ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, May 4, 1996 TAG: 9605060013
SECTION: SPECTATOR PAGE: S-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: MIKE DUFFY KNIGHT-RIDDER NEWSPAPERS
It's the network-hopping Sharon Lawrence spring fling.
Tuesday the ``NYPD Blue'' star was in a family way, with Sylvia Costas finally giving birth to Baby Sipowicz on ABC.
Then Lawrence switches gears May 19 for ``A Friend's Betrayal,'' an NBC movie in which she plays ``a free-spirited artist who becomes involved in an affair with the [18-year-old] son of her best friend.'' Yow. From mother of a newborn to cradle robber.
And that's not all.
Lawrence, 33, is still celebrating her impending transformation from supporting player to up-front personality. She recently signed a multi-year NBC contract to star in the pilot for a new sitcom and also make TV movies for the Peacock Network.
``For me, it's time to move around a bit,'' Lawrence said. ``I'm married to the guys on `NYPD Blue,' but it's an open marriage.''
In other words, Sharon Lawrence isn't pulling a David Caruso.
She won't be jilting ``NYPD Blue.'' But next year, her appearances on the acclaimed crime drama may be front-loaded early in the season to allow her to work on the comedy series project during the winter.
The sitcom opportunity grew out of Lawrence's sparkling guest appearance on NBC's ``Caroline in the City'' earlier this season, where she hilariously portrayed a frazzled divorcee on the make.
It was a big departure from the more subdued, serious-minded Sylvia Costas. And Lawrence's own upbeat personality may start to come through more in her new NBC projects.
``Sylvia is older than I am. Her energy level is more subtle,'' Lawrence said. ``I am a very active, outgoing gal. Sylvia's more reserved than I am.
With the ``NYPD Blue'' camera style of shooting characters from below, the 5-foot-5 Lawrence appears taller. And Sylvia Costas' no-nonsense assistant district attorney favors a hairstyle and fashion look that makes Lawrence look older.
Once Sylvia Costas and Andy Sipowicz say howdy to their newborn baby son, there will be developing tensions in the marriage.
``There's definitely a conflict; it's an evolution of their relationship,'' Lawrence said of the postpartum developments in the Costas-Sipowicz marriage. And by the season finale May 21, Andy also will be grappling with a family tragedy.
Beyond the heat of the May sweeps, Lawrence seems most excited about next season's NBC sitcom pilot project. ``Fired'' is the show's working title. Lawrence will play a laid-off female executive coping with the insecure realities of '90s work life.
On NBC, comedy is golden with successful series like ``Seinfeld,'' ``Friends,'' ``Frasier,'' ``NewsRadio'' and ``3rd Rock From the Sun.''
``I have so much confidence in their knowledge of comedy,'' Lawrence said. And NBC obviously has confidence in Lawrence, who said she is thrilled about the chance to strut a more physical, high-energy style of acting in comedy.
``Comedy is so much about rhythm. It hearkens back to the days I did musical theater,'' Lawrence said. ``It's the reason I was interested in doing this and taking the risk. I'm someone who's always taken chances.''
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Sharon Lawrence stars as Sylvia Costas inby CNB``NYPD Blue,'' airing Tuesday at 10 p.m. on WSET-Channel 13.