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

POP/ROCK

Strait Ahead: Singer George Strait became the most-nominated performer in the Nashville-based Country Music Assn.’s history Tuesday, garnering five 1998 nominations--including one for entertainer of the year--to bring his career total to 47 nods. That surpasses Merle Haggard’s 43 nominations. Strait, 46, has won 10 previous CMA awards. Other nominations announced Tuesday include Shania Twain (“Come on Over”), Tim McGraw (“Everywhere”), Patty Loveless (“Long Stretch of Lonesome”), Garth Brooks (“Sevens”) and Strait (“One Step at a Time”) for album of the year; and Anita Cochran-Steve Wariner (“What If I Said”), Reba McEntire-Brooks & Dunn (“If You See Him/If You See Her”), McGraw-Faith Hill (“Just to Hear You Say You Love Me”), Brooks-Trisha Yearwood (“In Another’s Eyes”) and Loveless-George Jones (“You Don’t Seem to Miss Me”) for vocal event of the year. Vying with Straight for entertainer of the year are Brooks, McGraw, Brooks & Dunn and Vince Gill. The awards are to air Sept. 23 on CBS.

TELEVISION

A Hefty Hospital Bill: “ER” stars Anthony Edwards and Noah Wyle have signed contract extensions to remain on the top-rated NBC series for four more seasons. Parties to the deal wouldn’t comment on the terms, but Edwards will reportedly receive nearly $400,000 per episode--making him the highest-paid performer on a dramatic series--with Wyle to earn a slightly lesser sum. The actors are sharing in the record $13 million an episode NBC agreed to pay producer Warner Bros. Television to renew the show. Warner Bros. is also seeking deals with “ER’s” other original cast members, Juliana Margulies and Eriq La Salle.

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Thomas Leaving ‘Home’: Teen star Jonathan Taylor Thomas has announced that he will leave ABC’s long-running comedy “Home Improvement” after filming two episodes to explain his absence. The production company said Thomas’ character will “get the opportunity to pursue his interest in environmental issues” and return later in the year for the program’s holiday show. Thomas, 16, who has starred in such movies as “Tom and Huck” and the upcoming “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” said through a spokesman that he wants more time to focus on preparing for college. The series begins its eighth season in September.

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Getting Physical: “Tonight Show” host Jay Leno is taking to the wrestling mat, with plans to meet “Hollywood” Hulk Hogan in a pay-per-view World Championship Wrestling match Saturday. Leno, a Harley-Davidson owner, will team up with Diamond Dallas Page for the main match at the Sturgis motorcycle rally in Sioux Falls, S.D. Kevin Eubanks, Leno’s “Tonight Show” bandleader and sidekick, will be in Leno’s corner as his manager. The idea for Leno to be a guest wrestler developed after professional basketball players Karl Malone and Dennis Rodman challenged each other to a wrestling match during a “Tonight Show” in July, said a WCW spokesman. A “Tonight Show” spokeswoman confirmed the planned event, saying Leno was “taking it seriously” by working out in the gym and getting tips from his teammate. The Sturgis rally attracts about 200,000 bikers annually.

PERFORMING ARTS

Indictments Out of the Ashes?: An Italian prosecutor asked a Venice court Tuesday to indict two electricians on charges of setting fire to La Fenice, the historic Venetian opera house, where Verdi’s “La Traviata” and “Rigoletto” premiered. The 205-year-old theater was gutted by fire in January 1996, while undergoing renovation. Investigators focused on electricians Enrico Carella and Massimiliano Marchetti because their company was reportedly behind on its work and faced stiff fines if it didn’t finish on time. The two were arrested 14 months ago. Prosecutor Felice Casson has also called for indictments against Venice Mayor Massimo Cacciari and seven other officials for negligence. Work to restore La Fenice has been underway for two years.

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Geffen Season Shuffle: Annette Bening’s appearance in the Geffen Playhouse’s “Hedda Gabler” next spring (see F1) will shuffle the rest of the theater’s season as follows: “The Cripple of Inishmaan” (Oct. 28 through Nov. 22); “The Cryptogram” and “The Old Neighborhood” in repertory (January openings to be announced, through Feb. 14); “Hedda” (March 24 through April 18); “Collected Stories” (May 19 through June 13); and “Merton of the Movies” (July 7 through Aug. 1).

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Tony Spat: The American Theatre Wing and the League of American Theatres and Producers--which have co-presented Broadway’s Tony Awards for more than 30 years--are involved in a dispute that could lead to a cancellation of their joint Tony contract after the 1999 awards. The wing accuses the league of trying to commercialize the awards; the league declined comment. If the rift continues, the wing--which owns the Tony name and copyright--intends to continue the Tonys on its own.

QUICK TAKES

The Beastie Boys, whose “Hello Nasty” has been the nation’s best-selling album for the last two weeks, have added a second local concert date: Sept. 12 at the Great Western Forum. Seats for a Sept. 11 Forum show are already sold out. Tickets for the added date go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. . . . Double Oscar winner Tom Hanks, comic Chris Rock and “The X-Files” star Gillian Anderson are the first stars announced for the Sept. 13 Emmy telecast on NBC. As previously announced, this year’s show, which focuses on Emmy’s 50th anniversary, will feature no host and will run a full four hours.