Best of Both Worlds Tour facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Best of Both Worlds Tour

Tour by Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
Official promotional poster for the tour.
Associated album	Hannah Montana Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
Start date	October 18, 2007 (2007-10-18)
End date	January 31, 2008 (2008-01-31)
Legs	1
No. of shows	70
Box office	$70 million ($95.14 million in 2022 dollars)
Hannah Montana tour chronology Hannah Montana: Live in London (2007) Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–2008) Miley Cyrus tour chronology Best of Both Worlds Tour (2007–2008) Wonder World Tour (2009)

Best of Both Worlds Tour was the debut concert tour by American singer Miley Cyrus. The tour was held in support of the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus (2007), which consisted of the soundtrack to Hannah Montana's second season and her debut studio album. It initiated in October 2007 and concluded in January 2008, visiting cities in the United States and Canada. The tour was promoted by AEG Live and Buena Vista Concerts. Labelmates the Jonas Brothers, Aly & AJ, and Everlife each served as opening act during the tour. One dollar from each ticket sold was donated to the City of Hope National Medical Center, an organization devoted to the fight against cancer. The Best of Both Worlds Tour raised over US $2 million for the organization.

The Best of Both Worlds Tour was created, by Kenny Ortega and Michael Cotten, to be video intensive and was meant to differentiate Cyrus from Hannah Montana as a performer. The show had Cyrus performing first under character, as Hannah Montana. She then performed a duet with the opening act, which continued performing an interlude of songs. For the latter half of the duet, a body double was used to facilitate the transition from Hannah Montana to herself. Videos online caused many fans to become outraged and question whether Cyrus lip-synched on the tour. Her representatives later issued a statement that denied the allegations and stated the reasons for the body double's usage. The fast-paced concert had six segments, divided equally between each persona.

The tour received generally positive responses from critics, some who complimented Cyrus' vocal skills and onstage presence and preferred the Hannah Montana set over Cyrus'. The tour was commercially successful, grossing over $54 million. At the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards, it won the "Breakthrough Artist" award. Furthermore, tickets sold extremely quickly and were found in secondary markets. Ticket scalping became so extensive it garnered much media attention and lawsuits were filed against MileyWorld, Cyrus' official fan club, and ticket brokers.

A three-dimensional film, Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, was released to American cinema in February 2008. The film received an overwhelming commercial response, grossing a total of $70.6 million worldwide and setting numerous records, including once being the highest-grossing concert film of all time. Critical response was generally positive to mixed. When televised for the first time on Disney Channel, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert was watched by over 5.9 million viewers. A live album was released as a soundtrack for the film, Best of Both Worlds Concert, with recordings from the same concerts was released in March 2008.

Background

The stage being set up before showtime.

In 2006, Cyrus served as opening act on twenty dates of The Cheetah Girls' concert tour The Party's Just Begun Tour, performing solely as Hannah Montana. In June 2007, the singer released the double-disc album Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus. The first disc, Hannah Montana 2, of the album was Hannah Montana's second season soundtrack, while the second disc, Meet Miley Cyrus, was Cyrus' debut studio album. In order to promote the album, Cyrus decided to embark on her first headlining concert tour, the Best of Both Worlds Tour, where she performed both under character, as Hannah Montana, and as herself for the first time.

The concert tour was being discussed by executives as early as January 2007. It was announced on August 8, 2007 via press release. It was confirmed that the tour would be promoted by AEG Live and Buena Vista Concerts, a division of The Walt Disney Company. It also featured American band and labelmates the Jonas Brothers as opening act. The tour would expand throughout North America, from October 18, 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri to January 9, 2008 in Albany, New York, with a total of fifty-four dates; fifty-three of which were in the United States and one which was in Canada. In October 2007, another date was annexed in order to meet demand. In December 2007, a fourteen-date extension of the tour was announced, with American duo Aly & A.J. opening seven of them; the opening act for the remaining dates was yet be announced. The extension featured new opening acts because the Jonas Brothers pulled out to record their then-forthcoming album A Little Bit Longer (2008). Subsequently, in the same month, one final date was annexed, and the American band Everlife was announced to as the final opening act. One dollar from each ticket purchased was donated to the City of Hope National Medical Center, a center dedicated to the prevention, treatment and research for the cure of cancer. In total, the Best of Both Worlds Tour raised over US $2 million for the center.

Concert synopsis

Cyrus opening the show as Hannah Montana with "Rock Star" during the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo concert on March 9, 2008.

