Fourteen-year-old actress-singer Miley Cyrus performs as Hannah Montana on her Best of Both Worlds Tour, including a sold-out concert at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence on Thursday. Below, Miley and her country-singer father, Billy Ray Cyrus.

MCT / DANA ROMANOFF

The legendary Van Morrison is coming to Providence this week. So is popular singer Kenny Rogers, for a holiday concert. But the hottest ticket in town is for a show by a Southern gal who’s not even old enough to drive.

Miley Cyrus, a 14-year-old actress/singer from Tennessee and daughter of country crooner Billy Ray Cyrus, has parlayed the success of Disney Channel’s Hannah Montana show into a national phenomenon.

Demand for her 54-concert tour, with a sold-out show at the Dunkin’ Donuts Center Thursday, has been at a fever pitch, with tickets selling out everywhere within minutes.

If you haven’t heard of her, that may be because you don’t have contact with kids between the ages of 6 and 14, Hannah Montana’s key demo. She became a star after her TV series debuted in March 2006; in it Cyrus plays a normal teenager who lives a double life as rock star Hannah Montana. The show has become so big that a half-hour episode in mid-October attracted 5.35 million viewers. That made it the second-most watched cable show for the week behind an iconic franchise called Monday Night Football.

The rabid following has resulted in a gold mine for Disney, retailers, concert promoters and Cyrus. With a second Hannah Montana season under way, Disney is considering a full-length feature film and it licenses dozens of Hannah Montana products: pajamas at Macy’s, fragrances at Wal-Mart, bedding at K-Mart, plus footwear, TVs, clocks, guitars, dolls, tote bags, lunch boxes and video games. Club Libby Lu offers two dozen Hannah Montana products, including a makeover that is so popular those wanting one on the day of a concert have made appointments weeks in advance.

Although Disney won’t say how much each of its properties generates, the company estimates its retail sales targeted for tweens or pre-teenagers is about $400 million annually, with Hannah Montana being one of the biggest drivers. Concert ticket sales are projected to generate roughly $525,0000 per show or more than $28 million for the tour, according to a concert organizer. Last week, 14 more dates were added to the tour, all in the Midwest and South.

Cyrus also has her own Internet fan club site, where members pay a $29.95 fee to get early dibs on concert tickets, play games and possibly chat online with Cyrus. Scalpers also have cashed in on Hannamania by gobbling up tickets and then reselling them online for hundreds of dollars more than face value. The shortage of tickets available directly for fans has prompted at least three state attorneys general to launch investigations.

Some parents say they are willing to shell out big bucks for their children to have a wholesome role model who — currently — is the antithesis of bad girls Britney Spears, a former Mousketeer, and Lindsay Lohan, who starred in Disney movies.

“She is such a great influence on people. I listen to her lyrics, and her lyrics are so positive. Some people say she is a young Britney Spears, but I hope she remains Miley Cyrus,” said Carrie Everman of Spokane, Wash., who spent more than $1,000 so she and her daughter, Madison, could attend the Seattle concert. Hannah Montana has grown into a nearly everyday staple for kids 6 to 14. Disney estimates that each episode attracts at least 2.2 million viewers in the U.S., with some shows pulling in more than twice that figure. The show airs in 177 other countries.

Hailey Hudson, a 10-year-old from Darrington, Wash., who attended the Seattle concert with her mom, said she constantly watches the show and is on mileyworld.com nearly every day.

“She can teach a lot of things to little kids. If you think about doing bad things, she makes you not want to. She is a good role model,“ said Hudson, who is such a fan that she named her dog, a miniature rat terrier, Miley.

Adam Bonnett, a Disney Channel senior vice president in charge of the Hannah Montana show, said he’s not surprised that the program resonates with kids. Yet, he said he’s awestruck with how big the character has become.

“From the very beginning we felt like we had all the ingredients to make the show successful,” Bonnett said. “What I’m shocked about is this world-wide phenomenon. There is a difference in being successful and being a phenomenon.”

The phenomenon might have never been if not for the persistence of Cyrus.

She auditioned when she was 11, but Disney executives felt she was too young for a part. The show got put on hold, Bonnet said, and Cyrus kept sending tapes to Disney.

Although she auditioned for the part of Lily, Miley’s best friend on the show, Cyrus ultimately landed the role of Miley Stewart, whose alter-ego (Hannah Montana) is a secret to most everyone except close friends and family. Her dad on the show also happens to be her real-life father. The family-friendly show includes sticky — and often humorous — situations for Miley, who deals with teen issues like honesty and loyalty. According to Disney, it’s the No. 1 series for kids ages 6-11.

The series has become such a hot property that big-name actors like Ray Romano, Dolly Parton and Brooke Shields have played roles on the show. “Most of the actors or performers who do Hannah Montana do it because of their kids. Their kids love the show and watch it,” Bonnett said. “Or they bring their kids to a taping, and one of our producers will go up to them and ask if they want to be on the show.”

While Cyrus has rock-star status, friends and sponsors say she’s well grounded. Her family is with her on the road, and they make sure she’s hitting the books.

“Her tutor or teacher comes with her,” said Myke Dizon, a dancer on the tour. “She’s still in school, and she has to do lessons. Sometimes she’s locked in her hotel room doing homework.”

“She is just a regular girl,” said Mary Drolet, chief executive of Club Libby Lu, a sponsor of the concert tour. “That is a big, big attraction to many different little girls who can relate to her at many levels.”