The Center’s 5th--Isn’t That Special?

In 1989, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its Dance America series, the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., presented the world premiere of David Gordon’s “United States.” A major new work by a significant figure in post-modern dance, “United States” was an unprecedented collaborative commission from more than two dozen dance presenters representing 15 states and the District of Columbia.

A year earlier, when the Wang Center in Boston wanted to do something special to mark its fifth anniversary, the center established an annual award in the form of a commissioned work of art, named after Massachusetts’ favorite son Jack Lemmon.

And for its 60th anniversary in 1988, the Chicago Civic Center for the Performing Arts brought in, among dozens of special music and dance presentations, the city’s own Hubbard Street Dance Company, which presented a new work by company member Ron De Jesus to music by sitarist Ravi Shankar and jazz-rock guitarist John McLaughlin.

In case you missed a small item in the society pages earlier this week, the folks at the Orange County Performing Arts Center also are getting ready to celebrate an anniversary: Sept. 29 will mark five years since the $73-million facility opened in 1986.

The trick, as other centers no doubt agonized over, is finding just the right program or performer for the occasion--something symbolizing the artistic paths already traveled as well as pointing toward vistas yet to come.

The Orange County Center wants Kenny Rogers.

Kenny Rogers? The guy whose artistic peak came (and went) 22 years ago with his rendition of Mel Tillis’ song about a maimed Vietnam vet pleading to his unfaithful spouse, “Ruby, Don’t Take Your Love to Town”?

The guy whose commercial peak came (and went) a dozen years ago with a string of silly country story-songs turned TV movies-of-the-week including “The Gambler” and “Coward of the County”?

The guy whose concerts are Las Vegas lounge-type exercises in coddling his adoring female fans?

Yep.

The only trouble is, Kenny, whose last Top 5 country hit was a 1986 single “I Prefer the Moonlight,” told Center officials who were pining for him: “I prefer Europe.” He’ll be out of the country come the center’s Sept. 25 anniversary party.

Also on the Center’s wish list for an anniversary concert, according to those who know, is “Phantom of the Opera” star Michael Crawford, who declined because he has no show other than “Phantom.”

Then there’s Diana Ross, who reportedly wants more money to play the Center than party coffers can muster. That leaves them keeping their fingers crossed that pop superstar Whitney Houston won’t be too busy come fall.

What’s most disappointing about all these choices is the staggering lack of imagination they show.

The only criteria at work seems to “Who can we get that’s famous and flashy?”

If Center party planners want to use the occasion to end their long boycott of pop music--as the names of Houston, Ross and Rogers might suggest--there are dozens of more interesting, more logical and more creative possibilities.

If, as indicated by the presence of Crawford’s name among the candidates, they’re looking to acknowledge their heavy dependence at the Center on the world of musical theater, there are ways that could generate more prestige and more national attention.

One idea: How about booking Broadway veteran John Raitt together with his blues-belting, Grammy-winning daughter Bonnie? They have strong Orange County roots (Raitt Street in Santa Ana is named after John’s dairy-farmer grandfather) and such a show would appeal to musical-theater fans as well as Bonnie’s largely under-50 rock audience. Most important, it would be something no one else has done yet, and would be far more likely to draw national attention than a Kenny Rogers or Diana Ross tour stop.

In looking over special-occasion programs at other facilities, what stands out is how they tap their own resources, how they look to create something new and different, how they try to show what they alone can give to their communities and supporters. What they don’t do is simply pick a familiar name out of a hat.

Lincoln Center in New York celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1986 with the world premiere of George Rochberg’s Concerto for Oboe, as played by the New York Philharmonic, the resident orchestra, and the group’s principal oboist, Joseph Robinson, for whom the work was composed.

OK, so Lincoln Center is much bigger, older and more prestigious than the Orange County Center and can land the New York Phil with little more than an inter-office memo.

How about the Madison Civic Center in Wisconsin? For its 10th anniversary last year, the center commissioned the Juilliard String Quartet to come up with something special. The result was “Homage,” a composition bridging classical music and jazz, played by the Juilliard foursome along with jazz pianist Billy Taylor’s trio.

Want to really go out on a limb? Just look at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, which specializes in bringing new artistic collaborations of all stripes to fruition.

In 1989, to cap its annual Next Wave Festival, BAM, together with Arts at St. Ann’s in Brooklyn, commissioned Lou Reed and John Cale, founders of the influential New York rock band Velvet Underground, to write and stage “Songs for Drella,” an extended musical cycle honoring their early mentor and inspiration, pop artist Andy Warhol.

The same facility last year commissioned maverick director David Lynch to create “Industrial Symphony No. 1,” a new work incorporating the music of his frequent collaborator, composer Angelo Badalamenti, the voice of pop singer Julee Cruise, and his own innovative theatrical and video techniques.

Kenny Rogers?

Say it ain’t so, Joe.