Senior Prom

As the oldest attendees at the Senior Prom, George O’Keefe, 97, and Dorothy Visser, 98, won the chance to be crowned its king and queen. “Well, I thought there would be a lot of people here older than that!” a pleased O’Keefe quipped during the festivities at the Irvine Marriott Hotel.

The crowning was the highlight of the gala last weekend that benefited South County Senior Services’ Meals on Wheels program. More than 750 seniors--many of them sporting boutonnieres and corsages--enjoyed a gourmet buffet and danced to the big band sounds of the Senior Class Orchestra.

Net proceeds of about $36,000 from the event will help feed elderly shut-ins from Newport Beach to San Clemente.

The program, run by volunteers, serves three meals to about 450 seniors daily.

Kenton Tribute

Jazz met the classics during a tribute to bandleader-composer Stan Kenton by the Hutchins Consort. About 100 boosters of the consort, a group of eight musicians who play on acoustically matched violins crafted by luthier Carleen Hutchins, gathered at the Balboa Pavilion for a benefit salute to Kenton, who died in 1979.

On the program: everything from Kenton’s famed “Intermission Riff” to a jazz interpretation of “Greensleeves.”

“Kenton brought elements of classical music to jazz, and we’re looking at that tradition from the other side,” said Joe McNalley, artistic director of the consort. “We’re classical performers bringing back jazz elements.”

Proceeds of about $10,000 from last weekend’s dinner tribute will go toward defraying costs for nonprofit performances at venues such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum and California universities.

Guests included Kenton’s ex-wife, JoAnn Kenton, and his son, Lance. “My dad would have liked this,” Lance Kenton said. “He strived to cross over--bring jazz to a higher level. He actually wrote jazz pieces that were classically influenced.”

Coming up:

* The annual gala sponsored by the Western Law Center for Disability Rights will be Tuesday at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Tickets, $300. Call (213) 736-1437.

* Dustin Hoffman will emcee the Human Rights Watch Annual Dinner on Monday at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel. Tickets, $250. Call (310) 477-5540

* The Hollywood Beautification Team will honor Ben Vereen with its humanitarian award at a dinner in the Grand Ballroom at Hollywood & Highland on Wednesday. Tickets, $250. Call (323) 962-2163.

* Inner-City Arts will honor Ira Cohen and Steven J. Fogel on Thursday at its 2001 Imagine Awards at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel. Tickets, $375. Call (213) 627-9621.

* The Los Angeles Family Housing Awards 2001 will be presented to actor Martin Sheen, Jeff Lee and Universal Studios on Thursday at the Universal Studios Globe Theatre. Tickets, $250. Call (818) 255-2706

* Members of the New Leaders will honor John W. Mack, Lula D. Ballton and Steve Cooley at their luncheon Friday at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel. Tickets, $55; $60 at the door. Call (310) 641-7074.

* Pancreatic Cancer Network is staging An Evening With the Stars, its annual gala dinner-auction, Saturday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Tickets, $300. Call (877) 272-6226.

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Information for Social Circuits can be directed to Patt Diroll in Los Angeles or Ann Conway in Orange County. Diroll is at pattdiroll@earthlink.net; Conway at ann.conway@latimes.com or (714) 966-5952.