Cyrus concert coming to movie theaters, too

Hannah Montana's already the hottest ticket on the concert circuit in many a moon.

And in a few weeks, she'll be extending her reach from the arena to the multiplex, with the Feb.1 release of the movie version of the "Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert."

The one-week-only run will bring the sold-out concert to more than 600 locations in North America, says Chuck Viane, president of domestic distribution for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, which is releasing the "Hannah Montana" movie.

And although the movie documents the sold-out concert, "we believe 'Hannah' is a movie," Viane says -- one generating better advance ticket sales than many big-screen attractions, even at a premium ticket price of $15.

The digital revolution at movie theaters has made all this possible, enabling fans to see the concert at theaters -- and in 3-D.

"For us, for the 3-D portion, without digital, there's no concert," Viane explains. Especially when it comes to distributing the movie in a timely manner, while the concert is still a hot ticket.

After all, "not everyone is available on the night of the concert," he points out. To say nothing of "a lot of towns where the concert doesn't come."

That's certainly not the case in Las Vegas, where Cyrus performs this weekend at the MGM Grand Garden.

But having multiple performances at local theaters solves a multitude of problems for those unable -- or unwilling -- to shell out for high-priced concert tickets, Viane suggests.

"The digitally projected 3-D experience gives audiences everywhere a front-row seat for one of the hottest shows in town," he says, "and allows them to see it in a unique and exciting way."

And for theater owners, it'll be the second chance in two weeks to test the appeal of 3-D concert movies, following the Jan. 25 release of the U2 concert movie "U2 3D."

Contact reporter Carol Cling at ccling@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0272.