'Hannah Montana' fans flood city
Better hurry. Pre-teen fans are traveling from Omaha and Lincoln for the 3-D flick.
By John Quinlan, Journal staff writer | Posted: Saturday, February 02, 2008
Attending the Hannah Montana movie at the Southern Hills Carmike Theatre Friday includes in front, Chloe Evans, Lauren Vogt and Ella Williams, second row, Sarah Kruse, Chloe Fendrak and Anna Kenkel, and back row, Lexus Godina and Allison Kenkel. (Staff photo by Jerry Mennenga)
SIOUX CITY -- For 9-year-old Sarah Kruse of South Sioux City, there was no question she was seeing the new 3-D movie, "Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert." No question at all.
So Sarah, Grandma Kathy Speth, Aunt Stephanie Speth and school friend Lexus Godina, 10, hopped in the car to catch the 4 p.m. Friday matinee screening at Carmike's Southern Hills 12 Theaters with about a dozen other youngsters and their parental escorts.
The showing was the first many youngsters, including 9-year-old Chloe Fendrick from Pender, Nebraska, could attend after school was out. And that was a good thing. The 7 p.m. showing was sold out Friday morning, and large crowds were expected for the evening showings.
"I just like her songs 'cause they make me feel good about myself," Sarah Kruse said of the 15-year-old pop idol whose concert tickets nationwide were sold out in record time. "And she's really fun and I mostly just like all her songs. And that's pretty much it."
And that is pretty much it when it comes to describing pop phenomenon Miley Cyrus, who stars in the Disney TV show, "Hannah Montana." Her dad is country star Billy Ray Cyrus.
Theater manager Brent Monckton said he had already pre-sold more than 1,000 tickets, with many evening showings already locked up for the one-week run. The pre-sale tickets cost $15 apiece. Tickets are $18 at the door.
"It's the biggest pre-sale event we've ever had, surpassing 'Star Wars,' 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter'," Monckton said, noting that ticket requests were coming from as far away as Omaha and Lincoln, Neb, since this is the only theater in the area with 3-D technology. "People are asking me if we have hotels in the area so they can book the concert in Sioux City and see the concert event."
Michelle Fendrick was one of the lucky fans who managed to snag tickets to last year's sold-out concert in Omaha. So she had to see the movie, too.
"It was really, really fun," she said of the actual concert. "We weren't too close. We were pretty far away. But it was still fun seeing her in person."
Kathy Kenkel of Sioux City took daughters Allison, 15, and Anna, 12, to the movie and said she was thrilled that they could see a concert that they couldn't get tickets for "in a million years," and in spite of the fact that they cost $15 apiece.
She wanted to get tickets for the Omaha concert which was scheduled about the time of Anna's birthday and was shocked to see the tickets sold out so fast.
"Garth Brooks doesn't sell out in 35 minutes! Are you kidding me?" Kathy Kenkel said. "And I like it. From a mom -- It's clean, it's appropriate, it's safe, it's OK. Pop music is what it is. Into everybody's life, there's got to be a little grunge and a little hard rock and a little pop. It's for the happy days when you're not feeling suicidal or homicidal."
Basically, it's for happy young girls like Lexus Godina who can make a point of saying she likes Miley better than Hannah "'cause I like her songs better. And like everyone calls Miley Cyrus just Hannah Montana. They never really call her Miley. But I have a lot of posters and locker decorations of her. And I like sometimes to draw pictures of her. I also like her hair. Her real hair."
The young fans all have their favorite songs.
For Lauren Vogt, 5, of Sioux City, it's "That's Why You Make It." Seven-year-old Ella Williams of Sergeant Bluff prefers "Nobody's Perfect. Chloe Fendrick favors "Girls Night Out," while mom Michelle Fendrick, who even admits to being a fan, likes "Best of Both Worlds."
Chloe also thinks it would be "pretty cool" to have two different names.
