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

THE ARTS

Memorial Money: Documents prepared by the company that will manage construction of the controversial National World War II Memorial show far lower costs than previously reported by the memorial’s sponsor. Figures prepared for the American Battle Monuments Commission, sponsor of the project, estimate total building cost for the 7-acre plaza at $58.5 million. The same documents show that the ABMC fund-raising campaign has already netted more than $147 million toward the project, while expenses prior to construction amount to $33 million. The documents, prepared by Gilbane Building Co., were released by the National Coalition to Save Our Mall, which has filed suit in federal court to block construction of the war memorial, planned for a site near the grounds of Washington’s Lincoln Memorial.

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Philadelphia Goes Mobile: The family of sculptor Alexander Calder has chosen the late artist’s birthplace, Philadelphia, as the site of a museum dedicated to three generations of the Calder family of artists. Although the three Calders will be represented, the new museum is expected to focus largely on the most important of the sculptors, Alexander Calder, inventor of the mobile. The city of Philadelphia is donating the land for the $50-million project, which will be designed by Japanese architect Tadao Ando, winner of the 1995 Pritzker Prize and known for his spare designs using concrete, glass, wood and stone. The museum is expected to open in 2004.

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A Sour Note for Pavarotti: Opera star Luciano Pavarotti was in the news again Friday when he was ordered to stand trial on charges of tax evasion. His trial is set to begin on May 2, said lawyer Nerino Giardini. Bologna prosecutor Eleonora De Marco alleged that Pavarotti presented false tax reports for the years 1989-95 in Modena, his home city and the place where he holds an annual concert, Giardini said. He declined to give an exact amount of the money involved. Pavarotti has argued that his official residence is in the tax haven of Monte Carlo, not Modena. Ending a long administrative battle over taxes, Pavarotti last summer agreed to fork over $11.3 million to Italy’s finance ministry in a dispute over the same tax years. Pavarotti also paid a six-figure sum to settle a German tax evasion probe in 1999.

POP/ROCK

Grammys Go Native: The winner of the Grammy in the new category for Native American music album will be announced during the televised portion of the show on Wednesday, rare for any award in specialized music fields, as well as for a brand-new category. “It’s very unusual that this organization will add a category and that, in the first year it’s added, we give that award on the telecast,” recording academy President C. Michael Greene said Friday. “I think that pretty much points out that we are very serious about, and very proud of, this new category and that we are really looking forward to its maturation.”

TV/VIDEO

A Shot in the Arm: NBC says it was a coincidence that Thursday’s episode of “ER”--which featured a subplot about a boy who dies because he wasn’t vaccinated for measles--carried an ad about a vaccine for meningitis, and that the spot was bought last May. Meanwhile, the third “Friends”-”Survivor” showdown essentially held to form, with the NBC sitcom drawing an estimated 22 million viewers versus 28.2 million for “Survivor: The Australian Outback,” which experienced a small decline from the past two weeks. Conan O’Brien also appeared to benefit from his prime-time duty interviewing the “Friends” cast for an outtakes show, as “Late Night With Conan O’Brien” scored its second-highest rating of the past year.

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I Vote Vitameatavegamin: In honor of the 50th anniversary of “I Love Lucy,” Amazon.com, Paramount Home Entertainment and CBS Video have teamed to poll people as to their favorite episode of the beloved show. Through Feb. 25, fans can log on to https://www.amazon.com/lucy and choose their favorite episode from a selection of 32 detailed descriptions. The results will then be tallied by Amazon.com and forwarded to Paramount, which will release 10 of the most popular episodes on “The Best of I Love Lucy Collection,” due out on VHS and DVD this fall.

QUICK TAKES

Actress Tisha Campbell-Martin and husband Duane Martin are expecting their first child this summer, her publicist said Friday. Campbell-Martin stars with Damon Wayans on the ABC sitcom “My Wife and Kids,” which premieres March 14. . . . Mike Nichols’ film adaptation of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Wit”--which appeared at the Geffen Playhouse last February--will debut March 24 on HBO. Emma Thompson, Christopher Lloyd, Eileen Atkins and Audra McDonald star. . . . Warner Bros. has launched the official “Harry Potter” Web site at https://www.harrypotter.com. The feature film “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” is due Nov. 16. . . . Karine Beesley has been appointed executive director of the Pasadena Symphony. Beesley previously served as foundations manager for the Los Angeles Opera, managing director of the John Anson Ford Theatre Foundation and executive director of the Ventura County Symphony Orchestra.