Hannah Montana movie a screaming success

"I was one of six guys in there," one dad said as he tried to shake off the persistent ringing in his ears from the concert he just witnessed.

Both theaters reported brisk online and walk-up sales of the $15 tickets as soon as they went on sale in November. All the shows at Bow Tie's 300-seat 3-D theater are sold out through this weekend.

Most of the 5:50 p.m. audience, consisting of about 200 shrieking grade school girls, behaved as if they were at a real concert: They screamed all through the show.

As soon as a slide glided across the screen inviting the audience to put on its 3-D glasses, the screaming began.

The concert movie, filmed during a grueling three-month concert tour by Miley Cyrus, aka Hannah Montana, that played in 69 cities, ending January 31.

"There's not a whole lot of girls wearing wigs at this show," said Dan Herrle, manager of the Bow Tie Cinema. He was decked out in his own fake blonde tresses, a purple headband and a silver-sequined vest. With the mustache, though, he looked more like Fabio than Hannah.

Behind him, several sheepish looking, male ticket takers were similarly wigged out.

What the evening lacked in costumes, it made up for in enthusiasm. While the 5:50 p.m. show was going on, the lobby filled up for the 8:10 p.m. viewing.

A few weary parent-chaperones were among a line of girls that wound back and forth across the back of the lobby.

"The movie was awesome!" exclaimed 9-year-old Destiny Harding, a fourth-grader at Windsor Farms Elementary School.

"Triple awesome!" yelled her pal, Zoie Wilson, also nine. Her brother Zachary Wilson, 7, gave it one thumb up.

"It's really cool!" shouted 11-year-old Marie Doffermyre.

Because of the 3-D effects, throughout the concert movie there were scenes made viewers feel they were being swept across a concert audience on a crane.

Then fingers, drumsticks, chopsticks and plenty of guitar necks were jabbed in the viewers' sight, shielded only by a nifty pair of 3-D glasses the theater staff handed to every patron.

Miley made good use of the 3-D cameras as she strutted back and forth on a wide steel runway that seemed to stretch into each movie-goer's lap.

Things didn't always go smoothly. During a practice, the male dancers accidentally dropped Miley. When she balked at doing the routine again, her mother cajoled her, telling her to pretend it was like cheerleading.

In the movie, the group practiced a new maneuver until Miley was assured she'd be safe.

The movie featured the squeaky-clean star and her equally wholesome sidekicks, the Jonas Brothers - pop rock singers Kevin, Joe and Nick Jonas of Wyckoff, N.J.

The candy-colored costumes could have come directly from the wardrobe of "Fantasia." The Disney folks left nothing to chance - no cleavage, no bellybuttons on display.

As Miley/Hannah ripped through her hit songs - "Rock Star," "Nobody's Perfect," "I Miss You" and "The Best of Both Worlds" - the theater audience mouthed the words along with their idol.

"Make some noise!" Miley sang in one song. And they certainly did.

Wendi Winters is a freelance writer living on the Broadneck Peninsula.