Encore

'The Take' Where: Encore When: 9 p.m. Friday Rating: TV-MA (may be unsuitable for children under the age of 17)

A recital without an encore is like a meal without dessert. Orchestral concerts usually skip dessert, unless the orchestra is on tour. (On the road, Valery Gergiev, conductor of the Mariinsky Theater Orchestra, always has five or six popular short pieces ready.) Sometimes encores are given after a concerto. Some conductors, however, think it's rude to make an orchestra (and maestro) wait while a soloist basks in extra applause. In fact, the whole art and practice of the encore is rather complicated, and subject to debate among performers.

The literary leviathan known as "Moby-Dick" swims once again into the dangerous waters of dramatic adaptation Monday night. The last sighting, some 13 years ago, found Patrick Stewart donning the peg leg to play crazy Capt. Ahab for the USA Network; this time William Hurt steers the Pequod in search of the white whale, under the flag of the premium movie-rerun channel Encore, which is edging into original programming. Both miniseries were produced by companies run by producers Robert Halmi and/or son Robert Halmi Jr., who have never met a work of classic literature they didn't want to adapt for television.

Among the biggest challenges older workers face is learning new skills and transitioning to second careers. UCLA Extension, the university's division for continuing and professional education, is betting there's money to be made helping them do that. The school is teaming with Encore Career Institute Inc. in Los Gatos, Calif., to teach baby boomers how to reinvent themselves in today's rapidly evolving job market. The Silicon Valley start-up will offer online coursework based on UCLA Extension classes.

The Greek Theatre, which has hosted the likes of Steve Miller, Sheryl Crow and Ringo Starr, has canceled precious few shows in its storied past. So last year, when it crossed off nine engagements, it was nothing short of a catastrophe. "In a normal year we'd have one or maybe two," said Alex Hodges, chief executive of Nederlander Concerts Inc., which operates the Greek Theatre. "We had never had nine. " This year, concert promoters are anxious to avert an encore of last year's disastrous season, when gross receipts fell 7.6% and notable acts such as the Jonas Brothers, Lilith Fair and Christina Aguilera canceled shows because of lackluster ticket sales.

Four years ago, Barack Obama was an upstart in the midst of becoming a phenomenon. Now, he's an established juggernaut with the power of the presidency at his back. But his reelection bid, formally announced Monday, seeks to re-create the grassroots effort -- the armies of volunteers, the flood of small donations, the spillover rallies -- that marked his first campaign. Few things are more laden with cynicism than modern American politics, but in the video released Monday by Obama's reelection campaign, the president clearly is asking the band to get back together for one more show -- perhaps a little less starry-eyed but, ideally, as dedicated.

In a sign that decadence isn’t dead yet, the Encore Beach Club in Las Vegas is opening Saturday, a month earlier than the cushy 60,000-square-foot attraction was originally set to open. A lush oasis with three tiered pools, the Beach Club is one of Sin City's largest and glitziest pool scenes. It offers 26 cabanas outfitted with refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Eight bungalows, with private showers and lavish furnishings, open out onto the Las Vegas Strip. Reserved seating starts from $150 for chaise longues to $1,000 for cabanas and $3,000 for a bungalow.

When Garth Brooks returns to his limited engagement next month in Las Vegas, some of those in line at the Encore box office may be surprised to find that the price of a ticket has nearly doubled. The increase — from $125 to $225 — has observers along the Strip — and, apparently, the country superstar himself — wondering whether the tickets are within reach of Brooks' exceedingly loyal but solidly middle-income fans. "My only concern is the audience," Brooks said in a statement issued by PR people at Wynn Resorts, owner of Encore.

Two Wynn experiences I was fascinated by the letter regarding the McGrahams' Wynn hotel "Inn-Excusable" situation [On the Spot by Catharine Hamm, Sept. 19]. I also received a promotional letter from the Wynn/Encore and, in fact, just returned from Las Vegas. My package was for a three-night/four-day stay for two at the Wynn, including two tickets to "Le Rêve. " My e-mail confirmation was apparently sent from the Wynn (printed in very tiny letters); however, Encore was printed in large, bold lettering in the confirmation, so I thought the reservation was for the Encore.