Local stars come out for Oscar parties

Now that there are two parties, Boston looks like a big city on Oscar night. But looks can be deceiving. At least some of the VIPs who showed up at the Mass. Film Bureau's bash at the Museum of Science also made an appearance at the ''official" Oscar party at the State Room. (This is Boston, after all, and there are only so many ''stars" to go around.) Mingling at the museum, we bumped into David Morse, a favorite of ours since his ''St. Elsewhere" days. The Peabody native, who stars with Bruce Willis in the new film ''16 Blocks," has done many fine films -- ''The Indian Runner" and ''Dancer in the Dark," to name a few -- and some standout stage work. For all of that, he was honored last night. ''I'm actually embarrassed to be here," said Morse, before confessing that his mother made him come. ''I just do what an actor is supposed to do -- the work."

The mob at the museum also included freckle-faced Medford native Julianne Nicholson, costar of the NBC drama ''Conviction," who brought along her handsome, British-born hubby Jonathan Cake. ''It's great being back in Boston," said Nicholson, which prompted her husband to quip: ''You can take the girl out of Medford, but you can't take the Medford out of the girl." In the house, too, were ''Saw II" star Donnie Wahlberg, actor Ken Howard, chef Todd English, and Bostonian Brian Worth, who's managed to parlay his appearance on ''Average Joe" into 16 solid minutes of fame. Wahlberg, who was there with his 13-year-old son, confirmed that he's working with Warner Bros. on a TV show that will explore how desegregation shaped his life and music. ''The course my life took was greatly influenced by being bused to school in Roxbury," said the former New Kid. ''The show would be loosely based on all those experiences, but Joey McIntyre and Jordan Knight won't be in it."

Roaming the red carpet at the sumptuous State Room across town, meanwhile, was a similarly eclectic crowd that included stylish Susie Castillo, the former Miss USA from Methuen, onetime child star Corey Feldman, Amesbury-bred actor Jeffrey Donovan, actress Pamela Lambert, reality TV's David Fioravanti of ''The Biggest Loser," and Ernest Thompson, the Oscar-winning writer of ''On Golden Pond."

Feldman, who brought his blond better half, Susie, revealed that he's in town to scout locations for a new movie, which he described somewhat cryptically as a ''comedy with strong morals and with family values in a very deranged way." The actor, who looked surprisingly sharp in a jewel-studded tuxedo top, said he quite likes Boston. (He said he was here last year to talk with legislators ''about veal," which we took to mean animal rights.) ''Boston's got it's own feel to it," explained Feldman. ''It's not like Chicago and it's not like Philly." Hmm. Can't argue with that.

Standing nearby and looking gorgeous as ever, Castillo seemed genuinely thrilled to meet the former child star. ''I'm a huge fan of 'The Goonies' and 'The Burbs,' " said Castillo. ''It's surreal to meet him." Surreal, indeed.

Of all the places to have a party, an airport wouldn't be at the top of Tony Shalhoub's list. ''I've spent a lifetime in airports," the actor said yesterday, just off a flight from LA. Nonetheless, the ''Monk" star will be at Logan Airport tonight for the American Repertory Theatre's annual gala. ''I'm looking forward to it, though I can't imagine why they're having it there." (The party, benefiting the ART's Institute for Advanced Theatre Training, takes place at Delta's new terminal.) Shalhoub, who spent four seasons at the ART after graduating from the Yale School of Drama, is a big supporter of the house that Bob Brustein built. At tonight's party, he and wife Brooke Adams are doing a skit written by playwright Chris Durang. ''Other than that, I hope just to hobnob," said Shalhoub. ''I don't think I'll be asked to do a striptease. That wouldn't bring in a whole lot of revenue." Durang, by the way, was recently chosen to receive Harvard's arts medal. During the college's three-day Arts First fest in May, the '71 Harvard grad will be awarded the medal by President Larry Summers, and participate in a discussion moderated by actor and fellow Harvard alum John Lithgow.

R&B's newest star Chris Brown played some pickup on the parquet before performing at TD Banknorth Garden the other night. The singing sensation tried to school Donnie Wahlberg, who brought along his adorable boy Xavier.

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