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

STAGE

‘Capeman’ Protest: Paul Simon’s new play, “The Capeman,” was greeted in its first preview Monday by protests from family members of the two teenagers stabbed to death in 1959 by Salvador Agron, the convicted killer whose story is at the musical’s center. Kim Erker, whose cousin was killed by Agron, carried a sign outside New York’s Marriott Marquis Theatre that read: “Our Loss is $imon’s Gain.” “My cousin’s murder should not be entertainment,” said Erker, who was with three other relatives of the victims. “There’s a million stories in New York City, why pick this one? . . . Would Paul Simon do this if his son was murdered?” Producer Dan Klores defended the production, saying “The Capeman” does not glamorize Agron. “In fact, it examines the human being’s search for redemption,” he said. “Unfortunately, those who object to this artistic endeavor have no accurate information at all. Theater, literature, film, opera and ballet have always wrestled with issues of good vs. evil.”

TELEVISION

Good ‘Vibe’s: The late-night variety show “Vibe,” which struggled after its August premiere with original host Chris Spencer, has gotten a new lease on life with its second host Sinbad. The syndicated talkfest from Columbia TriStar Television Distribution scored an average 6% share of the overnight audience during the November sweeps, a 50% jump over the previous month, according to Nielsen Media Research. That put “Vibe” neck-and-neck for November with its rival, “The Keenen Ivory Wayans Show,” which dropped 14% in ratings share from October.

Original ‘Christmas’: The 1965 holiday staple “A Charlie Brown Christmas” has been restored to its original format and will be seen in its entirety for the first time since the late 1960s, tonight at 8 on CBS. The largest addition is a restored 45-second scene from the original focusing on Linus’ use of his blanket in a snowball fight.

Cameraman Sues KCBS: An African American cameraman has filed a wrongful termination lawsuit in L.A. Superior Court against KCBS-TV Channel 2 and the CBS network, charging them with racial discrimination and retaliation. Eddie Pulliam, who worked at KCBS for 17 years, was fired in 1996 after reporting to work two hours late. However, his attorney, Melanie F. Lomax, said in the lawsuit that Pulliam’s termination came as retaliation for his complaints about what he called discriminatory treatment of minority technicians and cameramen at the station. KCBS executives denied the charges, saying the number of African American employees has risen in the last two years.

POP/ROCK

Troubled Venue: Anaheim’s Freedman Forum Concert Theatre, a thriving pop venue in the late ‘80s when it was known as the Celebrity Theatre, is said to be “in limbo” following Sunday’s last-minute cancellation of a concert by rocker Pat Benatar. The show was the theater’s third consecutive cancellation, following aborted concerts by Echo & the Bunnymen (Nov. 15) and the Spinners (Nov. 16). “We still have very high hopes, but it’s been a tough month,” said Richard Stern, a principal in the latest attempt to revive the troubled, 2,500-seat theater that closed down in 1994 after running into business difficulties. He called the cancellations “a growth pain,” acknowledging that bookings have been sporadic and audiences small since the venue’s June 28 reopening.

HEALTH WATCH

Cash, Bjork, Flatley Updates: Country singer Johnny Cash, 65, was discharged Monday from Nashville’s Baptist hospital, where he had been treated for more than a month for pneumonia and Shy-Drager’s Syndrome, a neurological disorder related to Parkinson’s. . . . Singer Bjork, recovering from a kidney infection for which she was hospitalized over the weekend in her native Iceland, has canceled her show next Monday at the Roxy. . . . “Lord of the Dance” star Michael Flatley has canceled the remainder of his tour dates in Australia and New Zealand after suffering a chest infection that caused him to collapse at a performance last week.

QUICK TAKES

“L.A. Live,” a new weekday show hosted by Sam Rubin and Stephanie Edwards, will premiere on KTLA-TV Channel 5 on Jan. 2, from 11 a.m. to noon. Billed as “Los Angeles’ only live television talk show,” the show will focus on things such as the city’s “hidden treasures,” trends and celebrities. . . . As expected, singer Jewel will make her film debut in Universal Pictures’ “To Live On,” a wartime coming-of-age story to be directed by Ang Lee (“Sense and Sensibility,” “The Ice Storm”). Skeet Ulrich (“Scream”) and Tobey Maguire (“The Ice Storm”) will co-star. . . . Musician Kenny G gained entry into the Guinness Book of Records on Monday by proving he can really carry a note. Using a circular breathing technique (breathing through his nose while continuing to play), the sax player held an E flat for a whopping 45 minutes and 47 seconds, to set a record for the longest-held note.