Miley Cyrus' 'Hannah Montana' persona goes from TV to the big screen

McClatchy Newspapers (MCT) - The steady beep of a school bus backing up fills the early morning air. It mixes with the drone of street traffic to create the melody of the city.

All of the traffic is passing by a rather nondescript set of buildings on Sunset Avenue. The majority of the drivers struggle through their commutes unaware of the tight security needed to get access to the complex they are passing.

The security is necessary on Stage 9B, where the popular Disney Channel series "Hannah Montana" films. Otherwise it would be overrun by Miley Cyrus fans.

On these few permanent sets of a beach location and the family living room, a musical empire was born that ranges from toys to DVDs to the feature film "Hannah Montana: The Movie," which opens Friday.

The cast is rehearsing this Wednesday morning for an episode in which Miley's grandmother, played by Vicki Lawrence, arrives for a visit. Her car is such a wreck that it triggers a series of comic events. The actual filming will be done later in the week in front of a studio audience.

During a break from rehearsals, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley's real-life and TV dad, talks about how comfortable it has been working on the set for 78 episodes. He wanted to feel that same kind of comfort for the filming of the movie. It just took some convincing of the studio on his part.

In the movie, music superstar Hannah Montana, the onstage persona of Miley Stewart, has reached a point where she no longer wants to live a double life. Her dad takes her back to her roots to see if her love of music is still there.

Billy Ray specifically wanted the movie to be filmed in Tennessee. Miley was born in Franklin, Tenn., a small community in the shadow of the country music center of Nashville. (The title of Billy Ray's new album is "Back to Tennessee.")

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"They were not going to make the movie in Tennessee even though it was about us going back to Tennessee," Billy Ray says. "I flew home and took pictures of locations within a 20-mile radius of Franklin, Tenn.

"I said, 'Guys, here's your movie.' They just wanted to know if they could meet the financial dollars. I told them to give them a shot. Tennessee came to the table. The movie would not have been the same had Miley and I portrayed us going home to Tennessee and living out of a suitcase somewhere else."

Billy Ray returns to the living room set on Stage 9B to rehearse the next scene.

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Mitchell Musso, who plays Miley's friend Oliver, rehearsed his big scene earlier. He's only 17 but is already a veteran of many TV and film projects. He calls working on the movie a weird experience.

"Here, if I fall down, the audience laughs. So, I know it works. For all of the bits in the movie, I would get no feedback. That meant I had to trust the director to know what is funny. You have trust people a lot more than when we are working here," Musso says.

Suddenly, Miley breaks into what sounds like an Ethel Merman impersonation. A member of the crew jokes there should be no more coffee for the young actress. Whether it is the coffee or not, the rehearsal moves quickly.

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During a move to another set, Miley talks about how different it was working on a feature film that has a little more serious tone than her television series.

"When I lived in Canada with my dad for four years, I did theater. When I was younger, I had not planned on getting a sitcom. I had planned on training for awhile and maybe getting it when I was 18 or 19," Miley says. "What little training I had was more in drama. So I found the movie easier to do."

Miley laughs and adds on doing comedy, "If I had planned on doing this, I would have made sure I was better prepared."

She's become so prepared to make the series that she's a picture of calm on the set. During breaks in the rehearsal, she bounces around like a teenager on spring break. She stops to grab some candy from a small jar. When a dog that will appear in a scene arrives, Miley runs over for a picture with the canine. She sings, dances and trades jokes.

Outside the sanctuary of the stage walls, Miley is scrutinized constantly. Cameras follow her. Television entertainment shows have special segments devoted to her. And yet she manages to maintain a few hours of a normal life.

The previous day was co-star Emily Osment's 17th birthday. Miley had Emily and some friends over for a small party. Billy Ray says life in the Cyrus household is rather normal.

Between the television series, touring and the movie, father and daughter have been working together for four years. Many parents would suggest that would feel more like 40 in teenage years.

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But Billy Ray is thankful for getting the chance to spend so much time with Miley. Father and daughter often ride to work together. Billy Ray says he is "Dad" until they walk on the set, then they are fellow actors. It is the best of both worlds to Billy Ray.

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He's been able to use what he learned while making his series "Doc" to guide Miley both as his daughter and co-worker. He also knows what it is like to be a singing sensation.

"I had to carry the ball on that series. That experience of what I went through comes in handy when I see Miley going through the schedule she is going through. I can relate to it and I just happen to be her daddy, her co-worker, her friend," Billy Ray says. "I just let her know she is not the only one who has gone through this."

Father and daughter enjoy the acting, but Billy Ray says making music together has been the highlight. Both can be heard on the soundtrack to the new feature film.

"I just count my blessings," Billy Ray says.

And a big blessing is the television series, which has become a monster hit with young viewers. Miley knew from the moment she read the first script that the show would be big. The simple fact it was connected to Disney was going to get it attention.

"The moment I really realized how big it was was when we got offered the feature. That is not something every television show gets to do," Miley says before returning to rehearsals.

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© 2009, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.).