie shot locally.

"It would mean a real impact on tourism and it would be a family friendly film that would come to the state," she said. But Tennessee is limited in what incentives it can offer, she said.

Louisiana has had an aggressive program in recent years to bring film business to that state.

The Tennessee agency is still waiting for details from Disney about what Louisiana is offering, Gibson said. The Tennessee program offers rebates and sales-tax breaks to filmmakers based on a percentage of their in-state spending.

Cyrus said he thinks Tennessee can compete for the film.

"Quite frankly, I think they are pretty close," he said.

Hannah Montana Ticket Crisis

2007-11-25T14:44:00.000-05:00

It’s been a rough week for the ticketing industry. If you expected the outrage over record-breaking Hannah Montana sell-outs would just blow over, think again. Empty-handed parents left struggling to understand how their best efforts resulted in broken promises are prompted to ask What exactly is going on here?

Odds of Getting Hannah Tickets: One in a Million?

Reselling tickets to children’s shows is a delicate business, especially when the “kid concert” is one of the best-selling music sensations of the year. In the case of Hannah Montana, the reaction goes further than brokers receiving hate mail. With angry Kansas City parents leading the initiative for consumer protection, the entire ticketing industry has been put under the microscope . . .

When Hannah Montana’s December 3 show at the Sprint Center sold out in minutes, parents were so incensed they compelled the City Council of Kansas City to take action. This anger was not reserved solely for the “scalpers.” Their scrutiny of the ticketing industry began with the primary sellers. Fingers were pointed at Ticketmaster, leader of this week’s Top Primary Sellers which include Tickets.com at two, LiveNation.com at three, TicketWeb.com at four, Etix.com at five, Telecharge.com at six, TicketsWest.com at seven, Tix.com at eight, GrooveTickets.com at nine, and BrownPaperTickets.com at ten.

Because tickets immediately appeared on secondary websites – first-ranked StubHub.com, second-ranked TicketsNow.com, third-ranked TicketLiquidator.com, fourth-ranked ABCtickets.com, fifth-ranked GoTickets.com, sixth-ranked RazorGator.com, seventh-ranked CoasttoCoastTickets.com, eight-ranked TickCo.com, ninth-ranked CheapPricedTickets.com, and tenth-ranked OnlineSeats.com all list seats for the performance – consumers cried conspiracy, suspecting Ticketmaster and the Sprint Center of an alliance with brokers that would give resellers first dibs on tickets.

What was eventually discovered was that of the 11,000 tickets released for the show 3000 went to the artist, suite-holders, and promoter AEG Live and 4000 went to fan club presales, meaning only 4000 were made available to the public on September 15.

Consider this: Only 4000 tickets are available for purchase. Kansas City consumers are aware of the difficulty involved in getting tickets, so most potential buyers enlist the help of multiple friends and relatives, some using multiple computers and phones while others wait in line at the box office. Additionally, parents in neighboring areas that couldn’t get tickets to their local venue are doing the same thing, prepared to take a road trip to appease their heartbroken brood. And because the performances aren’t going to be populated by unaccompanied minors, tickets aren’t being bought in singles or pairs, but in blocks. Ticketmaster was bombarded with hundreds of thousands of requests the moment tickets went on sale. Also consider that because multiple people were often involved in a single buy attempt, customers lucky enough to secure tickets sometimes wound up with extras. Is it hard to see how all the tickets disappeared? The brokers’ efforts to acquire tickets certainly didn’t help the citizens of Kansas City, but even if resellers were removed from the equation, not everyone who wanted a ticket would have gotten one.

Supply and Demand: Bigger Than Us

If Hannah Montana herself isn’t the talk of the town, current ticket prices for her show certainly are. Everywhere you look it seems there are reports of tickets advertised for thousands of dollars. While the market value of Hannah Montana tickets are well above the modest $26 - $56 face price per ticket, you don’t necessarily have to fork over the equivalent of a mortgage payment to get a seat.

On TicketLiquidator.com, seats for the aforementioned Dec. 3 show at the Sprint Center ranged from $145 - $1785, with only three groups of tickets over the hefty $1000 price tag. On StubHub.com, seats ranged from $155 - $1795, again with three sets of floor tickets in the over $1000 category. While hundreds of dollars is still pretty pricey, we’re still months out before many of the shows. Traditionally in this market, the closer the event date gets, the more ticket prices come down. RazorGator.com and TickCo.com are already showing reduced prices on some performances. Though patient ticket buyers aren’t likely to see Hannah tickets plummet back to face value, they can expect to see prices lower as the showtimes near.

Yes, as critics will tell you, even at the reduced rates seats bought on the secondary market cost a lot of money. Unfortunately, that’s supply and demand. The average consumer did have a chance, albeit a slim chance, to obtain tickets for the $26 price. To the protests that now only the rich will be able to afford tickets when everyone should have the same opportunity to snatch up front row seats, sadly that’s the way of the world. Democracy doesn’t mean Lamborghinis and Bentleys for everyone. With only a limited supply of tickets to dole out to an enormous fan base, not everyone can be entitled to a seat, less mind a seat covered by paper route earnings.

The irony is that even as consumers condemn the resellers for their greed, surplus tickets from some buyers’ own frenzied attempts at purchasing enough seats for their families are popping up on the secondary market at eBay and Craigslist.

