'Achy Breaky' daughter brings her sparkle to the Sunshine State
The Tween Queen is Florida-bound.
Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, will bring her Best of Both Worlds Tour - one of the hottest tickets of 2007 - into the Sunshine State next week. The shows are sold out.
"I love Miley. She's not like all the other pop stars," said Victoria Sexton, 13, an aspiring actress from Ocala. "She's a real person, someone you could talk to. She really connects to her audience."
Adds Jacquelyn Sexton, Victoria's mom: "I think Miley's lovely and a lot of fun. She's not just another pop princess; she's rough and tumble. She's not afraid to get her hands dirty. She's got the human touch, and it's good that kids watch her because she makes them realize no one is perfect and it's OK to make mistakes."
Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus' little girl has conquered the hearts and minds of American kids - and their parents' wallets. The Disney Channel star really will cash in during the coming days:
* Miley, 15, plays sold-out shows Monday and Tuesday at Orlando's Amway Arena. Tickets, ranging from $25 to $65, sold out within hours. Quick two-night sellouts are usually reserved for major adult stars, such as Bruce Springsteen or Beyoncé. The same thing happened for Miley's Wednesday concert in Jacksonville's Veterans Memorial Arena. Virtually every show on the 56-date concert tour was sold out, and scalpers were getting up to $3,000 from desperate parents; ticket brokers pulled in a national average of $240 per ticket, according to The Washington Post.
* On Feb. 1, Disney will release the 3-D movie "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour." It's basically a concert film, and Disney has scheduled it to run only one week at theaters. The concert movie was the No. 1 seller on MovieTickets.com its first week on sale, MSNBC reported, and it continues to sell thousands of advance tickets each day.
The film will not run at Ocala's Regal Hollywood 16.
"It was a corporate decision; all our movies are decided at the corporate level," said Gray Lawrence of Hollywood 16. The movie will open at Gainesville's Regal Royal Park Stadium 16 Theater, 3702 Newberry Road.
* On Tuesday, Disney will release the DVD "Hannah Montana: One in a Million," featuring four episodes of the TV series and extras such as "The Top 10 Disney Character Feuds," an episode of "That's So Raven" and two Hannah Montana music videos: "True Friend" and "One In A Million." The TV series has been on since 2005, and Disney contends it is the No. 1 cable program, as well as cable's highest series telecast ever in total viewers.
* On Tuesday, Disney also will release the CD "Hannah Montana 2: Non-Stop Dance Party." It features most of her songs in a non-stop dance remix. Her two previous albums, "Hannah Montana" and "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus," hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts and have sold more than 7 million copies between them.
The Disney marketing machine is running full throttle, but even in an era of "High School Musical," Miley mania's commercial presence is unique. It's all part of tween power - kids from 7 to 13, who, with help from their parents and grandparents, represent a $39 billion buying-power market.
Last year, Miley made Forbes' list of the richest celebrities under 25, earning $3.5 million, and her income is expected to skyrocket this year.
The reason is simple. She plays a normal kid - Miley Stewart -with an alter-ego pop star - Hannah Montana - in her tween sitcom.
Kids, such as these students at Fort McCoy School, savor Miley's mix of real world and fantasy life:
"I like her because she's cool and a good role model," Faith Frame, 9, said. "I like her music a lot, and I hear it all the time on the Disney Channel."
"She's really funny and stylish," added Cheyenne Walker, 9. "I watch all her shows, and I have her CDs. She sings good and is a lot of fun."
Ashlin Runyon, 10, likes "the way she dresses and plays both parts on the show. She seems like a regular person, but she's also a singing star. She's very funny."
Big daddy Billy Ray, who plays Miley's father on the TV show, appreciates his daughter's remarkable rise to stardom.
"The most important thing I tell her is to have fun and enjoy every second," he told the Star-Banner in 2006. "I also tell her, if she ain't happy, it ain't working. I want her to be positive and enjoy herself, and I tell her, most of all, give back to the fans, because it's all about the fans."
Like her father, Miley has a knack for dealing with the public.
"She's been around me all these years, and I think it shows," he said. "I saw her perform, and afterwards, she signed autographs and made sure everyone left happy. I see a whole lot of that 'some-gave-all' attitude in Miley. She understands."
Thus far, the teen has been able to handle the fame and adulation.
"The pressure is definitely hard," Miley told TV's "Extra" this month, "but I think just keeping your head on your shoulders is easier than it looks. I think if you know who you are, then I think you'll be fine for the rest of the way."
Anthony Violanti can be reached at 867-4154 or anthony .violanti@starbanner.com.
Miley Cyrus plays sold-out shows Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in Orlando and Jacksonville. On Tuesday, Disney will release the DVD "Hannah Montana: One in a Million." Also on Tuesday: Disney will release the CD "Hannah Montana 2: Non-Stop Dance Party." On Feb. 1, Disney will release the 3-D movie "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour." The closest theater: Regal's Royal Park in Gainesville.