ART

Auction High Point: Collectors spent more than $25 million on 172 paintings, drawings and sculptures at Sotheby’s in New York on Thursday, bringing the auction house its most lucrative sale of American works in five years. The night’s top lot was Childe Hassam’s “Poppies,” which sold for more than $2.6 million, nearly doubling its pre-estimate of $1.4 million. Other big-ticket works were William Merritt Chase’s “Seaside Flowers” ($2.4 million), George Bellows’ “Dock Builders” ($1.4 million) and Georgia O’Keeffe’s “Jimson Weed” ($1 million). In addition, each of 16 Norman Rockwell works offered were sold, bringing in nearly $1.7 million for the group. The sale set records for several artists, including Fitz Hugh Lane, whose “Ships at Sunrise” went for $910,000, six times its high estimate of $150,000.

TELEVISION

Loco Like a Fox: Fox network plans to add “House of Buggin’ “--a sketch comedy show starring comic performer John Leguizamo--to its Sunday schedule on Jan. 8. Leguizamo has had Off Broadway hits with “Mambo Mouth” and “Spic-o-Rama,” and co-stars with Wesley Snipes in the coming film “To Wong Foo.” The show will air at 8:30 p.m., the slot that has lately been filled with the second of back-to-back episodes of “The Simpsons.” “Buggin’ ” is often referred to as a Latino version of “In Living Color.” Fox also has another Latino show in the works: a sitcom starring L.A. stand-up Carlos Mencia.

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Willard’s Schedule Change: “Today” show weatherman Willard Scott will reduce his appearances on the NBC show from four days a week to three, beginning in March. Scott, who requested the change, will be doing more features on the show, while WNBC-TV weatherman Al Roker is expected to do the weather on Mondays and Fridays when Scott is off.

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Attempting a KO: A boxing promoter has sued CBS Television over a “60 Minutes” story that accused him of fixing bouts for two fighters in his stable. Rick Parker’s suit seeks $120 million in compensatory and punitive damages from the network and Don Hazelton, head of the Florida State Athletic Commission, who is accused of “false and defamatory statements” in the Aug. 21 broadcast.

POP/ROCK

Touring Champions: The Rolling Stones’ “Voodoo Lounge” North American concert tour continues through Dec. 18, but Performance, the trade magazine that annually tracks concert sales, is already predicting a whopping $119.4-million gross for 57 Stones dates. That would surpass 1994’s current top-selling act, Pink Floyd, which brought in $104.6 million in 59 shows. With eight more dates to go, Mick Jagger and company are already in second place, with a take of $102.4 million from 49 performances. The rest of the Top Five: Billy Joel, with $75.8 million from 69 shows (including 21 dates he co-headlined with Elton John); the Eagles, with $73.7 million from 50 shows (30 additional dates have been scheduled for 1995), and Barbra Streisand, with $58.9 million from only 22 shows.

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On-Line Benefit: Aerosmith will kick off what is being billed as an “international cyberspace tour” with a live, on-line conference at 4 p.m. Sunday on CompuServe. The rockers will be backstage at the Palace of Auburn Hills near Detroit; proceeds from connect-time charges and the sale of limited-edition “Aerosmith Cyberspace Tour” T-shirts will benefit the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which works to protect the privacy of computer users and the right to free speech. To take part, connect to CompuServe and go to the CompuServe Convention Center (GO CONVENTION).

PEOPLE WATCH

Mrs. Jackson Speaks: Lisa Marie Presley-Jackson has joined those decrying tabloid stories that her marriage to pop star Michael Jackson is about to end. “Once again, the media is being very irresponsible and spreading false rumors,” she said in a statement. “Michael and I are very happily married, and very much in love.”

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Sticking to His Guns: Actor Tom Cruise has filed a $10-million lawsuit claiming television ads for a Magnavox video recorder illegally contain a snippet of him from the movie “Top Gun.” Cruise’s attorney, Bert Fields, says the clip can’t be used to advertise any product not related to the movie. Cruise’s suit names Philips Interactive Media Inc., which makes Magnavox products, as well as the advertising firm Rubin Postaer and Associates.

QUICK TAKES

Citing “financial difficulties,” the American Ballet Theatre has withdrawn from a Jan. 4-6 engagement at the San Diego Civic Theatre. Kenneth MacMillan’s full-evening “Manon” and a repertory program had been announced. The company has also canceled its Dec. 12-24 “Nutcracker” engagement in Purchase, N.Y. . . . Cable’s newest 24-hour offering, the Game Show Network, premiered Thursday with a 36-hour game show marathon, featuring one episode from every series in the network’s library, including such favorites as “Jeopardy!,” “The Gong Show,” “Family Feud” and “What’s My Line?” The channel is available on satellite via the Hughes Galaxy VII transponder 6.