BY ELINOR J. BRECHER AND RONNIE GREENE

 Bringing their voices -- and their music -- to Little Havana, prominent Cuban-American
 celebrities mixed with throngs of exiles Thursday, adding influential faces to the Elian
 Gonzalez debate.

 For months, politicians, publicists and public officials stood before the microphones.

 On Thursday, the stars came out: Gloria Estefan, Andy Garcia, Willy Chirino, Arturo
 Sandoval, Albita and others, including international talk show hosts Cristina Saralegui
 and Padre Alberto.

 The stars said they showed up to support Elian -- and urge calm as passions flared anew.

 ``We say to Elian's father and his lawyer that he is in no danger if he comes to this
 community to make an orderly transition in the best interests of the child,'' said
 Estefan, who urged U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno to establish a compound
 where Elian and his father can be slowly reunited.

 Experts say the sudden celebrity turnout can add credence to the cause of exiles
 who think Elian's Miami family deserves another chance in court.

 ``Remember the ads: `I want to be like Mike?' That says a lot about our culture,''
 said David Horvitz, founder and board chairman of the Boggy Creek Gang, which
 runs camps for sick children and works with stars such as Paul Newman and
 Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.

 ``Having celebrities associated with a non-profit opens doors to people with deep
 pockets, raises your visibility in the community, and allows you to get your story
 out, not to just media, but to all of us, because our culture is a sucker for
 celebrity.''

 `CREDIBILITY'

 Celebrities can bring ``instant credibility,'' agreed Susan Brustman, a Miami
 public-relations firm owner.

 Joe Saltzman, associate dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the
 University of Southern California, notes that ``as the thin line between reality and
 fiction merges more and more, you can't get attention to stories without celebrity
 involvement.

 ``You're more important when there's a celebrity next to you.''

 When stars speak, ``People at least stop and listen,'' said Sam Roberts, a
 professor of broadcast journalism at the University of Miami.

 ``There's nothing new in this at all,'' said Roberts, citing celebrity roles in TV ads
 and political campaigns. ``You always see some candidate wrapping himself
 around a movie star.''

 The stars who turned out Thursday may have particular impact.

 HOUSEHOLD NAMES

 ``These are not only household names in Miami, but across the country,'' said
 Dario Moreno, a Florida International University professor. ``People outside Miami
 don't know who Joe Carollo is or Alex Penelas is. But they do know who Gloria
 Estefan is or Andy Garcia is.''

 Cuban roots musician Albita said she came to the Gonzalez home Thursday
 because she did not want to see Elian grow up in the same conditions in Cuba
 she did. ``In Cuba, one becomes a vegetable,'' she said. ``You know you are alive
 because you breathe and walk, but one does not feel that one has a life.''

 Albita said the large turnout of celebrities sent a strong message. ``We have
 shown that we are united.''

 Herald staff writer Sandra Marquez Garcia contributed to this report.

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald