BROOKS EAGERLY AWAITING TIME TO SPEND WITH FAMILY.

Byline: Marilyn Beck & Stacy Jenel Smith

Garth Brooks hopes the long break he's contemplating will be as heavenly as the eight-month touring hiatus he took in 1992.

``Last time, I got to know my babies,'' says the superstar, whose kiddies are now 6, 4 and 2. ``I paid some attention to my farm. And the break gave me and the crew time to design a new show without rushing.''

Of course, Brooks has been doing lots and lots of rushing lately. After coming off a three-year world tour, he launched his ``Double Live'' album with a giant NBC special. Now, he's preparing to headline on the network's live Wednesday ``Christmas in Rockefeller Center,'' with Babyface, Jewel, Cyndi Lauper, Olympic gold medal skater Kristi Yamaguchi and the Rockettes.

Garth also has a heavy performing schedule between Christmas and New Year's Eve. He could also be booked up by this time for New Year's Eve 1999, if he cared to. He reports he's been getting calls regarding super-gigs for the eve of the new millennium, ``but I don't know whether I'm going to take any of them.

The videoland view

The ``NewsRadio'' cast may get an opportunity to show off its collective vocal talents in an upcoming segment of the sitcom, reports Vicki Lewis. ``We always do one weird, outlandish show a season, like we did a daydream episode, then we did `The Titanic.' ... Now, it's a debate between `Planet of the Apes' and `Jesus Christ Superstar,' where we would all be singing. That would be great, because most everybody on the show can sing, except Joe Rogan.''

Opening big

Organizers of Las Vegas' first annual CineVegas Film Festival (Dec. 10-13) have been aiming to make theirs a leading film fest right out of the gate - and they're going a long way toward that goal with an eye-catching schedule that will be kicked off by the world premiere of ``Star Trek: Insurrection'' on Dec. 10. ``We're doing the festival as a nonprofit function,'' notes executive producer Michele Berk, who also happens to be the reigning Mrs. United States.

Proceeds will benefit the Special Olympics and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Film Studies Scholarship Fund.

Weighty matters

Country heartthrob Ty Herndon confesses that he ``gained 15 pounds'' as he's continued on his first big road tour this year. He was unprepared to withstand the onslaught of ``doughnuts, fast food, french fries. That stuff is always around when you're out on the road. ... Fans bring you cakes and pies ...''

He's just about shed the extra pounds now, with the help of exercise. ``I run six miles every day. I had a Nordic Track put into my bus, and I use that. And in my newsletter, I wrote to the fans, `OK, you've got to start bringing me fruit' - and they have! They've been great about bringing healthy snacks for us. Of course, every so often, someone will come with cookies, and the band will say, `Thank God!' They're kind of tired of fruit.''

Herndon has extra reason to keep slim, considering his image as a crooner of romantic ballads (``date music''). However, he says, ``I told my wife the other day, `I'm kind of tired of being the spiritual leader of romance. I'm gonna have some fun on my next record, do some honky-tonk. I think I'm gonna sing about good girls going bad.' ''

Something to think about

``Frasier's'' David Hyde Pierce, who's back serving as national chairperson (with Shelley Fabares) of the national Alzheimer's Association, reports, ``It's a neck-and-neck race. A lot of breakthroughs are being made with the disease, and that's vitally important now as we approach what could be a time of a great national health disaster.''He points out that ``in the early part of the next century, as baby boomers reach their 50s and 60s, the number of people with Alzheimer's will explode into an epidemic - unless it's stopped or slowed down.''

With reports by Stephanie DuBois.

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3 Photos

Photo: (1) Garth Brooks

Still on the road

(2) Ty Herndon

Fan of fruit

(3) David Hyde Pierce

Alzheimer's advocate