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

STAGE

Descending the Stairs: And the next Norma Desmond is--Linda Balgord, who will take on the coveted role in the national tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Boulevard.” Lloyd Webber, who called Balgord “a true star-in-the-making,” said from London that he first discovered Balgord when she played Rose in the national tour of his “Aspects of Love.” Balgord, 35, made her Broadway debut in Stephen Sondheim’s “Passion,” and has also starred in productions of “Evita,” “Funny Girl” and “Man of La Mancha.” “Sunset Boulevard’s” national tour kicks off June 28 in Denver, with a planned stop at the Orange County Performing Arts Center sometime in 1997.

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‘Bermuda’ Doubles Canon Sales Record: “Bermuda Avenue Triangle,” starring Beatrice Arthur, Renee Taylor and Joseph Bologna, has already smashed box-office records at Beverly Hills’ Canon Theatre, where it’s moving to on Feb. 4. Tickets went on sale by phone last Sunday, and in one day the play took in $53,000, more than double the Canon’s previous one-day record of $23,764, set by “Forever Plaid.” “Bermuda Avenue Triangle” continues at the smaller Tiffany Theatre through Jan. 28; the Canon box office opens this Sunday at 10 a.m.

TELEVISION

Let the Laughs Begin: Cable’s Comedy Central kicks off its presidential campaign coverage, “Indecision ‘96,” on Tuesday when comedian Dennis Miller hosts “State of the Union: Undressed,” a comedic play-by-play of President Clinton’s State of the Union Address, with guest participation from “ER” star Noah Wylie and comedians Norm MacDonald and Harry Shearer. “Undressed” will be followed immediately by a special live edition of “Politically Incorrect With Bill Maher,” marking Maher’s first broadcast from his new home at Los Angeles’ CBS studios. Maher’s guests will be Arianna Huffington, Al Franken and former Gov. Jerry Brown. Miller, whose Hollywood-based Comedy Central coverage begins at 6 p.m., will at the same time conduct a live online conference on Compuserve (Go: Convention), where he will conduct instant polls and chat. And on the stand-up front, Miller will headline at Pasadena’s Ice House Feb. 5 through 10.

POP/ROCK

Brown’s Abuse Charges Dropped: A day after James Brown buried his wife, police in Aiken, S.C., announced Wednesday that they were dropping a domestic violence charge against the soul singer after deciding they could not prosecute. Brown, 62, was charged on Oct. 31 after Adrienne Brown accused him of beating her. The singer denied hitting her and said that she had a drug problem. Adrienne Brown, who had accused her husband of assault at least three times during their stormy 10-year marriage, recanted her allegation the following week. The exact cause of her Jan. 6 death isn’t yet known; coroner’s officials said that she showed early signs of heart disease.

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Jamaican Update: Jamaican officials told Irish radio Thursday that U2 singer Bono and the group’s bassist, Adam Clayton, were among those who had just left a seaplane when police fired at it Tuesday, mistakenly suspecting a drug-smuggling operation. The two were in a boat being taken ashore to a vacation resort when police shot at the aircraft, which is owned by singer Jimmy Buffett. No one was hurt; police are investigating the incident.

DANCE

Dancing With Fire: The Sherman, Conn. home of New York City Ballet’s ballet master in chief, Peter Martins, and his wife, principal dancer Darci Kistler, was destroyed by fire Tuesday. A ballet company spokesman said that Martins and Kistler, who were home at the time, received minor burns but were not seriously hurt. The couple said that the fire may have been started by a candle.

QUICK TAKES

New Line Cinema has acquired the rights to Isaac Asimov’s seminal science-fiction collection, “The Foundation Trilogy,” and will turn it into a big-budget film. Production is expected to start next year. Charles Roven (“12 Monkeys”) and Robert Cavallo (“Species”) will produce, with Dennis Feldman (“Species”) handling the screenwriting duties. . . . MTV’s Tabitha Soren joined other newscasters in Bosnia last week, marking the cable channel’s first-ever on-site coverage of a former war zone. Her reports from the region begin airing tonight during the 7:30 p.m. news program “Week in Rock.” . . . Kathryn Christensen has been named the executive producer of ABC’s “World News Tonight With Peter Jennings.” She replaces Rick Kaplan, who was named Thursday to the new position of executive producer of special projects for ABC. Christensen has been senior producer of Jennings’ newscast since 1993, and for the past year has also executive produced ABC’s “World News Saturday/Sunday.” . . . Dick Cavett, who has been hosting a talk show on CNBC since 1989, is leaving the cable channel at the end of the month. There was no immediate word on who would fill his Saturday and Sunday time slots.