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

STAGE

Premature Exit: The acclaimed rock musical “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” will close prematurely on Sunday, losing its entire $600,000 investment. “The city didn’t rise to the occasion,” said co-producer Joan Stein. Referring to lead actor Michael Cerveris, Stein said that “if this city had any theater moxie, it would have carried him through the streets on silk pillows.” Stein said the decision to close could technically be reversed until Friday, according to Actors’ Equity rules, and a petition was received Wednesday from 200 people urging the producers to keep it open. But “the numbers are really daunting,” she said. The production is using a 499-seat configuration of the Henry Fonda Theatre in Hollywood--twice the size of the off-Broadway theater where the show became a hit--but Stein said theater size was not a factor: “We could have existed [filling] only 50%” of the seats at each performance.

LEGAL FILE

‘A Devastating Blow’: Julie Andrews has filed a malpractice suit against New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital and two doctors, saying they destroyed her singing voice in a botched operation. “Singing has been a cherished gift, and my inability to sing has been a devastating blow,” said Andrews, 64, star of “Mary Poppins” and “The Sound of Music.” Last February, Andrews announced that she has been unable to sing since she had surgery to remove noncancerous throat nodules in July 1997. The lawsuit alleges that she was never told that the operation carried the risk of permanent hoarseness, “irreversible loss of vocal quality” or other complications that might leave her unable to sing. Mount Sinai spokeswoman Karen Arthur said officials had not seen the suit and could not comment.

‘Is That All There Is?’: Singer Peggy Lee has sued Decca Records, saying the company shortchanged her by wrongfully withholding a portion of her recording royalties. She is seeking at least $200,000. Lee, 79, is best known for the hit song “Fever,” remade by numerous artists, including Madonna. She won a Grammy in 1969 for the song “Is That All There Is?” There was no immediate comment from Decca.

MILLENNIUM WATCH

Bell Ringing Longer: KABC-AM (790) will usher in the year 2000 with eight straight live hours of its syndicated late-night host, Art Bell, from 7 p.m. Dec. 31 to 3 a.m. Jan. 1. Normally he airs 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Bell, who dwells on conspiracy theories and unexplained phenomena, has done extended coverage on Y2K issues. Premiere Radio Networks, Bell’s syndicator, said the host will “track the progress of the Y2K computer bug across the continent,” with special guests reporting from various North American locations.

POP/ROCK

B.I.G. Is Still Big: Two and a half years after his death, the Notorious B.I.G. has the new No. 1 album in the nation. “Born Again,” which features the late rapper in studio-created duets with Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Nas and other top stars, sold 485,000 copies last week to debut atop the album charts. The posthumous release from B.I.G. arrived amid revelations last week that a former Los Angeles police officer is among the suspects in the unsolved slaying. The next four best-selling albums of the week belonged to Celine Dion, Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears and Santana, respectively, while the No. 1 single was Jessica Simpson’s “I Wanna Love You Forever.”

QUICK TAKES

Sigourney Weaver gets her star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame during 11:30 a.m. ceremonies today at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. . . . Country singer Faith Hill will sing the national anthem at Super Bowl XXXIV, airing Jan. 30 on ABC. . . . An auction of contemporary art Tuesday at Christie’s in Beverly Hills yielded $4.5 million in sales. An untitled painting by Jean Michel Basquiat brought the top price of $352,500 in the auction, which found buyers for 213 of the 272 works offered. . . . Singer-songwriter Bonnie Raitt, reuniting with her 1980s band Padlock, will perform at a special benefit concert Friday from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Malibu Riding & Tennis Club. Tickets are available at Zuma Beach Hardware.