ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

THEATER

Calista Victorious: Calista Flockhart, a stage actress in New York before she became synonymous with her title role on Fox-TV’s “Ally McBeal,” went before the bar of theater critics this week, and on Friday was emerging victorious. On summer hiatus as lawyer Ally, Flockhart is appearing off-Broadway in Neil LaBute’s “Bash,” a trio of one-act plays. She’s up first as Woman in “Medea Redux” and then in the last act with Paul Rudd in “A Gaggle of Saints.” The Associated Press’ drama critic, Michael Kuchwara, calling the one-acts “short, superficial studies of evil with pretensions of Greek tragedy,” noted that as Woman, Flockhart “slums credibly, projecting a realistic low-class demeanor. She is not afraid to put herself out on a limb, even to the point of transforming herself physically into one scary-looking woman.” Kuchwara said the third piece was “the most effective . . . primarily because of Rudd.” The New York Times’ Ben Brantley, calling the three actors “superb” and the monologues “transfixing,” noted that in the “Medea” segment, Flockhart “achieves an aching eloquence through the simplest gestures,” adding that she is “also delicious in the less meaty role of the conscientiously girlish partygoer in ‘Gaggle.’ ” USA Today’s David Patrick Stearns deemed the “Medea” performance “spellbinding.”

Classics’ Noise: A Noise Within, a classical theater company, has put in place its inaugural repertory season at the Harriet and Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State Los Angeles. The opening work will be “Cyrano de Bergerac” by Edmond Rostand. Directed by artistic co-director Art Manke, it previews Sept. 10-16 and is in repertory Sept. 17-Nov. 7. Other productions on the roster include Shakespeare’s “Taming of the Shrew,” Moliere’s “The Misanthrope” and Tennessee Williams’ “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.”

POP/ROCK

Clapton’s Guitars: Eric Clapton raised more than $5 million for his drug rehabilitation project with an auction at Christie’s in New York of 100 of his guitars. The buzz at the auction was that only 99 of the instruments actually wound up in the hands of strangers. Clapton was believed interested in getting one guitar back, a 1930 Gibson L-4. Christie’s declined to confirm whether Clapton did in fact bid on the guitar, which he had been quoted as saying is a “very personal” instrument he used at home. It sold for $57,500. But that was hardly the auction’s high note. A 1956 sunburst Fender Stratocaster brought $497,500, far surpassing the $320,000 auction record for a guitar that belonged to Jimi Hendrix. Actor Michael J. Fox, bidding by telephone, bought a 1949 Gibson-125 for $36,800 and a 1930s National Duolian for $42,500. Profits went to the Crossroads Centre, a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility founded in 1997 on the island of Antigua by Clapton, who has himself fought drug and alcohol addiction. “They all have a place in my heart and my life,” Clapton wrote of the guitars. “It is no easy thing to say goodbye to them.”

Jackson’s Concerts: An estimated 54,000 fans from South Korea, Japan and neighboring Asian countries flocked to a four-hour Michael Jackson concert Friday in Olympic Stadium in Seoul to benefit needy children. Some people said ticket prices--up to $250 a seat--were too high in the face of the nation’s economic difficulties. Other groups, including a Korean War veterans association, noted that the concert fell on the 49th anniversary of the breakout of the Korean War, a day they said should be observed quietly. There were no protests around the stadium, though 1,500 police officers were deployed. Other entertainers included Mariah Carey, Boyz II Men, violinist Vanessa Mae and actor Steven Seagal. . . . “Michael Jackson--What More Can I Give?,” a benefit concert in Munich’s Olympic Stadium Sunday for the children of Kosovo, can be seen online at https://www.mcy.com. Among those featured at the event will be Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Luther Vandross, Ringo Starr & Band and Elizabeth Taylor.

TELEVISION

Comedy Notes: CBS has ordered a new comedy series spoofing the Pilgrims adapting to life in America. Cloris Leachman is among the cast of “Thanks,” which is slated to premiere in August. . . . ABC has ordered six episodes of “Talk to Me,” starring Kyra Sedgwick as a New York radio talk-show host, for midseason. . . . The WB network ordered 13 episodes of “The Oblongs,” an animated comedy about a family with a variety of physical and emotional abnormalities caused by environmental toxins, for fall 2000. Author Angus Oblong, upon whose book the show is based, will be supervising producer.

Something About Mary: After an aborted attempt last year to produce a new sitcom reuniting Mary Tyler Moore and Valerie Harper as the characters they played on “The Mary Tyler Moore Show,” ABC is now planning a TV movie pairing the two, to air next season. The general premise would be the same, featuring Mary, Rhoda and their grown daughters.

New Host for Univision: Enrique Gratas, host of the long-running Telemundo newsmagazine “Occurio Asi,” will join rival Spanish-language network Univision this fall to anchor a new late-night news program, “Ultima Hora.” Gratas has more than 30 years experience in news, including stints at local stations KWHY-TV and KMEX-TV, Univision’s flagship.