The Taper Puts Hart in the Right Place : Theater: Lyricist Lorenz Hart, who would have turned 100 this year, will be saluted Monday.

The Mark Taper Forum has never produced a classic American musical. With its thrust stage, its lack of an orchestra pit, its limited backstage facilities, its capacity of only 760 and its programming responsibilities to many constituencies, the Taper is not a likely site for the next big revival of “No, No, Nanette.”

Nonetheless, each year since 1992 the Taper has been the site of a one-night tribute to a classic American lyricist. The annual event, a benefit for Center Theatre Group, is called “Salon at the Taper.” This year’s edition, on Monday evening, will salute Lorenz Hart.

Nancy Olson Livingston, former actress and an ex-wife of the late lyricist Alan Jay Lerner, was chairing CTG’s 25th-anniversary celebration in 1992 when she came up with the idea of doing a lyricists’ evening as a fund-raiser. She was inspired, she said, by the similar “Lyrics/Lyricists” series at the 92nd Street Y in New York.

She enlisted the participation of cabaret artist/song historian Michael Feinstein, and he has performed and emceed all of the evenings so far. Although he has recently been performing in London, he’ll be here again this year. The event’s producer, Susan Clines, said that she and Feinstein have conducted several 45-minute transatlantic conversations, with Feinstein calling at 2 a.m. London time, planning this year’s event.

Clines said that one of the highlights is bound to be a performance by June Havoc (known as “Baby June” in the “Gypsy” saga), who was in the original cast of Hart’s “Pal Joey” in 1940 and will, in November, celebrate her 80th year in show business. From a much younger generation, Jennifer Paz, star of “Miss Saigon” next door at the Ahmanson, will sing. So will Ted Wass, Lorna Patterson, Mary Cleere Haran (who recently recorded a Hart album), Ellia English, Jason Graae, Stan Freeman, Yvette Freeman, Lara Teeter, Michelle Nicastro and Monica Mancini.

Mary Rodgers, daughter of Hart’s collaborator Richard Rodgers, will speak. Gordon Hunt directs and Brad Ellis of the “Forbidden” shows (“Broadway” and “Hollywood”) is the musical director.

The honoree each year is selected by a group that includes Feinstein, Clines, Livingston and CTG artistic director/producer Gordon Davidson. The first year’s choice, Ira Gershwin, lived in Los Angeles for many years, but the others--Oscar Hammerstein II, Lerner and Hart--had no particular L.A. ties. However, it’s a fitting year to remember Hart--he would have turned 100 last May 2. Davidson once indicated in a program essay that the “Salon” series could honor composers, poets and playwrights in addition to lyricists, but so far there have been no moves in that direction.

Clines, the producer of the event, is married to CTG managing director Charles Dillingham. Although Feinstein and other performers donate their services, Clines and some of the other behind-the-scenes personnel are paid. Clines was concert administrator at Carnegie Hall for 10 years.

The event is open to the public. Tickets cost $200, include admission to a reception with the cast, and can be reserved by calling (213) 972-7660.