The Southwest Voice

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During the weekend of Feb. 1, the walkway circling Edwards Theater in Southwest Bakersfield looked more like the cordoned lines of Disneyland rides. Pink-cheeked children squirmed excitedly, some having left school early for an event that, to them, equaled the second coming of  The Beatles.

There were blankets, lawn chairs — and the wherewithal to withstand winter conditions so cold they made Green Bay, Wis. seem beachy.

If you were at The Marketplace that weekend and worried you were missing something, that all depends on your perspective. The excitement was for the world premiere of Disney’s Digital 3-D presentation of “Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert.”

In case you’ve been living on the other side of the moon, Miley Cyrus, 15, is the star of Disney’s hit TV show, “Hannah Montana, ” which debuted in March 2006. Cryus plays a tween star who lives a secret life as a pop musician. Cyrus’ real life dad — country singer Billy Ray Cyrus — also portrays her TV dad and manager.

Management at Edwards Theater reported that lines for the movie started forming just after dawn that Friday morning for the first showing at 5:30 p.m. Bakersfield was ready (early) for Hannah Montana!

They weren’t the only ones. Box office tallies indicate that exactly half of all moviegoers across the nation that weekend were donning 3-D glasses to see the teen sensation in her first major motion picture.

Hannah Montana’s appeal stretches beyond the playground. A week later, lines were still forming on Saturday night, but not everyone had children in tow.

The Fryer family: Brian, Casey and Nathan, and their friend, Aubrey Vlach, all in their early 20s, were seeing the movie for the second time.

“We’re Hannah’s oldest fans,” they said.

Southwest resident and schoolteacher Vicki Greene braved the elements to attend the premiere with daughters, Katie, 14, and Shannon, 11.

“It was really good,” said Greene, whose daughters own the Hannah Montana music and video games.

The stage, the lights and the early celebrity of the young actress and singer might be reminiscent of other bubble gum starlets who Disney also made popular at a young age. Britney Spears was a Mousketeer and Lindsey Lohan starred in the hit remake of “Parent Trap.”

Greene worries that Cyrus has some challenges ahead of her.

“My biggest fear is that other girls in the limelight have flopped. Right now, (Cyrus) is a good role model. I just pray she stays that way.”

Greene is a kindergarten teacher and says that her young students are fans of Hannah Montana.

“When (Cyrus) is 18, my daughters will be grown and it won’t matter,” said Greene, remembering the trouble other young actresses faced at adulthood. “But it will matter to the girls in my class.”

At 15, so far, so good, and it appears that the teen sensation is on a sling shot to super stardom. To date, her first movie grossed $62 million worldwide.

With her hit TV show, superstardom and a dedicated father guiding her every move, moviegoers aren’t the only ones enjoying the best of both worlds.

Note: At publication time, the “Hannah Montana” movie is still showing at Edwards. Please consult local listings.

Click HERE for details about the Hannah Montana Mania photo contest!