The Curious Functions Of The Encore

“Departing from the printed program, it gets listeners to sit up and take notice, speculating on what’s to come, trying to figure out what they’ve heard. In a way, it puts the audience into a more active role” — even as tradition says “that critics don’t review encores — indeed, often enough, that they leave the auditorium before them.”

Movie And TV Piracy Is Entrenched, And Legal, In Spain

“A cavalier attitude toward piracy has made it mainstream behavior in Spain. … It’s no surprise why average Spaniards think it’s not a big deal: Unlike in the U.S., France and, under proposed legislation, Britain, piracy isn’t against the law in Spain unless it’s done for profit.” Because of all the illegal downloading, movie studios may stop selling DVDs there.

Producers Shun Off-B’way For Broadway’s Prestige, Profits

Plays and musicals that once might have had long off-Broadway lives now set their sights on Broadway. “Today the money — and there’s a lot of it floating around just now — is going exclusively to Broadway, where investors will roll the dice for a chance to stand on the stage with a star or two during the broadcast of the Tony Awards.”