First off, no serious fan of Hannah Montana ever wears abandanna.
"Uh, NO," a flock of girls/fans respond in unison when asked ifMs. Montana is a cowgirl. "NO!" the four say again. Neither dirt norlivestock has been trucked in for the show. It's not at all like theDays of '47 rodeo.
"She's just amazingly awesome singer and dresser," one girl says,clearly amazed that someone could be so awesomely unhip to connectMs. Montana with cattle or ranches or the Big Sky state or somebodycalled Hannah from Montana.
"No, for the third time, that's not her name and that's not oneof her songs," says 11-year-old Kesli Curtis from West Point as shehops, twirls and fidgets in line before Friday night's HannahMontana concert at EnergySolutions Arena. The event, according toher mom who paid $510 for four tickets, has had them more excitedthan Christmas.
"It's not quite like herding cats keeping track of them," saidJanene Curtis, who with fellow mom Angie Fisher were hosting thegirls night out. (Dinner was salads at The Gateway.)
"We just keep counting heads and making sure we're stilltogether," adding that she had brought along 12-year-old son Brandon-- one of the noticeably few boys in the crowd. "To help chaperon,although he's mostly checking out girls."
He did his best to appear cool and collected and completelydisinterested in the concert, or ever having even once watchedMontana's daily television show. Until Kesli busted him by notingthat, "Oh, yes, he does watch. Sometimes twice a day."
The "Hanna Montana" TV show is broadcast almost as often as"M*A*S*H" was. Her real name is Miley (pronounced like smileybecause she smiles so much) Cyrus, 14-year-old daughter of Billy RayCyrus of "Achy, Breaky Heart" fame. She's not from Montana but fromDisneyland by way of Tennessee. She may have nothing to do with BigSky, but she is big time: A road trip requires 13 full-sizesemitrucks and 14 luxury motor homes.
Hannah Montana on television is chirpy-average-girl-at-school byday and mega-watt-pop-star by night. But only her family and closestfriends know of her dual identity. The show has amassed 5.4 millionviewers in 18 months, an audience and response to a sitcom thatDisney Channel Entertainment calls "beyond our wildestexpectations."
It's the kind of phenomenon that creates markets -- clothingjewelry, apparel, dolls -- at select stores -- and concert ticketscalpers. A few were on hand Friday evening, although finding fewtakers for a show that people other places -- usually on theInternet -- have paid as much as $2,000 to see.
Tickets were reportedly sold out for the two-night Salt Lakeengagement in about six minutes. Gary Boslough said that's themessage he received after trying several times to buy four tickets.He ultimately managed just two at $50 each.
"This is actually better because I don't have to go in," Bosloughsaid. "We'll just go get dinner."
Several hundred kids who had no chance of going in came downtown"just to be here," as Sarah Demes said. She had come with her dadand brother in hopes of scoring free tickets being given away forthe show.
But Friday's show was already in the bag. In their father'spocket, actually. He lives in Glenwood Springs, Colo., and was intown for a visit.
Enraptured is probably the most accurate way of describing thereaction of his 11- and 7-year-old. As all three submerged into thestream of fans, the kids were thanking dad with promises of modelchild behavior: "For a year at least, at least a year."
E-mail: jthalman@desnews.com
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