Lynn at center stage

With a wave of his baton, Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra today will usher in a new era for Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Lynn City Hall.

Broadway soloists, a '70s sing-a long, and ``The Stars and Stripes Forever" will punctuate a Pops concert celebrating the rebirth of the long-darkened auditorium.

``They want to start off in grand style," Lockhart said in an interview. ``We're thrilled they asked us to take part. The Pops love to celebrate."

The Pops are celebrating more than the gussied-up, 2,078-seat auditorium. They are saluting a $500,000 renovation that has set the stage for an arts revival in an older urban center. ``The fact that they found the money to renovate this and are committed to having a performance series there is a sign of vibrancy," said Lockhart, now in his 12th year as Pops conductor.

The Pops will be welcomed by a grateful city.

``Mr. Lockhart certainly has other places where he could bring his baton," said Mayor Edward J. Clancy Jr. ``We're honored that he's coming to our City Hall."

Clancy hopes the ``new" auditorium improves the rhythm of city life. Drugs, crime, and job losses have long plagued the city of 90,000 . But a condo boom has reclaimed downtown, drawing new residents, coffee shops, restaurants, art studios, and a gallery. The restored auditorium should play a starring role in Lynn's ongoing revitalization, he said.

``We're trying to build momentum," said Clancy, who has been mayor for six years. ``For a long time, we overlooked this auditorium. That was a mistake."

The restoration is the second act for the auditorium, which opened in 1948. The Beach Boys, Roy Orbison, and a young Jay Leno performed there. Over time, for reasons no one can fully explain, bookings were limited to dance recitals, high school graduations, and the occasional ``Nutcracker" performance.

Now, new lights, sound, rigging, and seat covers have been added. The dressing rooms and the orchestra pit were redone. And the rich wood of the proscenium was polished. A deep-red velvet curtain went up last week. The Pops are the first of six acts booked at the auditorium through spring.

``We wanted this to be a jewel," said James M. Marsh, Clancy's chief of staff, who oversaw the renovation. ``What better way to start than with the Boston Pops?"

Lynn joins a list of communities across the country to host ``America's orchestra." Although best known for its Fourth of July concert on the Esplanade and spring and holiday programs at Symphony Hall, the Pops each year also play a limited number of concerts in communities across the country.

Lockhart, who has aggressively pushed the Pops to reach new audiences, said community concerts are critical to the fabled orchestra. ``The Pops has always been a very grass-roots organization," he said. ``It's not about whether we want to play at Carnegie Hall. We're supposed to play for people."

In recent years, the Pops have played in a mix of venues -- a muddy outfield at a minor-league baseball park in Ohio, Jetties Beach on Nantucket, even The Mall at Chestnut Hill, right in front of Filene's, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hebrew Rehabilitation Center for the Aged.

They have also hit major sports arenas. The Whittemore Center at the University of New Hampshire in Durham and the America West Center, home to the Phoenix Suns basketball team, have hosted Pops concerts.

The task of moving the Pops -- the players, guest artists, instruments, and other precious cargo -- falls to Jana Gimenez of Melrose, the Pops' operations manager.

``I'm part traffic cop, part den mother for the orchestra," said Gimenez. ``I deal with all the logistics, everything involved with getting the musicians and all their necessary equipment to the concert venue."

The Lynn trip is called a ``run-out." That's ``Pops talk" to describe day trips the orchestra takes to play a concert close to home. ``We literally run out from Symphony Hall, play a concert, and come back," she said, almost breathless with excitement. ``It can get a little crazy. . . . But the nice thing is, no matter where we play, people seem think of the Pops as `their' orchestra."

In Lynn, the Pops entourage was due to start arriving yesterday. Audio and light technicians were scheduled to check things out. An 18-wheel, climate-controlled truck was due to arrive at about 10 a.m., filled with $2 million worth of cellos, timpani, tubas, trumpets, flutes, and other instruments.

Usually, even the orchestra's tuxedos and dresses are on board. But since Lynn is a relatively short ride from Symphony Hall, the Pops players will either bring or wear their concert duds on the bus. Lockhart, decked out in Prada, will arrive by limo. The maestro usually takes the bus, but has another event scheduled after his Lynn debut, Gimenez said.

``We travel together," Gimenez said. ``We're really like a family."

Lockhart works closely with artistic director Dennis Alves to tailor concerts to the audience. ``We really try to understand the community or group we're playing for," said Alves, who sometimes plays trumpet in the orchestra. ``In Lynn, we know this is a special occasion, so we've planned a festive program."

The Pops concert will be tinged with nostalgia, paying tribute to the old auditorium . Guest artists Marin Mazzie and Jason Danieley will perform songs from ``South Pacific" and ``Kiss Me Kate," shows that were popular in 1948. ``We really try to mix things up," Alves said. ``We know every audience is different. People love it when we go in and make an effort to really understand who they are."

The ``Me Decade," as the '70s were called, will also be in the spotlight. Movie scores like ``Star Wars" and pop hits like ``Margaritaville" are on the program. So is a medley of favorite TV themes, such as ``The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and ``All In The Family." And, of course, the Pops will wrap up with its magnum opus, ``The Stars and Stripes Forever."

``No matter where we play in the world, people want to hear it," Alves said. ``It's the Pops."

Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.