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

STAGE

‘Whistle’ Wait Nearly Over: Andrew Lloyd Webber’s long-awaited “Whistle Down the Wind” has been slated to open at Washington’s National Theatre on Dec. 12, followed by a Broadway opening at the Martin Beck Theatre on April 17--the first premiere of a Lloyd Webber musical outside England since “Jesus Christ Superstar” in 1971. The story, previously told in novel and film versions, also will move from England to America--to ‘50s Louisiana, to be precise. Noted director Harold Prince is staging.

Friends of Bill: All 15 original cast members of the Broadway hit musical “Rent” will perform an extended version of the showstopper “Seasons of Love” as the Democratic National Convention’s opening night finale, Monday in Chicago. Convention executive producer Gary Smith said “Rent” was chosen because it is “synonymous with the party in terms of its appeal--the characters represent people of different ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds and different sexual orientations.” Also at the convention Monday: Actor Christopher Reeve will speak on the needs of disabled people.

POP/ROCK

Morissette Stays on Top: Alanis Morissette maintained her return to the No. 1 spot on the charts for the second straight week as “Jagged Little Pill” sold another 120,000 copies last week, according to SoundScan. Rounding out the Top 5: Celine Dion’s “Falling Into You” (101,000 copies sold), Nas’ “It Was Written” (97,000), LeAnn Rimes’ “Blue” (83,000) and No Doubt’s “Tragic Kingdom” (82,000). The nation’s top single for the fourth straight week was Los del Rio’s “Macarena (Bayside Boys Mix).”

Hey . . . Figaro?: Speaking of “Macarena,” Los del Rio, a Spanish flamenco duo, has announced that it will follow up its worldwide hit by recording a single with renowned Spanish opera singer Montserrat Caballe, for release in September. It won’t be the first pop pairing for Caballe, who previously recorded the song “Barcelona” with the late Queen singer Freddy Mercury.

TELEVISION

Season Premieres: Fox’s “The X-Files” will return with new episodes on Oct. 4, airing in its usual Friday 9 p.m. time slot for three weeks before moving to Sunday nights on Oct. 27. The move opens the Friday slot for “X-Files” creator Chris Carter’s new drama, “Millenium,” which premieres Oct. 25. Among other Fox premiere dates announced Wednesday: “The Simpsons” begins its eighth season Nov. 3, while “Ned and Stacey” starts its second season Oct. 27. . . . ABC also announced more premiere dates Wednesday, with “Relativity,” a new romance drama from “My So-Called Life” producers Marshall Herskovitz and Edward Zwick,” to preview on Sept. 24 before debuting Sept. 28 in its regular Saturday 10 p.m. slot. In addition, “Dangerous Minds,” starring Annie Potts in Michelle Pfeiffer’s big-screen role, premieres Sept. 30; “Sabrina, the Teenage Witch,” featuring Melissa Joan Hart, bows on Sept. 27; “Common Law,” with comedian Greg Giraldo as an atypical lawyer, debuts Sept. 28; and “Coach” returns with new episodes on Sept. 28.

Kids TV News: In other season premieres, the Fox Children’s network will debut its fall Saturday morning schedule on Sept. 7, with two new series, “C-Bear and Jamal” and “Big Bad Beetleborgs” (from the creators of “The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”) leading off the lineup at 7 and 7:30 a.m., respectively. Fox’s fall 2-5 p.m. weekday kids schedule starts the week of Sept. 9. . . . ABC will preview its fall Saturday morning lineup in prime time on Sept. 6. The programming kicks off with an episode of the new animated series “Disney’s Mighty Ducks” at 8:30 p.m., followed at 9 p.m. with “The ABC Saturday Morning Preview Party,” a half-hour sampling of new shows including “Disney’s Jungle Cubs,” “Brand Spanking New Doug,” “Bone Chillers,” “Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles” and “Flash Forward.” . . . And at the WB network, a 90-minute movie edition of the forthcoming Saturday morning animated series “Superman” airs on Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. “The Last Son of Krypton” explains the genesis of comicdom’s “Man of Steel.”

QUICK TAKES

Kris Kristofferson and Richie Havens’ Oct. 31 concert at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts has been canceled due to schedule conflicts with Kristofferson’s movie career. The duo will be replaced by a second performance by country singer Collin Raye, whose Oct. 30 Cerritos show is sold out. Ticket-holders to the Kristofferson-Havens bill can keep their same seats for the Raye performance or return them for a refund. . . . “All My Children” heartthrob Keith Hamilton Cobb will leave the ABC daytime series at the end of the year to pursue other opportunities, a spokesman for the actor told The Times on Wednesday. . . . Director John Frankenheimer will be at Book Soup in Hollywood from 7 to 9 p.m. today to sign centennial copies of H.G. Wells’ science-fiction classic “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Frankenheimer’s film version of “The Island of Dr. Moreau” opens Friday.

Quotable: “I’m just going to go out there and just do the best that I can, be a father and just continue to funk.”

--”Super Freak” singer Rick James, speaking to reporters after his release Wednesday from Folsom State Prison, where he served more than two years for a drug-related assault on a woman.