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

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Eyes’ Shut Out of Christmas?: Exhibitors say they’ve been told that the anticipated Christmas release of Stanley Kubrick’s new film “Eyes Wide Shut” will be pushed back to the second quarter of 1999, although there is no official confirmation from Warner Bros. The studio has been patiently waiting for Kubrick to complete the film, which has been in production for nearly a year and a half. “Nobody knows when [Kubrick] will get his movie finished,” said a publicist for Tom Cruise, who co-stars with his wife, Nicole Kidman. “[Kubrick’s] editing it now. When he gets closer to finishing it later this summer, we’ll have a [release] date.”

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Chart Master: Master P is master of the national album sales chart. The New Orleans rapper’s “MP Da Last Don” sold about 495,000 copies during its first week in stores last week--the highest initial-week number posted this year. Lagging far behind at No. 2 on the chart is the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Adore,” which sold about 173,000 copies. Other acts debuting in the Top 25: Reba McEntire (No. 8), Onyx (No. 10), Brooks & Dunn (No. 11) and Gloria Estefan (No. 23).

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Washington Opera Staying Put: The Washington Opera has opted to remain at the Kennedy Center for at least 15 years, having abandoned plans to move into a former department store in downtown Washington. The company said that converting the store building into a modern opera house proved too costly, with current estimates having doubled from the initial projection two years ago of $100 million.

QUICK TAKES

“Halloween: H20,” the return of the horror franchise starring Jamie Lee Curtis, will debut in theaters on Aug. 5, a tad early for Halloween but in time for the end of the summer movie-going rush. . . . Ice show and circus producer Feld Entertainment and theater company Troika Entertainment are uniting to bring the musical “Grease” to the ice. The production is slated to open in November in Knoxville, Tenn., with a North American tour scheduled through the end of April. . . . Playwright Anna Deavere Smith is one of three new fellows chosen for the Sundance Institute’s June Filmmakers Lab, taking place in Utah through July 2. Smith will work on a movie based on her acclaimed stage production “Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992,” which examined the Los Angeles riots. . . . “Men in Black” picked up three awards, including best science-fiction film, at the 24th annual Saturn Awards on Wednesday at Century City’s Park Hyatt Hotel. Other best film winners were “Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery” (fantasy), “The Devil’s Advocate” (horror) and “L.A. Confidential” (action adventure/thriller).