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

TELEVISION

‘Survivor’ in Space?: With the Australian Outback version of the CBS reality hit “Survivor” set to premiere after the Super Bowl in January, executive producer Mark Burnett is at work on other “Survivor” outposts, including the Mir space station. “I have signed an agreement with the Russian government to take the first civilian to the Mir space station. I am putting on a show in the beginning of 2002--it will be cosmonaut boot camp,” Burnett said, adding: “The winner who goes through boot camp for cosmonauts will go for 10 days into space and go on the Mir space station.” But while Burnett said he has a “full-time staff researching islands” for future CBS incarnations of “Survivor,” he said a network for the cosmonaut boot camp program “is still being worked out.”

*

Emmys a Nielsen Winner: Sunday’s Emmy Awards surged to the show’s biggest audience in 14 years, based on estimates from Nielsen Media Research. Preliminary figures show 21.6 million people were watching the ABC telecast at any given moment, with 46 million viewing at least part of the Garry Shandling-hosted program. That first number reflects a 24% increase over last year, when the ceremony aired on Fox, and the highest tune-in since the mid-1980s, when Nielsen began gauging the actual number of people watching. In terms of the percentage of U.S. homes viewing the program (a measure dating back to the 1950s), the show scored its highest rating since 1996.

DANCE

Cleveland Woes: The cash-strapped eastern half of the Cleveland San Jose Ballet--which entered a joint venture in 1985 to share dancers between the two cities while maintaining financial independence for each of the twin programs--has laid off its 41 dancers and 40 staff members, canceled its upcoming season and left the future of its West Coast partner in doubt. “It’s not fair to the dancers and staff to have to worry every week whether they will be paid,” said Robert Jones, president of the Cleveland board. Unlike the financially solvent San Jose venture (where the program is called the San Jose Cleveland Ballet), the Cleveland program has operated in the red for a decade, incurring a deficit of $300,000 last year. Two weeks ago, Jones said the season would be canceled unless $1 million were raised; the company fell well short, amassing only $60,000. In San Jose, meanwhile, that program’s executive director, Andrew Bales, said he had “no clue” whether his company could begin its season as scheduled next month. “Obviously, we don’t at this time have the dancers and repertoire we have sold to the community,” he said.

OPERA

Opera Fare Everywhere: The 2000-01 opera season will include 27 world premieres, according to a compilation of season schedules published by Opera America. The list, published annually, includes information on more than 160 professional opera companies throughout the world. Nearly a quarter of the operas listed are by North American composers. Of these, the most frequently performed are “Amahl and the Night Visitors” by Gian Carlo Menotti, “The Ballad of Baby Doe” by Douglas Moore, “Candide” by Leonard Bernstein, “Porgy and Bess” by George Gershwin, and “Susannah” by Carlisle Floyd. The list can be read at Opera America’s Web sites, https://www.operaamerica.com or https://www.operaworld.com.

*

Sitting-Room-Only: Milan’s venerable La Scala is giving up its 200 standing-room-only spots, beloved by some of the opera house’s most ardent and least affluent fans. Due to fire safety concerns, authorities will close off the space at the rear of the opera house’s balconies, starting tonight, when performances resume after the summer break. Opera fans used to wait in line for hours for the $5 last-minute, standing-room-only tickets. The cheapest tickets for the 2,015-seat 2000-01 season will now cost between $25 and $40, while the top opening-night tickets were selling for $1,500.

QUICK TAKES

Britney Spears, ‘N Sync and R.E.M. are among more than 40 musical acts being lined up for “Rock in Rio for a Better World,” a Rio de Janeiro rock festival being planned for Jan. 12-21. The event is being organized by Brazilian impresario Roberto Medina and sponsored by America Online Inc. Proceeds will benefit Viva Rio, a local social services organization for young people. Organizers expect more than 2 million attendees. . . . Jason Alexander has reprised his George Costanza character from “Seinfeld”--in TV and radio ads for a little-known congressional hopeful from New Hampshire. “Throughout his career, Norman Jackman has focused on the interests of the little guy, the Costanzas of the world,” Alexander says, urging: “Do something great. Vote for Norman H. Jackman.” First-time candidate Jackman, a 68-year-old Democrat and semiretired lawyer, said he met Alexander through a son who works in Hollywood. . . . The Jimmy Page-Black Crowes concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater that was rescheduled for Sunday due to guitarist Page’s back problems has now been canceled for the same reason. Refunds are available at the point of purchase. . . . Rick Rockwell of “Who Wants to Marry a Multi-Millionaire?” fame is booked for three stand-up comedy shows at Pasadena’s Ice House on Sept. 21 and 22.