The main show started with Cyrus descending onto the stage in a neon pink cube that bore a digital image of her silhouette, as pink fireworks were fired behind her. Donning a long, sequined, cheetah and black-striped tank top and cardigan, sparkling black tights, black boots, and the blonde Hannah Montana wig, she began to perform the concert's opening number, "Rock Star". In continuation, Cyrus was joined by multiple backup dancers to perform dance routines for "Life's What You Make It". Removing the cardigan, she concluded the segment with "Just Like You". Still costumed as Hannah Montana, Cyrus reappeared from the back of the stage, wearing sparkly blue denim jeans, a white tank top, a blue denim vest, and shiny silver tie; she performed "Old Blue Jeans" among female backup dancers and "Nobody's Perfect" roaming the stage alone. The next segment began with the performance of "Pumpin' Up the Party", where Cyrus dressed with a pink and purple sequined mini-dress, fuchsia ad violet tights and maroon boots and dancers wore 1960s-inspired attires while performing calisthenics. The segment continued with "I Got Nerve", which required participation and elaborate routines on behalf of the dancers, and a duet with the opening act. While they served as opening act, "We Got the Party" was performed as a duet with the Jonas Brothers. She annexed a pink and purple trench coat to her attire and performed with the Jonas Brothers, who also played electric guitars. At one point of the performance, Cyrus disappeared to be replaced by a body double who completed the performance. While Aly & A.J. and Everlife served as opening acts, a postmodern cover of Kiss' "Rock and Roll All Nite" (1975) was performed by them and Cyrus wore a geometric-patterned cocktail dress. Afterwards, the opening act performed an interlude of several songs.

After removing the wig, Cyrus then reappeared to perform eight more songs as herself. She emerged from the bottom of the runaway to perform "Start All Over". She was costumed by studded black jeans with chains attached to the waist, a white tank top, a black leather vest and a matching glove. She roamed throughout the stage, kicking over the microphone stand and banging her head. "Good and Broken" and "See You Again", where Cyrus removed the vest and was joined by multiple backup dancers, rounded off the show's fourth segment. She returned to the stage in a fuchsia bustier and short, black ruffled skirt to perform "Let's Dance", where she performed Latin-influenced choreography with backup dancers, and "Right Here". Prior to Cyrus re-entering the stage for the sixth segment, backup singers sang a reworked version of Toni Basil's "Mickey" (1982) that replaced the word "Mickey" with "Miley". Cyrus, costumed in a pink tank top, a plaid miniskirt and sneakers with high-knee socks, performed "East Northumberland High", amid backup dancers dressed as skateboarders and football players. Adding a black jacket, she concluded the main concert with "G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)" and the theme to Hannah Montana, "The Best of Both Worlds", a song credited to her alter ego. The latter had Cyrus interacting with video that depicted Hannah Montana and ended with the firing of confetti and fireworks. Sporadically throughout the Best Both Worlds Tour, Cyrus returned on stage for the performance of a one-song encore, which was either "I Miss You" or "Ready, Set, Don't Go", a duet with her father Billy Ray Cyrus. Both songs were performed in an acoustic setting, without dancers or special effects. The prior had Cyrus performing acoustic guitar herself, while the latter had her father doing so.

Commercial performance

Cyrus performing "G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)" in Houston.

The Best of Both Worlds Tour was financially successful and was able to sell an abundance of shows throughout the United States in record times. The December 6, 2007 concert at the Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, Michigan sold out within eight minutes, the third-fastest sell-out in the arena's history. Numerous other concerts, such as the one held on December 1, 2007 at the Sprint Center in North Little Rock, Arkansas and December 11, 2007 at the Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, sold out within approximately twelve and fifteen minutes, respectively. "Absolutely every show sold out within the same amount of time. Whether you were in Moline or Omaha or New York or Los Angeles, it sold out in minutes", stated Debra Rathwell, senior vice president of AEG Live. In total, the Best of Both Worlds Tour had a total attendance of approximately one million people and grossed over US $54 million, according to Billboard Boxscore, becoming the highest-grossing concert tour for a new act in 2007 and 2008. The record was recognized with the award for Breakthrough Act at the 2008 Billboard Touring Awards.

Broadcast and recordings

Cyrus sometimes performed "Ready, Set, Don't Go" with her father, Billy Ray, as an encore.

The concerts held on October 18, 2007 at the Scottrade Center in St. Louis and October 26, 2007 in the EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City were filmed for a Disney Digital 3D release, a group of three-dimensional films distributed by Walt Disney Pictures. The film, entitled Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, was directed by Bruce Hendricks and produced by Art Repola. The film compiled some of the show's performances, along with backstage footage. Cyrus said Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert was made for individuals who did not attend a concert during the tour due to ticket scalping. She continued, "This is like better than front row. You could reach out and feel like you can touch my hand, you could see me right then, right there, right in front of you, which is so fun." It was released on February 1, 2008 in American cinemas, with an intended span of one week at theaters. The film was released to a total of 683 theaters, with an extra four being added later. In its opening weekend, the film grossed over $31.1 million. With its opening week sales, the film set multiple records. It became the highest box office total for a Super Bowl weekend, the highest-grossing opening for a three-dimensional film, and highest per-screen average ever – $42,000 per screen. It went on to gross over $42.8 million in its entire opening week, becoming the highest-grossing film of that week and the film with the fewest theaters to debut at number one. Following its commercial success, the film's run was extended; it eventually closed on May 15, 2008, playing in theaters for 15 weeks. With a total gross of $70.6 million worldwide, Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert became the highest-selling concert film of all time, until surpassed by Michael Jackson's This Is It (2009), which sold over $189 million worldwide.

Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert received positive to mixed reviews from critics. On Metacritic, it generated generally mixed or average reception, earning a collective score of 59 out of 100 based on 13 reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film generated generally fresh reviews, with 73 percent of 42 reviewers giving positive reviews. Michael Hann of The Guardian believed the film was only appealing for young girls. He continued, "There's nothing here to detain you, though equally there's nothing to repel you." Elizabeth Weitzman of the New York Daily News newspaper stated that producers did not use three-dimensional technology to its full potential, but complimented the film as whole, declaring it "as close as you'll come to achieving the best of both worlds". Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert was also released to cinema in international markets, including Europe, Latin America, and Oceania, in early 2008. The film was televised on July 20, 2008 on Disney Channel, where it was watched by over 5.9 million viewers. It was released on blu-ray and DVD on August 19, 2008, as an extended edition that features more performances and bonus features.

A live album, titled Best of Both Worlds Concert, was taken from same concerts as the film and released on March 11, 2008. It consisted of an audio CD and a DVD with two concerts performances and behind-the-scenes footage. The album was first released exclusively to United States' Walmart stores and elsewhere in the United States a month after. Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic stated, "This is another souvenir for those fans who can't live without the show, and in that regard it's perfectly fine – a nice, polished piece of product that will tide them over until the next new Hannah/Miley album comes along." Best of Both Worlds Concert was commercially successful, peaking at number three on both the US Billboard 200 chart and the Canadian Albums Chart. It also peaked at number sixteen in Australia and was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association for shipments exceeding 35,000 copies.

Opening acts

• Jonas Brothers (October 18, 2007  St. Louis – January 9, 2008)
• Aly & AJ (January 11, 2008 – January 24, 2008)
• Everlife (January 25, 2008 – January 31, 2008)

Set list

As Hannah Montana

1. "Rock Star"
2. "Life's What You Make It"
3. "Just Like You"
4. "Old Blue Jeans"
5. "Nobody's Perfect"
6. "Pumpin' Up the Party"
7. "I Got Nerve"
8. "We Got The Party" (with Jonas Brothers)

Jonas Brothers

1. "When You Look Me in the Eyes"
2. "Year 3000"

As Miley Cyrus

1. "Start All Over"
2. "Good and Broken"
3. "See You Again"
4. "Let's Dance"
5. "Right Here"
6. "East Northumberland High"
7. "G.N.O. (Girl's Night Out)"
8. "The Best of Both Worlds"

Notes:

• Cyrus performed "I Miss You" and "Ready, Set, Don't Go" with Billy Ray Cyrus as the encore for some concerts.
• Starting with the show in Detroit, Cyrus performed "Rock and Roll All Nite" with Aly & AJ in place of "We Got the Party" due to the absence of the Jonas Brothers
• "Clear" was performed as encore during the Miami show.

Tour dates

Personnel

Creative Team

• Director – Kenny Ortega
• Choreographer – Kenny Ortega, Teresa Espinosa
• Design – Kelly McFadden
• Lighting and Video Designer – Abigail Rosen Holmes
• Management – Jason Morey, Jim Morey
• Photography – Brian Love, Kevin Mazuer, Michael T. Williams
• Production Design – Michael Cotten
• Screens Content Director – Steve Gerdes
• Staff & Crew Production Coordinator – Omar Abderrahman
• Video Techs – Eric Geiger, Steve "Bone" Gray, Evan Huff, Justin McLean, Dane Mustola, Mark Woody
• Wardrobe Designer – Dahlia Foroutan

Band

• Music Direction – Stacy Jones, John Taylor
• Guitar – Jamie Arentzen, John Taylor
• Keyboards – Mike Schmid
• Bass – Greg Garbowski, Vashon Johnson
• Drummers – Stacy Jones, Jack Lawless
• Background vocals – Candice Accola, Kay Hanley

Source:

Images for kids

• 

  Cyrus performing "Pumpin' Up the Party" as Hannah Montana on the final concert of the Best of Both Worlds Tour on March 9, 2008.

See also

In Spanish: Best of Both Worlds Tour para niños