Nobody’s Perfect

Hannah’s hit single says it all: Nobody’s Perfect. The ugliness caused by the ticket demand debacle makes it all too clear. There are those that dwell on the flaws in the ticketing industry and criticize the business of brokers. There are those that chastise the parents for catering to “spoiled brats” and overlooking their children’s real needs. There are those that complain the promoter should add more shows to satisfy their city’s demand despite the fact that Miley/Hannah already has a rigorous schedule and is only fourteen years old. The Best of Both Worlds Tour doesn’t appear to be bringing out the best in anyone.

In the end, investigators will probably not provide jilted buyers with the answers they want to hear. “Back door technologies” and unscrupulous alliances are not at the core of the issue. The problem is the devastatingly simple fact that there just aren’t enough tickets to go around. It’s been a harsh initiation for parents who hoped to bring smiles to their kids’ faces. However, the industry is not bereft of empathy for the families of Kansas City and the other stops along Hannah’s tour. Ticketers are making efforts to offer consumers advice on finding best value seats, and ultimately hope to educate the public about the ticketing business.

Parents Launch Lawsuit Against Miley Cyrus Fan Club

2007-11-25T14:42:00.000-05:00

The frenzy caused by the lack of tickets to Hannah Montana Fan Club members will now be played out in the courts as a national class action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of New Jersey parent Kerry Inman and anyone who joined the official Miley Cyrus Fan Club, based on the club's claim that joining would make it easier to get Hannah Montana concert tickets. Fan club membership is $30.

Law firms Robert Peirce & Associates, P.C., of Pittsburgh, and Glassman, Edwards, Wade & Wyatt, of Memphis, TN , both with extensive experience in class action lawsuits, filed on Nov. 12 against Interactive Media Marketing, Inc. and Smiley Miley, Inc., both Tennessee based.

For months, the Hannah Montana ticketing controversy has been one of the more hotly contested issues in entertainment. Children, parents, state attorney generals, ticket brokers, venue operators, Disney, promoters… they’ve all been stung by the matter, and the class action lawsuit is the second lawsuit filed by angry parents. Last month, a North Carolina parent sued TicketsNow over its alleged role in jacking ticket prices.

According to the class action lawsuit filed this week, Interactive Media Marketing and Smiley Miley should have known that its membership vastly exceeded the number of available tickets.

“We received thousands of emails throughout the country by those who were impacted,” lawyer Rob Peirce told TicketNews, who filed the lawsuit with attorney B.J. Wade.

“We received complaints that fans clubs in several cities didn't have an opportunity to purchase tickets and if you were a member in one location, you were not provided with the opportunity to buy in a different location," Peirce said. "If the consumer was advised about this beforehand, they might not have joined the fan club.”

Peirce added it will take several months to resolve the dispute, but he is optimistic that after the defendants review the lawsuit they will sit down with them to resolve the situation.

The lawsuit is asking for treble damages (triple the amount) for all members of the class action lawsuit and recovery of all attorneys' fees, as stipulated in the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act.

Miley Cyrus' 15th Birthday Lands on road in Nashville

2007-11-25T14:37:00.000-05:00

What better way to throw a birthday party than by inviting more than 15,000 hometown friends? Miley Cyrus, the star of the hit Disney TV show Hannah Montana, celebrated turning 15 in Nashville Friday in front of a sold-out crowd.

"I'll tell you guys that my main wish when my parents asked me, 'Miley, what do you want for your 15th birthday?' The only thing that I had to say was, 'I want to be here at home with Nashville and all of you guys,' " she breathlessly told the crowd, who erupted into screams.

"The reason that I do what I do is for all of you guys," she said. "Anyone from a small town can go out there and live their dream, and so to be here with you guys tonight on my birthday is amazing."

Cyrus's rapt audience even serenaded her with "Happy Birthday" toward the end of her "Best of Both Worlds" concert, complete with pyrotechnic displays and a cake delivered onstage.

As her show wound to a close, confetti filled the stadium and she took her bows alongside Joe, Kevin and Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers. Fans refused to budge from their seats and their patience was rewarded.

She emerged to sing one more song, announcing: "I'd like to bring out my best friend – that just about says it all – my daddy." Her dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, came out with an acoustic guitar to sing their signature duet, "Ready, Set, Don't Go," and included her sister Brandi Glenn Cyrus on backup guitar.

When the song ended, Billy Ray hugged Miley, wishing her, "Happy Birthday, little girl."

Source: People.com

Miley Cyrus is Entertainer of the Year

2007-11-25T14:30:00.000-05:00

Disney star Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, was named one of the 25 Top Stars of 2007 for Entertainment Weekly’s “Entertainers of the Year.” Check out a few quick Q&A’s:

Celebrity fan she was most surprised by: ‘’Lauren Conrad from The Hills. I met her and said, ‘Oh my gosh, I love you,’ and she said, ‘Oh my gosh, I love you.’ It was funny!'’

The career she’d most like to have besides her own: ‘’Hilary Duff’s. She’s stayed super true to herself and was also really successful, and that’s what I want to do.'’

Miley turned 15 this past Friday and celebrated by performing in front of a sold-out crowd in Nashville, Tenn.

“I’ll tell you guys that my main wish when my parents asked me, ‘Miley, what do you want for your 15th birthday?’ The only thing that I had to say was, ‘I want to be here at home with Nashville and all of you guys,’ ” she told the screaming crowd.

Source: Just Jared