STAGE REVIEWS : New Stars Take Over in ‘Stardust’ at Wilshire

Two new headliners seemed reason enough to revisit “Stardust,” the maverick musical at the Wilshire Theatre, where Meg Mackay has permanently replaced Toni Tennille and Joey Heatherton has only partly replaced Sean Young.

Not much else is changed, except that, as so often happens when a couple of new components are tossed into an equation, the chemical balance is altered.

In the case of “Stardust,” the alteration makes it clearer what the show’s strengths and weaknesses are. Its strong supporting cast, tap routines and Betsy Baytos’ eccentric dancing continue to be the highlights of this compilation of attractive songs from the ‘20s through the ‘50s, dressed up in Erte finery and nearly all with lyrics by Mitchell Parish. Its weakness is the randomness of the assembly, made more noticeable by the cast changes. Numbers multiply interchangeably. They don’t build significant momentum.

Mackay is a strong replacement for Tennille, with a warm crooner’s voice and an engaging sense of humor. She excels at the jitterbugging spirit of the ‘40s (note the Betty Grable hairdo and persona for “Sophisticated Swing”) and does a skillful tongue-in-cheek “Scat Song” with Hinton Battle. But asked to take herself too seriously, as in “Sophisticated Lady” or “Forgotten Dreams” or the title song, she falls back on facial mannerisms when the harder edge she gives her rendition of “A Little Bit Older” is all the display of sophistication she needs.

Heatherton’s participation, however, is another matter. Announced before she had fully been contracted, some of her reluctance to join in is apparent in the performance. Where Young had been seamlessly woven into the ensemble (and could just as seamlessly be woven out of it), Heatherton, by design or accident, stands apart.

She’s not in the ensemble at all, at least not at the moment, and contributes two extraneous solos: Young’s “Mood Indigo,” brassily reinterpreted, and a torchy second-act opener. Both emphasize a crudely overworked and out-of-place sex-kitten image.

The style is much more nightclub than musical theater and incompatible with the pert, PG rating of the rest of this show. Even her costume at the performance seen--a floor-length beaded dress with spaghetti straps--bore no relation to what Young wore, to Erte or to what the balance of the company has on.

These discrepancies make one question the value or permanence of Heatherton’s association with the show and better understand her hesitation to climb aboard.

The fact is she hasn’t. She has paid it lip service. From the sidelines. Depending on what, if anything, happens to “Stardust” after it completes its Los Angeles run, a happier accommodation would have to be reached. The incompatibility is symptomatic of the show’s deeper problem: Its own indecision about exactly what identity it wants to pursue for itself.

* “Stardust,” Wilshire Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Blvd., Beverly Hills. Tuesdays-Fridays, 8 p.m.; Saturdays, 2 and 8 p.m.; Sundays, 3 and 7:30 p.m. Ends June 28. $15-$45; (213) 480-3232, (714) 740-2000. Running time: 2 hours, 40 minutes.