The girl: Born in Nashville on Nov. 23, 1992, her real name is Destiny Hope Cyrus. Her parents are Tish and Billy Ray Cyrus - yes, the same mullet-wearing singer who made "Achy Breaky Heart" a country-music phenomenon in the 1990s.

Her dad called her "smiley" as a baby because of her happy disposition. The nickname stuck and eventually was shortened to Miley.

She plays guitar and prefers cheerleading and dancing to reading.

The show: On The Disney Channel's top-rated sitcom "Hannah Montana," Cyrus plays Miley Stewart, an average teen who leads a double life as famous pop singer Hannah Montana. To make the switch, Miley uses a blond wig to cover her naturally dark brown locks.

Only her father (played by her real-life dad), brother (she has no mother

on the show) and two closest friends know her secret identity.

Sarcasm is a hallmark of the relationship between Miley and her brother, Jackson (played by Jason Earles), and the funny situations Miley and her friends Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso) get into trying to keep the secret are a staple.

There have been numerous references to Billy Ray Cyrus' biggest hit. In one episode, Miley is showing her father how to do the limbo. He pulls a muscle and yells "My achy breaky back!" In another, his character tries to catch a mouse in the house. When he discovers the mouse can play the piano, he asks if it knows "Achy Breaky Heart."

According to Nielsen Media Research, an average of 2.2 million viewers watch every episode of the show, which airs nightly. The Aug. 17, 2007, episode was the highest-rated series telecast in the history of basic cable with 10.7 million viewers, according to the Disney Channel. That episode followed the premiere of "High School Musical 2," the highest-rated cable broadcast in history.

The music: When not watching the TV show, tweens are listening - and singing along - to the catchy tunes of Cyrus and her alter ego.

Since the show debuted in 2006, Walt Disney Records has released two CDs: the "Hannah Montana" soundtrack, which has sold more than 3 million copies, and a double album, "Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus," which has sold more than 1.5 million copies.

Favorite tracks include the show's theme song, "Best of Both Worlds"; girl-power songs like "Who Said" and "I've Got Nerve"; and the love song "If We Were a Movie."

The attraction: The story of a Tennessee country girl who secretly lives a pop-star life resonates with young girls and their parents.

"I like it because it's a girly show and Miley and her friends are just like me and my friends," explains 10-year-old McKenzie Fowles of Magna, who owns both CDs and watches the show just about every day.

Adds 10-year-old Hannah Johnson of Roy: "I wish I could be like Hannah Montana. It would be fun to be a pop star and have your own television show."

Many parents appreciate any show that has no sex or violence.

"Miley dresses modestly and has a cute personality. I think she is a good role model for girls," explains Johnson's mother, Kari Burdette. "There are a lot of shows I don't like her watching, but this one I don't mind at all."

The marketing: You know a television show has gone from niche series to national phenomenon when it has its own candy fragrance. And it truly wouldn't be a Disney Channel sensation if it didn't have the marketing muscle of the Mouse behind it.

Now that "Hannah Montana" has become one of the most-watched television programs for preteens, Disney has turned the name into a brand. Kids can look like Hannah Montana onstage or at least feel glamorous with a blouse ($34) and pants ($18), or comb their hair with a Hannah Montana brush ($3.99-$4.99). There are a guitar bag ($20-$22), a digital camera, a multicharm bracelet that says "Pop Star" ($12) and a concert play set ($49.99).

The ticket frenzy: You'd better practice saying "I'm sorry."

When those 12-year-old baby blue/brown/green eyes stare up at you, begging for a pair of "Hannah Montana" concert tickets, better have an excuse ready.

Both shows sold out the day tickets went on sale. Jim Olsen, vice president of marketing and sales for the Larry H. Miller Sports Entertainment Group, said tickets for tonight's show, which was added last week to facilitate the filming of a new 3-D movie, sold out in the first 30 minutes Saturday.

The only option now is to practice those apologies or dig deep, deep, deep into your wallet.

On the online auction site eBay, tickets typically were going for 100 bucks apiece for the upper bowl, as of Thursday afternoon. The same day, the local Craig's List classifieds site had 262 entries for concert tickets, some for as little as $49 each.

Perhaps the best advice from veteran ticket buyers is to get to EnergySolutions Arena before the show and wait for the price of scalper tickets to go down just as the Jonas Brothers opening act begins.

Or just learn how to deal with the constant flow of kid tears.

Music and merchandise

Disney is flexing its marketing muscle with the "Hannah Montana" brand: Some of the items for sale:

Guitar bag: $20-22