LOS ANGELES – There is no official test to be a super fan. But at the Nickel Mine Stadium on Tuesday, “Hannah Montana” fans who hadn’t arrived were eager to prove their knowledge as they sang along to old Miley Cyrus songs and danced to her hit “Hoedown Throwdown.”
“Who is Miley Stewart’s brother?” asked bartender “Mannah Gaytana,” who was wearing a blond wig inspired by Cyrus’ Disney Channel alter ego, as she went from table to table asking for answers to trivia-themed questions.
The correct answer – “Jackson” – got a round of free table photos and congratulations from other patrons.
The bar was among several across the country that hosted viewing events for the “Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special,” which aired Tuesday on Disney+. The Disney Channel sitcom, which ran from 2006 to 2011, was one of the most influential TV shows of the mid-2000s as Cyrus’ pop star persona became a true pop sensation.
The homemade celebrations gave fans across the country a rare opportunity to come together and reminisce about their childhood love for the game, which aired before social media became a prominent part of people’s daily lives.
Kids used to “go to school knowing everyone watched ‘Hannah Montana’ last night,” says Ashley Spencer, author of “Disney High: The Untold Story of the Rise and Fall of Disney Channel’s Tween Empire.”
“There’s nothing like it today,” Spencer said. “And it’s hard to imagine that it could exist without the landscape changing completely again.”
The specialty relies on nostalgia. Cyrus, 33, returned to her Disney Channel roots — complete with the blond, thick hair that has become synonymous with “Hannah Montana” — by visiting the old set and pulling her character’s old clothes from her ever-present revolving closet.
“We thought he was very confident, and we want to emulate that,” said Bethaneya Tammerat, 23. “This 20th anniversary celebration reminds me how special he was not only to me, but to many other people. He’s actually not just a character, but someone who helped me grow as a person.”
Angelica Breton, 28, said the show was such a big part of her childhood that her wardrobe included clothes from the “Hannah Montana” Walmart fashion line.
“It’s been the best part of my life, just watching ‘Hannah Montana’ all the time,” said Breton, who attended Tuesday’s viewing party, along with a “Hannah Montana” pop-up, at The Grove mall in Los Angeles on Sunday.
Breton said he enjoyed watching Cyrus grow into “who he is today,” adding that he still likes to blast “Hannah Montana” while driving down Pacific Coast Highway.
Spencer noted that part of the show’s appeal came from the character’s love of Cyrus being both “aspirational yet relatable.”
“You have something in Miley Cyrus and Miley Stewart who is the girl next door, who you feel like you can be your best friend, who you feel like you can confide in and grow up with,” Spencer said. “But he also looks cool, and you seem like someone you look up to.”
The popularity of early 2000s shows like “Lizzie McGuire,” which proved Disney could turn young actresses into stage stars, and “That’s So Raven,” which refined the rigid sitcom format, set the stage for “Hannah Montana” to combine those elements into one powerful package.
Cyrus’ success then solidified the consistent formula for many future Disney stars, including fellow Disney Channel icons Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato.
“It was really lightning in a bottle in a lot of ways,” Spencer said. “It was a combination of time and talent and Disney finally realized they had all the tools to create a global hit and a superstar.”
As the special aired on the Nickel Mine bar’s multiple TV screens, viewers continued to wander around in sparkly sequins and cowboy boots to honor “Hannah Montana’s” Southern roots.
Attendees sipped on themed cocktails, such as the “Sweet Niblets Margarita,” “Party in the USA Mule” and the “Rock Star Mocktail.” They sang along to some of “Hannah Montana’s” biggest hits, including Cyrus’ renditions of “This Is the Life” and “The Climb,” and screamed as Cyrus confirmed rumors that she was actually dating Disney Channel star Dylan Sprouse at the time.
There was even karaoke, with a room-pleasing “Mannah Gaytana” on “Wrecking Ball,” a song from Cyrus’ later years.
At a special anniversary event, Cyrus said he was proud of how the show was able to “bring people together.”
“I used to think of Hannah as something different from me [her] as a character, even though it was me,” she said. “And what I love about this special is that it’s kind of me bringing back, bringing, Hannah and Miley together.”
