ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

THE ARTS

More Than Music: Downtown’s Music Center of Los Angeles County announced Monday that it has changed its official corporate name to the Performing Arts Center of Los Angeles County to better reflect the diversity of programming at the complex. The center includes the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, the Ahmanson Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum and the coming Walt Disney Concert Hall, the new home of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, slated to open its doors sometime in the 2002-2003 season. The news follows October’s announcement of a merging of the center’s operations and fund-raising entities, which will lead to the naming of a new president and board chairman in early 2000.

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Russian Thefts: Thieves broke into St. Petersburg’s Museum of the Academy of Art over the weekend and stole 16 19th century paintings, including works by Russian master Ilya Repin, in the Russian city’s second museum theft this year. Two paintings were taken from the Russian Museum in April. Thieves smashed through the museum’s door in the latest incident, while the April offenders jumped through a window and shot at a guard as they fled. Although St. Petersburg, the former capital of Czarist Russia, is home to some of the world’s great artworks, most of its museums are run on tiny budgets and lack modern security equipment.

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Millennium March: L.A. Mayor Richard Riordan hosts what’s being called the “world’s largest casting call” today at 9:30 a.m. at the MTA Plaza in Hollywood (corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue). He’ll be seeking participants for “2000 on Parade,” a citywide New Year’s Eve event that will feature five separate 2,000-person parades. Parade categories are marching bands, folk dancers, drummers, line dancers and gospel singers.

ENTERTAINMENT

American Music Nods: Shania Twain, Britney Spears and Whitney Houston led the American Music Awards with three nominations apiece Monday, with the trio chosen to compete for favorite female pop artist. Among other award contenders: Santana’s “Supernatural,” Spears’ ”. . . Baby One More Time” and the Backstreet Boys’ “Millennium” for favorite pop album; Lenny Kravitz, Ricky Martin and Will Smith for favorite male pop artist; Spears, Jennifer Lopez and Kid Rock for favorite new pop artist; Lopez, Martin and Enrique Iglesias for favorite Latin artist; and DMX, Jay-Z and Juvenile for favorite rap/hip-hop artist. The awards air Jan. 17 on ABC.

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Grammy Honorees: Harry Belafonte, Woody Guthrie, John Lee Hooker and Willie Nelson will receive Lifetime Achievement Awards from the recording academy in February in conjunction with the 42nd annual Grammy Awards. In addition, Arista Records founder Clive Davis, music producer Phil Spector and oboist-turned-conductor Mitch Miller will receive Trustees Awards recognizing their “outstanding contributions” to the music industry.

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European Film Awards: Spanish filmmaker Pedro Almodovar won the European Film Prize for “All About My Mother” and top directing honors Saturday at the European Film Awards. Earlier this year, Almodovar was also named top European director at the Cannes Film Festival. Other award winners Saturday included Ralph Fiennes (best actor for the Hungarian drama “Sunshine”) and German director Wim Wenders (best documentary for “Buena Vista Social Club”). American David Lynch won the best non-European film award for “The Straight Story.”

QUICK TAKES

A musicians union has reached a tentative agreement in a contract dispute that led to the New York City Ballet presenting “The Nutcracker” with recorded music. A union official said a ratification vote was scheduled Monday afternoon. Results were expected today. . . . Oprah Winfrey has regained her Midas touch, as her ABC movie “Tuesdays With Morrie,” starring Jack Lemmon, was by far Sunday’s top-rated show, averaging more than 23 million viewers, based on early Nielsen estimates. That exceeded the combined audience for movies on CBS and NBC and easily surpassed Fox’s “The X-Files.” . . . Last Thursday’s Republican presidential candidates debate scored the Fox News Channel’s highest ratings ever, drawing nearly 1.2 million households and beating rival CNN in prime time for the first time. . . . Actress Emma Thompson gave birth to a daughter Saturday in London. The father, actor Greg Wise, said the couple were still deciding on a name. . . . Andy Pargh, the “Gadget Guru” on NBC’s “Today” show, was arrested near Miami Saturday on a felony charge of cocaine trafficking. Police gave no further details on the case. . . . Singer Sheryl Crow chats live on https://www.twec.com tonight at 7.