Hannah In The House

Video: Oustide The Show

TAMPA - Like, OMG. Hannah Montana is totally in the house - well the St. Pete Times Forum that is.

The Best of Both Worlds concert tour, featuring 14-year-old singer-actress Miley Cyrus as herself and performing as pop sensation Hannah Montana, is FINALLY here.

The plaza around the Forum was packed with screaming -- and several crying -- children, checking out "The Ultimate Miley Party" before the doors opened. The party included a raffle giving away concert tickets and Miley's clothes from the show, a game wheel where contestants could win her CD and karaoke.

Friends Linda Gomez and Anne Milo traveled by limousine with their third grade daughters from Melbourne. Donning matching blond Hannah Montana wigs, Sveta Gomez and Anne Milo, twirled about their mothers to the sounds of the area's own Keely Marshall, and jumped with excitement.

"It's well worth the whole paycheck just to see their faces," said Milo, 43, Leena's mother. "They would have never been able to experience something like this."

Tickets for the Tampa stop of the Disney Channel star went on sale Aug. 10 and sold out in 18 minutes, according to Holly Brown, a Forum spokeswoman. Although ticket prices ranged from $30 to $70, some parents have shelled out thousands to ticket brokers to ensure their children are in the arena.

Last Monday, an additional 2,000 tickets went on sale and were gone in four minutes.

Oscar D'Souza, of Palm Harbor, tried to get tickets for his 12-year-old daughter Caitlyn during the first round of ticket sales but had no luck. After hearing about the last minute sale, he hopped online and worked the phones to score a pair of tickets. He got through and Caitlyn and her friend Carley Jensen are going to the show.

"I love her songs, they relate to all ages," said Jensen, "And her show is super funny," D'Souza added.

Tony Rey chatted with his 9-year-old daughter Aryanna, who traveled from Orlando to catch the show. They waited in a seemingly never-ending line to take a picture with Miley's grandmother, Loretta "Mammie" Finley, next to a cardboard cutout of the superstar in front of a pink tour bus plastered with the singer's face. Rey purchased the tickets in September and kept them a secret until Monday.

"It was my idea," said the 29-year-old music produce who tugged at his daughter's ponytail. "I told her I had a surprise for her if she made good grades."

"I love him and he's cool," said Aryanna, giving her father a hug. "I like Hannah's singing, and I love the show."

Patrick Kelley made himself comfortable in the parent's waiting room that was stocked with beverages, snacks and cable TV. He made the four-hour drive from Kingsland, Ga., with his wife, Kathleen, and 9-year-old daughter, Shannon.

"This is awesome. I'm watching ESPN, eating peanuts and drinking a free drink, I couldn't ask for more," he said, and added he kept the tickets a secret from their daughter. "We didn't want her running around telling her friends ... but this has been a great experience."