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Hannah Montana Look-Alikes Sing For Idol's Elusive Tickets

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By CLOE CABRERA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 3, 2007

CLEARWATER - Hoping to secure a spot at a Hannah Montana lip-sync showcase Friday, Molly August and her friends Taylor and Cierra Flood thought it would be a good idea to show up a little early.

They arrived at noon - six hours before the event began.

"I really wanted to be here," said Molly, 12, a student at John Hopkins Middle School, who ended up first in line. "I just love her. She can sing, she's really funny and she wears really cute clothes."

When it was her turn to perform, Molly took to the stage in a two-piece brown and gold number from her idol's clothing collection and lip-synced to her favorite Hannah Montana song, "Nobody's Perfect."

She was among 50 girls who got the chance to tap their inner pop star during the event at Dillard's at Westfield Countryside mall. They performed on a stage set up in the girls clothing department.

Fashion stylists helped them select clothes from the Hannah Montana line, which includes denim skirts, metallic shrugs, faux-fur lined vests, jeans and jumpers. Some wore straw hats and Hannah Montana wigs.

The event also gave parents a chance to win a pair of coveted tickets to the Nov. 19 concert at St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa.

Loyal fans are desperate to get seats for the 54-city Hannah Montana Best of Both Worlds Tour. Ticket brokers swooped up thousands of tickets minutes after they went on sale online and shut out legitimate Hannah followers, who found they would have to pay $350 to $2,000 for $63 seats.

"Everyone in our family tried to get concert tickets when they went on sale," said Gail Johnston, 43, who waited alongside her daughter, Blair Butler, 12, No. 41 in line at the event.

"It's a shame what's happened with the ticket situation. So many kids won't get a chance to see her because their parents can't afford to buy tickets at the prices they're being sold.

"If I won those tickets for my daughter, it would be a dream come true," Johnston said.

"She dressed up as Hannah Montana for Halloween. Everything in my house is Hannah Montana. It's Hannah monstrosity. But I'm happy about that. She's a very wholesome figure girls can look up to. Not like some of the other ones who are out there. Britney Spears was like that, and look at what a mess she became. I hope Hannah stays that way."

Hannah, of course, is actually 14-year-old Miley Cyrus, the star of the popular Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana," about a regular teen who happens to have a secret life as a rock star. The series is among the highest rated shows on cable.

Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, a high school student viewed by many of her classmates as a geek. Little do they know that, aided by a blonde wig, she leads a secret double life as Hannah Montana, international singing superstar. Cyrus' real-life dad, country singer Billy Ray Cyrus, also stars on the show.

"She's what you want your daughters to look up to," said Sandra Flood, 39, of Indian Rocks Beach. "Her show is clean, and she's still a little girl. She doesn't dress inappropriately. ... I don't have to monitor my daughters when they watch her show."

More than 300 parents and children attended Friday's Hannah sing-along.

Jim Panek was the only dad waiting in line with his daughters, Elizabeth, 13, and Lauren, 10.

In an era when female celebrities often are caught doing drugs and flashing body parts, Panek, 46, said he appreciates Hannah Montana's sweet, age-appropriate message to girls.

"She's mature, but she's clean," he said. "I really hope she continues to stay that way, because my girls really look up to her."

Nearby, his daughters practiced the song they'd be lip-syncing, "Life's What You Make It."

"Have you listened to the words of her song?" said Elizabeth, a student at Blessed Sacrament Middle School.

"They're not just songs; they have a very positive message in them. I really hope she doesn't change. Girls my age need to see it's OK to be good."

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