2000 PARTY ALREADY A DUD; MILLENNIUM CROWDS PLAN TO STAY HOME.

Byline: Steve Carney Staff Writer

Millennium, schle-mennium.

That's what increasing numbers of people are saying, as New Year's Eve festivities events in Los Angeles and across the country - undoubtedly the most hyped event of the century - have been canceled for lack of interest.

Evidence is growing that would-be party animals are opting to cocoon at home instead of joining the crowd, whether because of Y2K bug fears or just over-stimulation from almost a year of millennium madness.

``A lot of people are sick of all the hype,'' said Lindsley Lowell, media director for LA 2000, the city's official New Year's Eve celebration.

The biggest Los Angeles casualty of millennium malaise was a party at the Coliseum that had been in the works for five years. But even though its ticket prices ranged from a relatively cheap $55 to $75, the show that was to feature Los Lobos and Howie Mandel met the same fate as shows that cost 10 times as much - canceled because of poor ticket sales.

Around the country, Michael Jackson, Ray Charles and Jewel have already canceled millennium concerts, while ticket sales for Billy Joel, Metallica and Barbra Streisand, among others, have slowed.

A Goldman Sachs analyst cut his earnings estimate for the concert promoter and producer SFX Entertainment Inc., citing poor ticket sales and cancellations of millennium events.

``It's strange, what's going on out there,'' said Coliseum show producer Mark Poncher. ``When we started this, everyone was talking about what to do on the millennium and where they were going to go.''

But he said revelers are growing skittish as the date approaches. They're fearful of extremist groups possibly trying to fulfill doomsday prophecies. They're wary of big, unruly crowds and the police response to them. And in spite of Y2K assurances from programmers and politicians, Poncher said folks are thinking, ``We don't believe anything is going to happen, but we don't want to push our luck.''

A Time/CNN survey showed that 72 percent of Americans responded that they're not doing anything special on New Year's Eve. That's up from 63 percent in January. And only 21 percent said they're even leaving the comfort of their homes on Dec. 31.

``It's a weird year,'' Lowell said. ``Half the people I know don't even know what they're doing yet because it's such a unique year. Everyone feels pressure to do something really special.''

``A lot of people are very wigged out,'' Lowell said.

For those who will venture out, public events that are free or low-cost seem to be the draw, as opposed to glitzy, big-name shows with $1,000 tickets.

That's why Lowell said L.A. organizers expect a good turnout for the city's free celebration, at which 100,000 people can attend each of the five venues.

Not only that, but they can be part of the show.

Millennium Mania

The San Fernando Valley celebration at Van Nuys Airport starring B.J. Thomas will feature 2,000 line dancers; the Crenshaw district party will feature 2,000 gospel singers; the Alameda event will have 2,000 folk dancers; the Harbor party will have 2,000 drummers; and the Grand Avenue celebration will have 2,000 marching band musicians.

And in what organizers are calling the biggest cattle call in history, they're letting anyone who wants to become part of the entertainment, starting with rehearsals at each of the venues, beginning at noon Dec. 31.

And Lowell added that daylight events that adults can share with their children, local entertainment, and an only-in-L.A. variety of food and music - all for free - will prove far more attractive than any big-name star.

New York City is mirroring L.A.'s situation.

The city is sponsoring five low-cost, kid-friendly, alcohol-free celebrations - one in each of its five boroughs - while the privately run Celebration 2000 was canceled because not enough of the $1,000 to $2,500 tickets were selling.

``People are looking to do family-oriented events,'' said Kim Serafin, spokeswoman for NYC 2000, the city-run millennium committee. She said they hope a free celebrity fashion show at Times Square that drew 20,000 people four months ago will be a harbinger of success for the New Year's Eve parties. As with L.A., New York organizers are promoting a ``party in your own neighborhood'' theme.

No joy in `Margueritaville'

Some folks may be waiting until the last minute before deciding how to spend the last minute of 1999. But they seem to know they don't want to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to share the event with a big-name entertainer.

Jimmy Buffett tickets for his Universal Amphitheatre show are running $1,500, on the other hand. But many remain unsold for the artist whose rabid fans often buy out shows rapidly.

Michael Jackson had planned to play a New Year's Eve concert in Sydney, then fly back across the International Date Line in time for a New Year's Eve concert in Hawaii. But he canceled both, ostensibly to work on a new album.

Pop singer Jewel canceled a concert in Anchorage after selling only 1,000 of the 8,000 seats available. That, in spite of a relatively reasonable $99 ticket price.

Before the Coliseum show was pulled, Poncher said they sold ``a couple hundred'' tickets. To just break even, he said, they would've had to fill half the seats in the Coliseum - about 50,000.

``I had promises for thousands. I had companies who said they were going to buy thousands for their employees or to give away, and they never came through,'' he said. ``No one really said no. They were just stalling long enough that I couldn't count on them.''

But now that his Coliseum show has been put on ice, Poncher said he'll do what more and more people seem to be planning - stay home.

His mother was planning a New Year's Eve bash at her house in the South Bay, after which guests would board buses for the Coliseum show.

``Basically,'' Poncher said, ``we just canceled the buses.''