This Tuesday (Mar. 24), the moment Hannah Montana fans have been waiting for has arrived: the much-teased and highly-anticipated Disney+ special celebrating the show’s 20th anniversary is here.
On Monday night, the premiere took over downtown Hollywood with a special screening at the El Capitan Theatre, followed by an after party at The Hollywood Roosevelt — both of which were attended by Cyrus along with her family and a handful of Hannah cast members. But, just weeks prior, key moments in the special were still (not so) secretly being filmed.
On Feb. 27, superfans of both the show and its star, Miley Cyrus, were invited to Los Angeles from around the world to watch her perform; But even upon arrival, details were vague and parking passes simply referenced “Project Wig Anniversary.” (Project Wig was also scribbled on a box of blonde wigs that were later tossed to select attendees). Upon entering the Sunset Gower Studios lot, phones were locked and secrets were (mostly) kept — until now.
As fans made their way toward Stage 14, they were greeted by a towering logo for the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special plastered onto the gate. And parked right in front was, of course, the same black Ford Mustang convertible with its HM 20 plate that Cyrus was previously spotted driving around Malibu.
And after a few hours kept patiently waiting, upon walking into the soundstage there were two major moments to take in: On one side, iconic Hannah Montana sets had been reconstructed, including Hannah’s Malibu home living room and her legendary spinning closet; on the other side, a stage had been built.
A blend of Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus hits played in the background, and a camera operator sang along to “Party in the U.S.A.” while Call Her Daddy podcast host Alex Cooper (who co-produced the special) looked on from the back of the crowd. Soon enough, the music cut out and was replaced by gasps and claps as Hannah appeared — or was it Miley? Or Miley as Hannah?
“It’s hybrid Hannah; it’s a little confusing, huh?” said Cyrus with a smile, scanning the room. “A little bit Hannah, a little bit Miley.” (She later joked to a production assistant: “My dress is too tight, will you grab my sunglasses? That’s the Miley part.”)
Wearing a stunning floor-length, halter neck sequin gown with an open back that showed off many of her tattoos, the artist standing on stage was indeed a little bit of both worlds — and, more than anything else, that’s what this anniversary is truly celebrating.
“The best training I had to be Miley was Hannah,” Cyrus shared in between performing Hannah Montana hits “This Is the Life” and “The Climb.” She continued: “I used to think of Hannah separate from myself… This is my reclaiming.” (She performed both songs twice, explaining that the second take was “music video style” including tighter shots of her face. “I’m lip-syncing for my life,” Cyrus laughed ahead of the second take. “It’s still going to be major.”)
After her live vocals and close-ups were complete, Cyrus cautioned fans before exiting the stage: “You’re about to be so gagged for what’s to come.” And after a brief reset — during which the iconic Hannah Montana marquee appeared on stage and backup dancers took their places — she was proven right. As Cyrus ascended from below the stage — wearing the same black outfit she was spotted in days before while driving the Mustang — an instantly-recognizable drumbeat kicked in as she prepared to perform the show’s hit theme song, “Best of Both Worlds.” Even her mom, Tish, couldn’t help but dance along.
And as confetti canons signaled the end of the song and the taping (of these three songs, at least, as other components of the special were filmed separately), Cooper expressed to Tish, “That was a spiritual experience.” To which Tish replied, “I’m gonna be depressed tomorrow that it’s over.”
But, as Miley shared earlier in the day — and as she reiterates in the special — creating something that extends beyond one moment and serves more than just one audience in one specific location at one specific time was exactly how she landed on a pre-taped special.
“We got to be with you all in your homes,” she said, reflecting on the experience of being on TV. “That’s what my character didn’t want to let go of.”
It seems Miley herself didn’t want to let go, either — and thank goodness for that.
She said it best in Hannah Montana: The Movie when she sang: “You can change your hair and you can change your clothes/ You can change your mind, that’s just the way it goes/ You can say goodbye and you can say hello/ But you’ll always find your way back home.”
Fans have indeed seen and supported Cyrus through such hair, clothes and mindset changes across the last two decades. And now, in this dim-light soundstage, seeing her embrace a character that at many times felt like a distant memory makes this homecoming an even bigger cause for celebration. And as Cyrus affirms in the special, “It’s good to be home.”