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

STAGE

‘Capeman’ Postponement: “The Capeman,” the new Broadway musical written and produced by pop singer Paul Simon, will likely postpone its Jan. 8 scheduled opening until early February, according to sources inside the production. The show, which has been labeled as earnest but dull by audiences since it began previews on Dec. 1, tells the story of Salvador Agron, who in 1959 at age 16 brutally murdered two teens on a New York playground. In development by Simon for seven years, the show’s creative talent currently includes choreographer Mark Morris as director--the third to work on the show--as well as book writer and co-lyricist Derek Walcott, all of whom are making their Broadway debuts. A new director may be in the offing, sources say. Among the names being bandied about is Nicholas Hytner, who worked with “Capeman” set designer Bob Crowley on the 1994 Tony-winning revival of “Carousel.” Hytner is currently working on post-production of his new film, “The Object of My Affection.”

MOVIES

‘L.A.’ Wins in Boston, Too: “L.A. Confidential,” threatening to sweep the year-end critics awards, was the big winner with the Boston Society of Film Critics. The noir thriller won for best film, director (Curtis Hanson) and screenplay (Hanson and Brian Helgeland), and Kevin Spacey won for best supporting actor. Al Pacino won for best lead actor for his role in “Donnie Brasco,” while the top actress nod went to Helena Bonham Carter for “The Wings of the Dove.” “L.A. Confidential” and Hanson also were winners with the National Board of Review, the Los Angeles Film Critics Assn. and the New York Film Critics Circle.

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Iranian Film Under Fire: A film about an Iranian who resorts to cross-dressing in an effort to emigrate to the United States has come under fire from Islamic militants opposed to the Iranian government’s policies permitting the screening. Residents and newspapers said groups of militants over the past week attacked cinemas showing the Iranian film “Snowman” in several cities, including Isfahan, Shiraz and Rasht. The daily newspaper Salam said a group of militants from the Ansar-e Hizbollah (Supporters of God’s Party) attacked viewers leaving a cinema in Isfahan, including a disabled veteran from the 1980-88 Iran-Iraq war. The violence was the latest in a series of recent incidents across the Islamic republic in which militants attacked cinemas showing the film. The black comedy shows a man disguising himself as a woman in the hope of marrying an American and emigrating to the country of his dreams. It has been attacked as immoral by the militants, despite its ending in which the man falls in love with an Iranian woman and both return to their homeland.

TELEVISION

Gibson Eyeing ‘Biography’: “Good Morning America” anchor Charles Gibson is in negotiations with the A&E; cable network to become host of its “Biography” series. Gibson, who has wanted to leave “GMA,” recently turned down an offer from CNN, sources said. ABC--which owns one-third of A&E--is; trying to structure a deal in which Gibson would be able to take the cable job while staying at the network, although not on the morning show. Fox TV host Tom Bergeron and “GMA” news-reader Kevin Newman are among the possible replacements for Gibson on the program, which has been second to NBC’s “Today” show for 100 weeks, despite replacing Joan Lunden with Lisa McRee this fall.

THE ARTS

Norton Simon Extends Hours: The Norton Simon Museum in Pasadena will celebrate the holiday season by extending its museum visiting hours to the public. From Thursday through Jan. 4, the museum will be open daily from noon-6 p.m., with the exception of Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. The museum store also will be open for holiday shopping during these hours.

QUICK TAKES

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, turned down an offer Monday to make a cameo appearance in the Broadway musical “Jekyll and Hyde,” her spokesman said. . . . The Caribbean nation of St. Vincent has issued a series of six postage stamps commemorating the 30th anniversary of the first album released by the Doors. The stamps feature the six albums released by the classic rock group before Jim Morrison’s death in 1971. . . . Fox will begin production this month on new episodes of the adventure show “Eerie, Indiana,” to air during the network’s Saturday morning children’s lineup starting in February. For the past year Fox has scored big ratings by repeating episodes of the original 1991 series, which aired in prime time on NBC. . . . The first nationally televised women’s ice hockey game, between the USA Hockey Women’s National Team and the Canadian National Team, will be shown on cable’s Lifetime Television on Wednesday at 5 p.m. . . . Veteran bluesman B.B. King will perform for the pope when he headlines the Vatican’s annual Christmas Concert on Friday. The Monte Carlo Philharmonic and singer Mireille Mathieu are also scheduled to perform.