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'Hannah Montana' movie whips young NYC superfans into a frenzy
BY Nicole Lyn Pesce
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Sunday, April 5th 2009, 4:00 AM
Harbus for News
Lara Palombi is a huge fan of Hannah Montana. She is seen here at her home with just some of the many pieces of memorabilia she has collected.
When it comes to Disney princesses, these little ladies take the cake.
Girls all over the globe just can't get enough of Hannah Montana. From the bedsheets to the backpacks to the video games, dolls and school supplies, kids are going bananas for anything Hannah - and many parents are happy to oblige.
But the Big Apple is known for its extremes, and the five boroughs can boast the biggest "Hannah Montana" superfans, who go above and beyond the average Disney devotee.
And with the new "Montana" movie opening on Friday, they're worked up into a tweeny frenzy.
"Well, I'm one of the biggest Hannah Montana fans," argues Lily Hooks, 8, from Bayport, L.I., and for good reason. When the last movie came out, she and her friends donned blond wigs and rolled up to the local cineplex in a limousine.
"It was something to see six to eight little girls drive off in a limo with wigs and all the Hannah Montana attire," laughs her father, Brian Hooks.
And you better believe Lily is just as psyched about the new picture. "I really want to go. I want to go, like, the very first day it comes out!" she says. "I want to see the new outfits and all the new songs."
Friends and fellow fanatics Dakota Gotlib, Rebecca Laufer and Talia Weiner, all 12, and Ruby Toledo, 13, all hailing from Manhattan, caught an advance screening of the new movie and already know its soon-to-be hit "Hoedown Showdown" dance. Now if only they could meet Miley.
"If I could get that close, wow, I would be in shock," says Laufer. "I love Hannah Montana. I can't imagine life without that show. I love her. Seriously. I think she has the best voice."
While older fans like Laufer feed their fandom by collecting DVDs and mags like Teen Bop and J-14, younger ones like Kali Cipkins from Mountain Lakes, N.J., completely cover their bedrooms with merch.
"My friends all say they like her, but I love her," emphasizes Kali, 8, whose treasure-trove includes a Hannah Montana calendar, a poster, bedding, jewelry, ponytail holder and a shimmery gold Hannah costume that she's saving for Halloween. "I've loved her for a loooong time, since I was 6," she explains.
New York is also a magnet for out-of-town Miley admirers. "We just came from [Madame Tussaud's] wax museum, and I saw a fake Miley made out of wax, and I ran up to my mom like, AHHHH!" exclaims Kayla Adams, 8, visiting from Florida, who was overwhelmed by the Times Square Toys "R" Us Hannah Montana display.
If Kayla ever met Miley Cyrus in real life, "I would eventually faint," she says.
Lara Palombi, 6%BD , from the Bronx, is so smitten with her idol that she sent her a message.
"I wrote something to her, and it had lots of pictures of her on it," says Lara, "and I asked for her autograph."
That was more than a year ago, and although she checks her mailbox faithfully every day, Lara still hasn't received a response.
How does she feel? "Disappointed," she says, sadly.
So because it's pricey - and nearly impossible - to snag tix to a Hannah Montana concert, why shouldn't parents pacify star-stuck kids with harmless Hannah Montana merchandise?
"A lot of it's not expensive," says Lara's mother, Sarah Jane Cion. "It's the pens or little buttons that you see at Staples. It's not overwhelming our bank account or our lives."
In fact, little Lara cracks her mom up whenever she sees the next piece of her Hannah Montana collection beckoning from a store shelf.
"Anything Hannah Montana, she sticks out her tongue and starts panting like a dog, with wide eyes," laughs Cion. "It's funny."
Kali's father, Len Cipkins, credits Disney's marketing campaign for making Miley-mania almost omnipresent. "It's tough to go anywhere in a retail location without seeing some mention of Hannah or Miley," he says. And when Kali sees anything Hannah, "her eyes light up, and she has a big smile on her face," he adds. "But being 8 is a great age, so you know, my wife and I are going with it."
Besides, Kali picked up her latest prize - a Hannah Montana game for the Nintendo DS - using her own money.
"It's all done in moderation," Cipkins says.
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