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

PEOPLE WATCH

Don’t Follow His Example: Chris Farley’s parents have allowed an anti-drug and -alcohol abuse program in the late comic’s Madison, Wis., hometown to use Farley’s picture in an attempt to help others avoid his fate. In a newspaper ad for the Rebos House of Wisconsin, a healthy-appearing Farley looks up from the page, which reads: “Drugs and alcohol can kill the laughter in anybody.” Farley’s parents said they felt the ad was something they had to endorse. “He’s looking down from heaven and giving his approval to our support for this,” said father Tom Farley. “If we can help at least one person or more to overcome this disease, we want to do everything we can.” Farley died last month of an accidental drug overdose.

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Princess Di Benefit: Angela Lansbury, John Travolta and Kelly Preston will chair “The Princess Ball,” the only benefit event in California to be approved by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. Held just two days before the Oscars, the March 21 event at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel will feature a well-known pop singer (negotiations are still underway), a dinner dance and an auction, with proceeds split between the London-based memorial fund and the Southern California charity Aid for AIDS. Tickets start at $500.

POP/ROCK

Snoop’s Fears: “I definitely feel my life is in danger if I stay in Death Row Records. That’s part of the reason why I’m leaving,” said rapper Snoop Doggy Dogg in Thursday’s Long Beach Press Telegram, reflecting on the shooting deaths of fellow rappers Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G. “[Label head] Suge Knight is in jail; [rapper] Dr. Dre left, and Tupac is dead. It’s telling me that I’m either going to be dead or in jail or I’m going to be nothing.” But although Snoop has been actively courting a new deal, leaving Death Row may be a difficult feat, because he has a contract under which he still owes the label six more albums.

TELEVISION

Growing Pains: The nighttime Emmy Awards have outgrown the Pasadena Civic Auditorium and will move to the Shrine Auditorium next September. In addition, for the first time a limited number of seats will be made available to the public. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, which presents the awards, has had seating problems in recent years with the growth of new cable networks eligible for the Emmys. The Shrine seats roughly 6,000 people, about twice as many as the Pasadena Civic, which has hosted the show for 21 years.

STAGE

Geffen’s ‘Timing’: Geffen Playhouse in Westwood will complete its 1997-98 season with David Ives’ “All in the Timing,” a series of six comic playlets, June 3 through 28. John Rando will direct, as he will for a separate production of “Timing” that’s opening March 28 at the Old Globe in San Diego.

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‘After’-Life: David Saint’s staging of Anne Meara’s “After-Play,” seen at the Pasadena Playhouse last fall, will have an afterlife. It’s moving to the Can~on Theatre in Beverly Hills for a Feb. 17 opening, with the Pasadena cast intact, including Beatrice Arthur, Paul Dooley, Marian Mercer and Robert Mandan.

ART

And Then There Was One: A change in the leadership structure at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art--making longtime director Philippe de Montebello chief executive officer as well as director--leaves the L.A. County Museum of Art as the country’s only major art museum with an administrator in charge. Two years ago, LACMA caused a stir when it split its top job, putting Andrea Rich, president and CEO, at the helm. Art professional Graham Beal subsequently was appointed director and second in command. At the time, the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Met both had similar structures, although their top administrative and art positions were roughly equal. But last year the Philadelphia museum made its director, Anne d’Harnoncourt, chief executive. This week the Met announced the upcoming retirement of president William H. Luers and De Montebello’s additional title. In contrast to Luers, who reports to the board of trustees, a new, as yet unnamed president will report to De Montebello.

QUICK TAKES

Director Martin Scorsese will preside over the jury at the 51st Cannes Film Festival, May 13 to 24 on the French Riviera. Scorsese won Cannes’ top prize, the Palme d’Or, in 1976 for “Taxi Driver.” . . . CBS has canceled the new Danny Aiello drama, “Dellaventura.” The network won’t schedule a replacement until after the Olympics in February. . . . NBC has pulled Jenny McCarthy’s “Jenny” from its schedule because of poor ratings. However, the network maintains that the sitcom has not been canceled and will remain in production. . . . Bruce Willis and Demi Moore’s $5-million libel claim against the Star tabloid has “merit” and can proceed, an L.A. judge ruled Wednesday. The couple sued over a June 10 story headlined “Bruce & Demi: On the Rocks.”