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

STAGE

McNally Play Stalled: The debut of a new Terrence McNally play featuring a gay Christ-like character who has sex with his “apostles” has been canceled due to what a production’s spokesperson called “security problems.” McNally’s “Corpus Christi” was slated for a fall production by the off-Broadway Manhattan Theatre Club. But in a terse statement, the theater said it would be “unable to mount this production responsibly” due to “security problems that have arisen around the production.” The statement concluded that MTC and McNally “do not wish to comment further on this matter.” Asked if threats had been made against the production, a publicist said only that the statement used the word “security” for “a very specific reason.” The planned production had previously drawn the ire of the Catholic League, a conservative organization that mounted campaigns against the now-canceled ABC television shows “Nothing Sacred” and “Ellen.” Playwright McNally has won Tony Awards for “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “Master Class” and “Love! Valour! Compassion!” and is up for another next month for the hit “Ragtime.”

TELEVISION

Finding ‘Sex’ on HBO: “Sex and the City,” a new comedy series starring Sarah Jessica Parker as a single writer exploring the dating scene of Manhattan, will premiere June 6 at 9:45 p.m. on cable’s HBO. Following two back-to-back episodes airing that night, the series will move on June 7 to its regular time slot, on Sunday nights at 9. The half-hour program--which will feature former “Law & Order” star Chris Noth in a recurring role--is created and executive produced by “Melrose Place” creator Darren Star.

LEGAL FILE

Sex, Lawsuits and Videotape: The Internet company selling the Pamela Anderson/Tommy Lee sex tape said it will file suit next week against the estranged couple for allegedly interfering with the sale of the video. Internet Entertainment Group lawyer Alan Issacman claims that Lee and Anderson gave the company permission to sell the tape, but “are not following through with the legal agreement they signed.” Anderson and Lee, who have maintained that the tape was stolen from their home, have filed separate $90-million lawsuits against IEG to get the firm to stop distributing the tape, which has become the best-selling X-rated video of all time.

Flying Fists?: A fashion stylist says she took a punch in the face from Quentin Tarantino, and he should pay her damages even though he meant to hit her boyfriend. Leila Mwangi alleges in a $15-million lawsuit that the screenwriter opened a cut over her left eye when he punched her in the face at a Manhattan restaurant on May 2. Her lawyer said the trouble started when Tarantino and Mwangi’s photographer boyfriend got into a fistfight after arguing about the way Hollywood portrays black Americans. “My client was not throwing any punches but she got hit,” the attorney said. A publicist for Tarantino was unaware of both the incident and the lawsuit.

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Gold Medal Series: A grant of $75,000 from the Jose Iturbi Foundation will enable the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts to inaugurate a Gold Medal recital series in 1998-99. The center’s executive director, Wayne Shilkret, will use the three-year grant to underwrite the first three-concert series beginning Nov. 9 with a recital by Russian pianist Eldar Nebolsin. Subsequent scheduled artists are violinist Lara St. John (Dec. 7) and baritone Rodney Gilfry (April 12, 1999). Four concerts will be presented in the following season, with five to be given in 2000-01.

QUICK TAKES

A memorial service for vegetarian activist Linda McCartney, the wife of former Beatle Paul McCartney who died of cancer last month, has been scheduled for June 8 at London’s St. Martin’s in the Fields Church. An informal candlelight tribute will be held the same evening in London’s Trafalgar Square. . . . The Muppets are leaving Earth for their sixth movie with “Muppets From Space,” planned to touch down in theaters in July 1999. Filming is set to begin in Australia in September. . . . Country singer Randy Travis has canceled his appearance at Saturday’s Amerifest Music Festival in Indio due to the death Thursday of his mother, Bobbie Traywick. . . . The “Seinfeld” series finale last week lifted NBC’s “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” to its biggest weekly average (7.8 million viewers) since the week “Cheers” ended five years ago. . . . Red Hot Chili Peppers singer Anthony Kiedis has filed a negligence suit against a motorist with whom he was involved in a motorcycle crash last year. Kiedis, who suffered a broken arm in the July 13 accident, claims that Anne Williams made an illegal U-turn, cutting off his right of way and forcing a collision between Williams’ car and Kiedis’ motorcycle. Williams could not be reached for immediate comment. . . . Founding Three Dog Night members Danny Hutton and Cory Wells, who perform more than 200 concerts per year as Three Dog Night, have filed a cross-complaint against former band member Chuck Negron over the use of the ‘70s rock group’s name. Negron had sued Hutton and Wells in March claiming they were “deceiving” the public by performing without him. . . . Swing violinist Johnny Frigo has canceled his appearances today at the Old Pasadena Summer Festival and Monday at the Jazz Bakery after suffering a broken shoulder in a fall.