50 years ago in Expo history: Thumbs up for symphony and new theater, thumbs down for commissioned piece

The inaugural concert of the Washington State Pavilion (aka Spokane Opera House, aka the First Interstate Center for the Arts) was the social event of the decade, according to The Spokesman-Review’s society columnist.

Special guests included Gov. Dan Evans and his wife, Mayor David Rodgers and his wife and most of Spokane’s high society.

“It was a colorful scene as beautifully gowned women and their formally clad escorts arrived for the occasion,” said The S-R.

The concert itself got mixed reviews. Opera star Roberta Peters and the Spokane Symphony received raves, but the specially commissioned piece, “Image of Man,” by composer Michael Colgrass, seemed to baffle the audience.

The Spokane Chronicle reviewer noted that the audience was a bit unnerved by “unexpected chirps and squeals.”

The S-R reviewer said it “bordered on being trite,” and that Colgrass’s lyrics “had a certain marshmallow tinge of Rod McKuen to them.”

From 100 years ago: Spokane was being offered a military air base – but not where you might imagine.

An Army adjutant general offered to house a compete air base at Parkwater, on the east side of the city, near the existing Parkwater aviation field.

This new base would house a full National Guard aviation unit, consisting of 14 officers, 90 enlisted men, six airplanes and two steel hangars.

The army, however, was not offering to pay for the whole thing. Spokane would have to finance the construction of the hangars.