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

ENTERTAINMENT

Sitcom Shuffles: NBC has replaced Mel Gorham, the lead in its upcoming fall comedy “Union Square,” with Constance Marie, last seen in the movie “Selena.” Gorham, a Latina actress who appeared in the movie “Smoke,” was not well-received during screenings of the pilot episode, and the Thursday 8:30 p.m. series--which was to have been built around an aspiring actress working in a New York diner--will now be “more of an ensemble,” NBC said. Meanwhile, the network is also revamping “Men Behaving Badly,” with first-season stars Ron Eldard and Justine Bateman leaving and two new characters, played by Ken Marino (of the comedy troupe the State) and Jenica Bergere (“Ink”), joining Rob Schneider in the show.

Mommy Advice: New York officials apparently think Madonna needs some help with her parenting skills. After seeing a photo of baby Lourdes peering outside a window of Madonna’s apartment, Madonna received written notices from both City Councilman Kenneth Fisher and the health department that New York City requires steel, cage-like bars on windows in all homes with small children. The law is an attempt to stop the all-too-frequent falls that killed five small children in 1995 (singer Eric Clapton’s 4-year-old son died in a similar accident in 1991). Madonna was told she could face a $1,000 fine if she doesn’t comply.

QUICK TAKES

For the second year in a row, “Murphy Brown” star Candice Bergen has taken her name out of the running for comedy series lead actress. Also missing from the list of lead acting candidates--which can be submitted by the stars themselves or the series’ producers--are Bill Cosby and Roseanne. . . . “Steel Pier,” the new Kander and Ebb musical, is the first big casualty of Broadway’s busy spring season. It will close June 28 after 76 performances, at a loss of more than $7.5 million. “We were undone by the failure to win a single Tony Award despite 11 nominations,” producer Roger Berlind said. . . . Ozzy Osbourne fans began tearing down fences and lighting small fires at an amphitheater in Columbus, Ohio, Tuesday night when they learned that the rocker was sick and would not perform that night at his multi-band namesake concert, Ozzfest. One person was arrested and 12 others were cited in the incident, which left three people with minor injuries. . . . Hillary Rodham Clinton came to the defense of the embattled National Endowment for the Arts Wednesday by calling a Republican-led effort to effectively eliminate the agency “embarrassing.” On Tuesday, a House Appropriations subcommittee voted 6-5 along party lines to give the NEA only $10 million next year--the amount NEA officials say they would need to close down.