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

POP & CLASSICAL MUSIC

B.I.G. Sales: As predicted, Notorious B.I.G.’s posthumous release, “Life After Death,” sold like hot cakes upon its release Tuesday. At Tower Records’ Sunset Boulevard store, shoppers bought 348 copies by day’s end Tuesday, topping the store’s highest recent first-day sales, 305 copies for U2’s “Pop,” and far outpacing the usual 150-200 copy first-day sales for high-profile new releases. By midday Wednesday, Tower had sold an additional 28 copies of B.I.G.’s album, employee Chris Baratto said. Another major music outlet, Virgin Mega Store, has a company-wide policy against divulging sales figures, but the chain’s Burbank store reported that it sold completely out of the late rapper’s release Tuesday.

*ostropovich at 70: Celebrated Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich will be honored on his 70th birthday today at a gala charity concert in Paris hosted by French President Jacques Chirac, with scheduled attendees including Britain’s Prince Charles, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Sofia of Spain. Performers include the London Symphony Orchestra, violinists Yehudi Menuhin and Isaac Stern, pianist Van Cliburn and conductor Seiji Ozawa.

MOVIES

Spreading the Money: Supporting actor honoree Cuba Gooding Jr., who proclaimed his love for almost everyone during his exuberant acceptance speech Monday, still had adoration left for public television station KCET-TV Channel 28. Upon spotting a KCET camera after the show, Gooding proclaimed: “I’m Cuba Gooding Jr., the Oscar winner, and I’m a KCET member. . . . Much love.” KCET will begin airing Gooding’s comments today as a station promo.

QUICK TAKES

Miramax Films was reportedly seeking a new location for its movie “A Price Below Rubies” Wednesday after a demonstration by 1,500 Hasidic Jews stopped the film’s production in Brooklyn Tuesday. Protesters had claimed the film stereotyped their neighborhood as a ghetto whose people looked like “kooks.” . . . The Rev. Jerry Falwell, speaking in New York this week, has urged conservatives to pressure General Motors, Chrysler and Johnson & Johnson to withdraw their ads from the April 30 “coming out” episode of ABC’s “Ellen.” . . . Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures are making a feature film out of “Good Burger,” a sketch from Nickelodeon’s popular kids’ series “All That.” The movie, starring teen stars Kenan Thompson and Kel Mitchell, follows last summer’s Nickelodeon movie, “Harriet the Spy.” . . . The Jason Bonham Band benefit concert at West Hollywood’s Whisky that had been scheduled for Wednesday night is now set for April 9.