While the kids were a lot more enthusiastic than their guardians, the adults weren't put off by Hannah Montana.
"She comes from a good family. There's worse things out there," said Tami Vogt, Lauren's mom.
So Sarah, Grandma Kathy Speth, Aunt Stephanie Speth and school friend Lexus Godina, 10, hopped in the car to catch the 4 p.m. Friday matinee screening at Carmike's Southern Hills 12 Theaters with about a dozen other youngsters and their parental escorts.
The showing was the first many youngsters, including 9-year-old Chloe Fendrick from Pender, Nebraska, could attend after school was out. And that was a good thing. The 7 p.m. showing was sold out Friday morning, and large crowds were expected for the evening showings.
"I just like her songs 'cause they make me feel good about myself," Sarah Kruse said of the 15-year-old pop idol whose concert tickets nationwide were sold out in record time. "And she's really fun and I mostly just like all her songs. And that's pretty much it."
And that is pretty much it when it comes to describing pop phenomenon Miley Cyrus, who stars in the Disney TV show, "Hannah Montana." Her dad is country star Billy Ray Cyrus.
Theater manager Brent Monckton said he had already pre-sold more than 1,000 tickets, with many evening showings already locked up for the one-week run. The pre-sale tickets cost $15 apiece. Tickets are $18 at the door.
"It's the biggest pre-sale event we've ever had, surpassing 'Star Wars,' 'The Lord of the Rings' and 'Harry Potter'," Monckton said, noting that ticket requests were coming from as far away as Omaha and Lincoln, Neb, since this is the only theater in the area with 3-D technology. "People are asking me if we have hotels in the area so they can book the concert in Sioux City and see the concert event."
Michelle Fendrick was one of the lucky fans who managed to snag tickets to last year's sold-out concert in Omaha. So she had to see the movie, too.
"It was really, really fun," she said of the actual concert. "We weren't too close. We were pretty far away. But it was still fun seeing her in person."
Kathy Kenkel of Sioux City took daughters Allison, 15, and Anna, 12, to the movie and said she was thrilled that they could see a concert that they couldn't get tickets for "in a million years," and in spite of the fact that they cost $15 apiece.
She wanted to get tickets for the Omaha concert which was scheduled about the time of Anna's birthday and was shocked to see the tickets sold out so fast.
"Garth Brooks doesn't sell out in 35 minutes! Are you kidding me?" Kathy Kenkel said. "And I like it. From a mom -- It's clean, it's appropriate, it's safe, it's OK. Pop music is what it is. Into everybody's life, there's got to be a little grunge and a little hard rock and a little pop. It's for the happy days when you're not feeling suicidal or homicidal."
Basically, it's for happy young girls like Lexus Godina who can make a point of saying she likes Miley better than Hannah "'cause I like her songs better. And like everyone calls Miley Cyrus just Hannah Montana. They never really call her Miley. But I have a lot of posters and locker decorations of her. And I like sometimes to draw pictures of her. I also like her hair. Her real hair."
The young fans all have their favorite songs.
For Lauren Vogt, 5, of Sioux City, it's "That's Why You Make It." Seven-year-old Ella Williams of Sergeant Bluff prefers "Nobody's Perfect. Chloe Fendrick favors "Girls Night Out," while mom Michelle Fendrick, who even admits to being a fan, likes "Best of Both Worlds."
Chloe also thinks it would be "pretty cool" to have two different names.
While the kids were a lot more enthusiastic than their guardians, the adults weren't put off by Hannah Montana.
"She comes from a good family. There's worse things out there," said Tami Vogt, Lauren's mom.
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Kyra wrote on Jul 12, 2008 10:12 AM:
Jim wrote on Feb 3, 2008 7:05 AM:
Brandon wrote on Feb 2, 2008 11:32 PM:
Moviegoer wrote on Feb 2, 2008 9:16 PM:
hannah fan wrote on Feb 2, 2008 9:22 AM: