Arts and entertainment reports from The Times, national and international news services and the nation’s press.

ART

Getty Beats Getty--Again: For the second time, American billionaire John Paul Getty II has helped stop Malibu’s J. Paul Getty Museum from acquiring a masterpiece from Britain, which has rigid controls on the export of works of art. This time, the son of the museum’s late founder donated $155,000 to the Scottish National Gallery, helping it to buy the $3.1-million Guercino masterpiece “Erminia Finding the Wounded Tancred.” The Getty had agreed six months ago to buy the Guercino for $5.42 million. But the British government withheld an export license to give the Scottish gallery six months to raise funds to beat the offer. Thanks to a tax exemption relating to works of art, it had to come up with only the $3.1 million. “It’s great to succeed against the richest museum in the world,” Timothy Clifford, director of the Scottish National Gallery, said Friday. Two years ago, Getty, who lives in Britain, came forward with money to halt the California museum’s purchase of Canova’s important “Three Graces” sculpture. The Getty Museum’s response: “We are delighted that the picture has been acquired by a museum rather than going into a private collection to which the public would not necessarily have access.”

POP/ROCK

Don’t Cry for Her, Hollywood Bowl: Friday’s Hollywood Bowl audience was scheduled to get a surprise encore after the “Salute to the Hollywood Musical” program featuring John Mauceri conducting the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Mauceri was to present the world premiere of pop star Madonna’s much talked-about recording of “Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina,” from the forthcoming movie “Evita.” Mauceri, who collaborated with Madonna in scoring the musical in London last October and will return to London next week to ready the soundtrack for a December release, was to lead the orchestra Friday in a live accompaniment to Madonna’s vocal track. Tonight’s Bowl audience will get the same treat.

Rapping for Voters: Death Row Records rappers Tupac Shakur, Snoop Doggy Dogg and Hammer joined the Brotherhood Crusade outside its Los Angeles office on Thursday to protest Prop. 209: The California Civil Rights Initiative, which targets affirmative action. Urging rap fans to vote with the same enthusiasm with which they buy records, Shakur said: “My record sales, we’ve got 6 million, Snoop’s got 4 million. . . . If we could represent that many votes, [we could make] these politicians be scared of us.” Said Snoop, holding up a voter registration card: “I got this in my hand--register to vote. . . . It’s our voice that means something. It’s all on us. If we don’t speak, ain’t nobody gonna speak for us.” Brotherhood Crusade President Danny Bakewell said Thursday’s event was “the first step on a long, hard journey to make sure that we educate our people” and promised that the rappers would be involved in further efforts urging voter participation in the African American community.

Ready to ‘Freak’ Again?: “Super Freak” star Rick James is expected to sign a contract next week with Raging Bull Records, an independent label launched earlier this year by controversial record promoter Joe Isgro, sources said. James, 47, is scheduled to be released Wednesday from Folsom State Prison, where he served three years for assaulting a woman and holding her against her will. Sources said that Isgro has helped to provide financial support for James’ family during the singer’s incarceration and worked behind the scenes to seek a resolution to several pending civil lawsuits against James. Isgro drew national attention seven years ago when he became the target of the biggest payola case in U.S. history. That case was thrown out recently by a federal judge due to government error and misconduct.

MOVIES

‘Rent’ Headed to Screen: Hollywood heavyweights Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese will produce the motion picture version of the late Jonathan Larson’s hit musical “Rent,” in a joint deal between Miramax Films, De Niro’s Tribeca Productions and Scorsese’s Cappa Productions. Larson, who won a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for “Rent,” died of an aortic aneurysm just hours before the Tony-winning musical’s opening last February.

QUICK TAKES

When Disney reopens the New Amsterdam Theater in New York’s Times Square next spring it will reportedly open with the production about King David--written by “Aladdin’s” musical collaborators Alan Menken and Tim Rice--which has been in development by the company’s theater wing. . . . Best-selling author Joe McGinniss has given back his $1.75-million advance from Crown Books to write a book about the O.J. Simpson trial, citing a lack of anything new to say about the sensational trial. McGinniss had been granted a coveted front-row seat at the trial for his concept of playing a “13th juror” by avoiding the news conferences and TV coverage. . . . The syndicated newsmagazine “Hard Copy” will air a two-part interview with Richard Allen Davis, the man convicted of kidnapping and murdering 12-year-old Petaluma resident Polly Klaas, on Monday and Tuesday nights. A “Hard Copy” spokesman said that Davis himself was not paid for the interview, taped at the Santa Clara County jail, although an undisclosed amount of money was paid to an unnamed individual for the rights to the footage and still photos.