POP/ROCKHe Writes the Musicals: Pop star Barry...

POP/ROCK

He Writes the Musicals: Pop star Barry Manilow received a standing ovation from a celebrity-filled audience in London Thursday night at the premiere of his $3-million musical “Copacabana,” based on his 1976 hit single of the same name. The show, which marks Manilow’s debut in London as a writer, opened after a regional tour in Britain. The jury’s still out, though, if it will be a West End hit, especially after its cool critical response. The Daily Express found “Copacabana” a “nerve-shattering, stunningly bad experience.” “Witless musical is a new Mani-low,” said the headline in Today. Charles Spencer, though, said in the Daily Telegraph: “I enjoyed ‘Copacabana’ and enjoyed it enormously.”

TELEVISION

Calling All Mikes: Home Box Office is launching an intensive, multi-city casting search to find the lead for HBO Pictures’ upcoming Mike Tyson bio picture. The film, according to the cable outlet, will deal with the imprisoned boxer’s pursuit of the American dream and “the difficulty of healing the psychological scars of growing up in the ghetto.” The drama is based on Jose Torres’ “Fire and Fear: The Inside Story of Mike Tyson.” Open casting calls for “Tyson” will be held locally July 1 at Screenland Studios in Burbank. Tyson wanna-bes should be between 17-22 years of age, 5 feet, 10 inches to 6 feet in height, 200-230 lbs. and have a muscular physique. They should also be able to act, and some boxing experience would be helpful. The casting directors are not accepting calls.

* ‘Models’ Visitors: Daphne Zuniga and Grant Show of Fox’s popular “Melrose Place” will guest as their characters, Jo Reynolds and Jake Hanson, on Wednesday’s 90-minute premiere of Fox’s “MP” spinoff series, “Models Inc.” The two will be sending off “Models” character Sarah Owens (Cassidy Rae) to begin her modeling career. Nolan Miller, the fashion designer of “Dynasty” fame, also will guest as, yup, a fashion designer.

* Songwriters’ Salute: Beginning July 9 and for seven subsequent Saturday nights, CNN’s “Larry King Weekend” will air an eight-part “Salute to Songwriters” series. Each show will feature the music of a different American popular-music composer or composing team. Included will be interviews with performers, relatives and friends of the composers. The shows will honor Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, Jerome Kern, George Gershwin, Rodgers & Hart, Johnny Mercer, Cole Porter and Rodgers & Hammerstein.

MOVIES

Yabba-Dabba-Dough: Amblin Entertainment/Universal Pictures’ “The Flintstones,” starring John Goodman as Fred Flintstone, is scheduled to surpass the $100-million mark at the U.S. box office today, 30 days after its May 27 opening. “The Flintstones” is the first film released this year to hit the benchmark. . . . Disney’s “The Lion King” continued its roar at the box office in its limited first-week release at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre and New York’s Radio City Music Hall. In its first week, the animated film grossed a whopping $2,935,646. Its opening week tally of $2,601,250 established a new record at Radio City. Likewise, the El Capitan posted a new house record with its seven-day gross of $334,396, besting the previous $234,245 set by “Aladdin” in November, 1992. “The Lion King” opened nationwide Friday.

PEOPLE

Sexy and Over 50: Paul Newman, 69, and Elizabeth Taylor, 62, were voted the sexiest stars over 50 this month by 3,000 readers who responded to questionnaires in Mature Outlook magazine. Sean Connery, 63, and Sophia Loren, 59, came in second. The stars each got about 10% of the votes in the unscientific survey.

ART

Up for Auction: A 3,000-year-old Assyrian relief, discovered in the snack shop of an English boys school, is expected to provide the school with a $1.1-million bonanza when it goes up for auction July 6 at Christie’s in London. The meticulously carved stone panel, from the palace of King Ashurnasirpal II in modern Iraq, was excavated in the mid-19th Century by archeologist Sir Henry Layard and given to Canford School in Dorset by Sir John Guest, master of Canford Manor and a benefactor of Layard. The relief was installed in the boarding school, and heavily whitewashed over the years. Scholars believed it was a plaster cast until recently, when two specialists from the British Museum took a closer look and found an authentic treasure.

QUICK TAKES

The Senate Judiciary Committee announced Friday that Steven Spielberg, who directed the Oscar-winning Holocaust drama “Schindler’s List,” will be a witness Tuesday at a hearing on hate crimes. . . . Forever Tango: The Eternal Dance, currently at the Wilshire Theatre, is offering a special admission price of $15 for seniors and students for its Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday evening shows. The tickets go on sale one hour prior to curtain time. . . . On Monday at 6:30 p.m., “Blown Away” director Stephen Hopkins will present Planet Hollywood South Coast Plaza with the bomb jacket from the upcoming MGM thriller. . . . Directors Mark Rydell (“On Golden Pond”) and Frank Oz (“Little Shop of Horrors”) have been chosen by the California State University Summer Arts Film/Video Festival to receive the 1994 Rosebud Award in recognition of their film work.