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

STAGE

Andrews Spokesman Denies Reports: A spokesman for Julie Andrews denied published reports that the star is in Switzerland to recover from throat surgery, saying she is there to be honored at a film festival and that she is about to begin pre-production on the CBS television movie “A Winter Visit.” Andrews, 62, underwent surgery for nodes on her throat last June, forcing two postponements of planned Houston and Seattle engagements of her last Broadway show “Victor/Victoria.” Her spokesman said Andrews doesn’t feel as if her singing voice has recovered sufficiently to continue with the Houston and Seattle plans, but a spokeswoman for Theatre Under the Stars in Houston said the group’s president, Frank Young, had not spoken with Andrews about a postponement and that the production is still planned for late spring. The New York Post, quoting a friend of the singer, reported that Andrews may be unable to do eight shows a week on Broadway in the future, as required of a headliner, but may be able to do as many as five a week if her throat heals properly.

POP/ROCK

Oasis Sorry for Sorry Show: It wasn’t only fans who were disappointed in Oasis’ concert Friday in Brisbane, Australia. “Last night’s concert was appalling and I apologize,” the British pop group’s guitarist and chief songwriter, Noel Gallagher, said Saturday. “I can’t offer any excuses.” The band reportedly sounded horrible, bickered onstage and refused to perform an encore at the 14,000-seat Brisbane Entertainment Center, where only 8,000 fans bought tickets--and many left unhappy. The night before, lead singer Liam Gallagher was arrested and released on bail after allegedly breaking a fan’s nose with a head butt because the fan took a snapshot of him. The singer blamed his poor vocal performance Friday night on a sore throat.

DANCE

Vinogradov Still Looking: Oleg Vinogradov is 0 for 2 in his attempt to start a Southern California-based ballet company with himself as head. Artistic director of the Kirov Ballet in St. Petersberg for nearly 21 years--he insists that he retains that title despite recent reports to the contrary--Vinogradov first tried to launch his company a year ago by linking with the local Ballet Ecarte dance school, failing because of a lack of fund-raising acumen. Last fall, Vinogradov began exploratory talks with the South Korea-based Korean Cultural Foundation, an offshoot of the the Rev. Sun Myung Moon’s Unification Church, which supports a ballet school in Washington, D.C., headed by Vinogradov and his wife, Yelena, and which supports the Universal Ballet in Korea (UB opens its first North American tour Friday at Cal State L.A.’s Luckman Theatre). In January, Vinogradov met with foundation officials to discuss plans to create an L.A. company whose first full-scale appearance would have been “The Nutcracker” in Pasadena this Christmas. But citing the expense of starting a company from scratch and Asia’s financial crisis, the foundation pulled out, along with other potential investors. “We are not giving up the idea of creating a company,” Vinogradov said this week from South Korea. “We would like to establish it in Los Angeles but in case that isn’t possible, we will look some place else.”

TELEVISION

E! Cutting Back on News: E! Entertainment Television, which last summer expanded its news operation and vowed to give more comprehensive coverage of the entertainment industry by expanding its 30-minute daily news show to an hour, is cutting back on news. “E! News Daily!” will return to its original half-hour format at the end of the month, while E! “reallocates production resources to support the network’s expanding slate of original programming,” executives said in a statement. Many of the additions to the news operation, including the opening of a New York bureau and additional staffing, will remain, they said. “E! News Weekend!” will remain a one-hour program.

QUICK TAKES

The stars and executive producers of “Lateline,” NBC’s new half-hour comedy series, will gather with national newsmakers and members of Congress for a special premiere screening and reception tonight at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. The series, set in the capital, premieres March 17 at 9:30 p.m. . . . The Juilliard String Quartet’s scheduled appearance Sunday at Caltech, part of the Coleman Chamber Music Assn. chamber series, was postponed due to the death of the violist Samuel Rhodes’ mother. The concert has not yet been rescheduled. . . . Stage 33 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles will be renamed the Bob Barker Studio in ceremonies following the taping of the 5,000th episode of “The Price Is Right” on Wednesday. Barker has hosted the game show, now in its 26th season, since its premiere on Sept. 4, 1972. . . . Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities will produce a new South Bay Playhouse series, mostly focusing on nonmusical plays, at the 500-seat Hermosa Civic Theatre. The lineup: “Greater Tuna” (Oct. 6-18), “You Can’t Take It With You” (Feb. 2-14, 1999), “Death Trap” (March 23-April 4, 1999) and “Ain’t Misbehavin’ ” (April 27-May 9, 1999).