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

THE ARTS

Long Beach Museum Plans: After a decade of failed attempts to relocate to larger facilities, the Long Beach Museum of Art today is announcing a relatively modest plan to expand on the Ocean Boulevard site it has occupied since 1950. The $4-million project calls for a 12,000-square-foot, two-story building to be constructed where the old brick carriage house is now located. The carriage house will be renovated and moved adjacent to the existing museum building and converted to a media arts center. L.A. architect Frederick Fisher has designed the new brick-and-wood exhibition hall with a glass atrium to complement the old buildings. About $1 million is already in place; ground-breaking is scheduled for late 1998, with completion planned for 2000, museum director Hal Nelson said.

Musica de la Noche: Phantomaniacs can now hear scene-by-scene synopses of “The Phantom of the Opera” in Spanish, Japanese, Portuguese or French during the musical at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre. The free ShowTrans service is available over headsets that can be reserved by calling (213) 365-3555. Meanwhile, “Phantom” has been extended through Jan. 31.

TELEVISION

HBO’s ACEs: HBO was named the winner Tuesday of 11 of 24 CableACE awards in craft and international categories, including best directing and writing in a comedy series (“The Larry Sanders Show”), original score (“In the Gloaming”), cinematography (“Gotti”) and writing in an entertainment special (“HBO Comedy Hour: George Carlin--40 Years of Comedy”). Other early winners include Showtime’s “The Hunger” (directing in a drama) and TNT’s “Mother Trucker” (international dramatic special). The remaining CableACE awards will be announced on Nov. 14 and 15.

QUICK TAKES

HBO has renewed its adult prison drama “Oz” for a second season, with new episodes scheduled for the spring. . . . ABC has canceled “Timecop,” its Monday night series based on the Jean-Claude Van Damme movie. The program’s final airing will be next week, with specials filling the slot through November. . . . “The Rosie O’Donnell Show’s” debut of “Interactive Mondays,” in which O’Donnell answers fans’ online questions during commercial breaks each week, attracted a whopping 4,500 Internet users to America Online Monday (keyword: Rosie). . . . The Ford Motor Co. will be the sole sponsor of the Oct. 29 episode of CBS’ “Murphy Brown,” in which Candice Bergen’s character recovers from breast cancer surgery. Ford will use the commercials to broadcast information about breast health.